History and Anthology of English Literature Mickey Xu

Chapter III The Period of the English Bourgeois Revolution (the 17th century)

► The English Revolution and the Restoration ► Revolution Literature: John Milton ； John Bunyan ► Metaphysical Poets and Cavalier Poets ► Restoration Literature----John Dryden

The English Revolution and the Restoration ► The Declining Relationship Between Monarchy and Bourgeoisie ► The clashes between the King and the Parliament ► The English Revolution

► The Bourgeoisie Dictatorship and the Restoration ► Glorious Revolution ► The Religious Cloak of the English Revolution:

Literature of this period: Literature of this period: ► The sprit of unity and patriotism ended. Literature concerned with the upheavals of this time. ► Optimistic and sunny turned into pessimistic and cloudy.

The Revolution Literature --John Milton --John Milton --John Bunyan --John Bunyan

John Milton His Works  Pamphlets:  Poems: Only love poem: On His Deceased Wife(1658) Epics: Paradise Lost (1665) Paradise Regained (1671) Poetic drama: Samson Agonistes

Paradise Lost: his masterpiece Paradise Lost: his masterpiece ► Plot: from the Bible (the Old Testament) ► Theme: a revolt against God’s authority ► Characterization: ► God----selfish, cruel, tyrant. His angels: flattering, silly. (the court of absolute monarchy)

► Satan---rebellious, freedom-loving, democratic. ► His angels----free, expressive

Adam ► Adam is a strong, intelligent, and rational character possessed of a remarkable relationship with God. ► Symbol Adam’s Wreath Adam’s Wreath

Eve Eve ► Created to be Adam’s mate, Eve is inferior to Adam, but only slightly. ► Eve’s strengths are her capacity for love, emotion.

► Summary: Book I, Lines 27 – 722: Satan and Hell Immediately after the prologue, Milton raises the question of how Adam and Eve’s disobedience occurred and explains that their actions were partly due to a serpent’s deception. This serpent is Satan, and the poem joins him and his followers in Hell, where they have just been cast after being defeated by God in Heaven. Immediately after the prologue, Milton raises the question of how Adam and Eve’s disobedience occurred and explains that their actions were partly due to a serpent’s deception. This serpent is Satan, and the poem joins him and his followers in Hell, where they have just been cast after being defeated by God in Heaven.

Samson Agonistes Samson Agonistes ► --Form: a poetic drama --Plot: from the Book of Judges, Old Testament.

Brief summary of Milton 1. Political in both his life and art, a militant pamphleteer of, the greatest revolutionary poet in the 17 century. 2. Greatest epics in English literature (two pattern of English verse with Shakespeare) 3. Master of blank verse in non- dramatic works—1st to use it 4. Stylist

John Bunyan ► Life: The son of a poor tinker, born in Little schooling, merely read and write. Helped father with work.. A Sensitive imagination: the religious fanaticism of the time made a tremendous impression upon his brain—terrible daydreams due to miserable life and religious fervor-----In his outburst of religious gloom we hear the cry of the lowest classes before and since the English Revolution. At 17, Enlisted in the Parliament Army. After that, he got married with a poor girl, as poor as him.

► He joined a Baptist society and began to preach among the villagers with powerful effect--told the truth of social abuses and oppressions ► 1660, he was arrested for preaching and was kept in the prison for 12 years. ► He wrote “The Pilgrim’s Progress” in the prison. ► He died of a fever in 1688.

The Pilgrim ’ s Progress ► Form: a religious allegory in prose. ► Content: It tells of the spiritual pilgrimage of Christian ► One of the most popular works in English Language--great success among poor people ► Style: solemn dignity and simplicity

Major character: Christian ► Christian is the central character of the book and the hero of the pilgrimage. Because Bunyan wrote The Pilgrim’s Progress as an allegory rather than a novel, Christian is not represented as particularly complicated or conflicted and has a simple personality. Christian represents just one profound aspect of the human experience: the search for religious truth. He is his faith (hence his name). Christian’s motivation, the search for salvation in the Celestial City, clearly defines him.

Metaphysical Poets and Cavalier Poets Metaphysical Poets and Cavalier Poets ► Metaphysical Poets: --Term: About the beginning of the 17th century appeared a school of poets named as “ Metaphysicals ” by Samuel Johnson (a 18th century writer). Their works are characterized generally by mysticism in content and fantasticality in form. --Metaphysical Poets include John Donne( )(the founder of the Metaphysical school), George Herbert ( )(the saint of the Metaphysical school), Andrew Marvell( ), Henry Vaughan( ) and Richard Crashaw( ). --Metaphysical Poets include John Donne( )(the founder of the Metaphysical school), George Herbert ( )(the saint of the Metaphysical school), Andrew Marvell( ), Henry Vaughan( ) and Richard Crashaw( ).

John Donne (1572 — 1631) ► Life -- the founder of the Metaphysical school of poetry, influenced other Metaphysical poets. -- early life in dissipation and roguery. -- later a illustrious (outstanding) Dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral, London.

► His works: -- two groups youthful love lyrics: Songs and Sonnets(1633, after his death) sacred verses: Devotion upon Emergent Occasions (1624) youthful love lyrics: Songs and Sonnets(1633, after his death) sacred verses: Devotion upon Emergent Occasions (1624)

► George Herbert ( ) The saint of the Metaphysical school A devout Anglican Clergyman: “a poet should sing the glory of God” Symbolic way of description Far-fetched conceits, too obscure Tricks of typographical lay-out to express his religious piety ► Andrew Marvell ( ) A puritan, Milton’s assistant in the Commonwealth Poems on nature, religion and love the haunting awareness of mortality

► Cavalier Poets ► Compare Metaphysical Poets and Cavalier Poets: There is a similar awareness of mortality, which is expressed as an intense melancholy by the former, and by the latter as a bitter consciousness of the transitoriness of human glory and joy.

Restoration Literature: The Age of Dryden ► Background: -- The restoration of the Stuart Monarchy

John Dryden ► life -- the most distinguished writer of the Restoration period, poet, playwright, critic. -- a time server ► -- Poet Laureate and Historiographer Royal of the day. -- The Glorious Revolution deprived him of all his offices, laureateship and pension,. -- He engaged in translation in his old age, died in 1700.

His works: a prolific writer ► immoral plays All for Love, All for Love, Antony and Cleopatra. Antony and Cleopatra. ► poems: Absalom and Achitophel Absalom and Achitophel ► prose criticism: An Essay of Dramatic Poesy. An Essay of Dramatic Poesy.

His contribution ► established the heroic couplet as one of the principal English verse forms. ► clarified the English prose and made it precise, concise and flexible. ► raised English criticism to a new level