{"id":358,"date":"2020-05-28T16:02:34","date_gmt":"2020-05-28T16:02:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-hum140\/?post_type=chapter&p=358"},"modified":"2020-10-18T15:29:54","modified_gmt":"2020-10-18T15:29:54","slug":"3-10-age-of-enlightenment-literature","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-hum140\/chapter\/3-10-age-of-enlightenment-literature\/","title":{"raw":"3.9: Age of Enlightenment Literature","rendered":"3.9: Age of Enlightenment Literature"},"content":{"raw":"

An Age of Satire<\/h2>\r\nLiterature during this period was often considered a tool for the advancement of knowledge. Writers were often found observing nature in their attempts to express their beliefs. Human nature was considered a constant that observation and reason could be applied to for the advancement of knowledge. Within these circumstances, the Age of Satire was born. Satire was the most popular literary tool that was utilized by writers of the time. With the help of satire, writers were better able to educate the public through literature. Its function was to acknowledge a problem in society and attempt to reform the problem in a comical manner while still educating the public. Its effectiveness can be seen in literary pieces by\u00a0Jonathan Swift<\/a>\u00a0such as\u00a0A Modest Proposal<\/em>\u00a0where he addresses and criticizes the problem of a growing famine in Ireland. Playwrights of the time were also known to incorporate satire in their plays. Through the use of satire, they were able to expose and critique social injustices. \u201cOver the thirty years of its triumphs, Restoration comedy, in an astounding fugue of excesses and depravities, laid bare the turbulence and toxins of this culture\u201d (Longman). Satire was a highly successful literary tool that worked to promote social awareness through literature, the theater and periodicals of the time.\r\n\r\nTo call the 18th century the\u00a0<\/span>Age of Reason<\/a>[footnote]It is HIGHLY recommended to click on this link and read the article about the Enlightenment.[\/footnote]\u00a0is to seize on a useful half-truth but to cause confusion in the general picture, because the primacy of reason had also been a mark of certain periods of the previous age. It is more accurate to say that the 18th century was marked by two main impulses: reason and passion. The respect paid to reason was shown in pursuit of order, symmetry,\u00a0decorum<\/a>, and scientific knowledge; the cultivation of the feelings stimulated philanthropy, exaltation of personal relationships, religious fervour, and the cult of\u00a0sentiment<\/a>, or sensibility. In\u00a0literature<\/a>\u00a0the rational impulse fostered\u00a0satire<\/a>, argument, wit, plain prose; the other inspired the\u00a0psychological novel<\/a>\u00a0and the poetry of the\u00a0sublime<\/a>.\r\n\r\nThe cult of wit, satire, and argument is evident in England in the writings of\u00a0Alexander Pope<\/a>,\u00a0Jonathan Swift<\/a>, and\u00a0Samuel Johnson<\/a>, continuing the tradition of Dryden from the 17th century. The\u00a0<\/span>novel<\/a>\u00a0was established as a major art form in\u00a0English literature<\/a>\u00a0partly by a rational realism shown in the works of\u00a0Henry Fielding<\/a>,\u00a0Daniel Defoe<\/a>, and\u00a0Tobias Smollett<\/a>\u00a0and partly by the psychological probing of the novels of\u00a0Samuel Richardson<\/a>\u00a0and of\u00a0Laurence Sterne\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0Tristram Shandy.<\/em>\u00a0In France the major characteristic of the period lies in the philosophical and political writings of the Enlightenment, which had a profound influence throughout the rest of Europe and foreshadowed the\u00a0French Revolution<\/a>.\u00a0Voltaire<\/a>, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Charles de\u00a0Montesquieu<\/a>, and the Encyclop\u00e9distes\u00a0Denis Diderot<\/a>\u00a0and Jean d\u2019Alembert all devoted much of their writing to controversies about social and religious matters, often involving direct conflict with the authorities. In the first part of the century,\u00a0German literature<\/a>\u00a0looked to English and French models, although innovative advances were made by the dramatist and critic\u00a0Gotthold Ephraim Lessing<\/a>. The great epoch of German literature came at the end of the century, when cultivation of the feelings and of emotional grandeur found its most powerful expression in what came to be called the\u00a0<\/span>Sturm und Drang<\/a><\/em>\u00a0(\u201cStorm and Stress\u201d) movement. Associated with this were two of the greatest names of German literature,\u00a0Johann Wolfgang von Goethe<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Friedrich Schiller<\/a>, both of whom in\u00a0drama<\/a>\u00a0and poetry advanced far beyond the turbulence of\u00a0Sturm und Drang.<\/em>\r\n\r\nRead this excerpt from\u00a0An Essay on Man<\/em> (1732-1734) by Alexander Pope for an example of Enlightenment era poetry:<\/strong>\r\n
\r\n\r\nAll nature is but art, unknown to thee;\r\nAll chance, direction, which thou canst not see;\r\nAll discord, harmony not understood;\r\nAll partial evil, universal good:\r\nAnd, spite of pride in erring reason\u2019s spite,\r\nOne truth is clear, whatever is, is right.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nKnow, then, thyself, presume not God to scan;\r\nThe proper study of mankind is man.\r\nPlaced on this isthmus of a middle state,\r\nA being darkly wise, and rudely great:\r\nWith too much knowledge for the sceptic side,\r\nWith too much weakness for the stoic\u2019s pride,\r\nHe hangs between; in doubt to act, or rest;\r\nIn doubt to deem himself a god, or beast;\r\nIn doubt his mind or body to prefer;\r\nBorn but to die, and reasoning but to err;\r\nAlike in ignorance, his reason such,\r\nWhether he thinks too little, or too much:\r\nChaos of thought and passion, all confused;\r\nStill by himself abused, or disabused;\r\nCreated half to rise, and half to fall;\r\nGreat lord of all things, yet a prey to all;\r\nSole judge of truth, in endless error hurled:\r\nThe glory, jest, and riddle of the world!\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nRead this excerpt from Gulliver's Travels<\/em> (1726) by Jonathan Swift for an instance of Enlightenment era fiction:<\/strong>\r\n
\r\n

<\/h2>\r\nI made his honour my most humble acknowledgments for the good opinion he was pleased to conceive of me, but assured him at the same time, \u201cthat my birth was of the lower sort, having been born of plain honest parents, who were just able to give me a tolerable education; that nobility, among us, was altogether a different thing from the idea he had of it; that our young noblemen are bred from their childhood in idleness and luxury; that, as soon as years will permit, they consume their vigour, and contract odious diseases among lewd females; and when their fortunes are almost ruined, they marry some woman of mean birth, disagreeable person, and unsound constitution (merely for the sake of money), whom they hate and despise.\u00a0 That the productions of such marriages are generally scrofulous, rickety, or deformed children; by which means the family seldom continues above three generations, unless the wife takes care to provide a healthy father, among her neighbours or domestics, in order to improve and continue the breed.\u00a0 That a weak diseased body, a meagre countenance, and sallow complexion, are the true marks of noble blood; and a healthy robust appearance is so disgraceful in a man of quality, that the world concludes his real father to have been a groom or a coachman.\u00a0 The imperfections of his mind run parallel with those of his body, being a composition of spleen, dullness, ignorance, caprice, sensuality, and pride.\r\n\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"

An Age of Satire<\/h2>\n

Literature during this period was often considered a tool for the advancement of knowledge. Writers were often found observing nature in their attempts to express their beliefs. Human nature was considered a constant that observation and reason could be applied to for the advancement of knowledge. Within these circumstances, the Age of Satire was born. Satire was the most popular literary tool that was utilized by writers of the time. With the help of satire, writers were better able to educate the public through literature. Its function was to acknowledge a problem in society and attempt to reform the problem in a comical manner while still educating the public. Its effectiveness can be seen in literary pieces by\u00a0Jonathan Swift<\/a>\u00a0such as\u00a0A Modest Proposal<\/em>\u00a0where he addresses and criticizes the problem of a growing famine in Ireland. Playwrights of the time were also known to incorporate satire in their plays. Through the use of satire, they were able to expose and critique social injustices. \u201cOver the thirty years of its triumphs, Restoration comedy, in an astounding fugue of excesses and depravities, laid bare the turbulence and toxins of this culture\u201d (Longman). Satire was a highly successful literary tool that worked to promote social awareness through literature, the theater and periodicals of the time.<\/p>\n

To call the 18th century the\u00a0<\/span>Age of Reason<\/a>[1]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0is to seize on a useful half-truth but to cause confusion in the general picture, because the primacy of reason had also been a mark of certain periods of the previous age. It is more accurate to say that the 18th century was marked by two main impulses: reason and passion. The respect paid to reason was shown in pursuit of order, symmetry,\u00a0decorum<\/a>, and scientific knowledge; the cultivation of the feelings stimulated philanthropy, exaltation of personal relationships, religious fervour, and the cult of\u00a0sentiment<\/a>, or sensibility. In\u00a0literature<\/a>\u00a0the rational impulse fostered\u00a0satire<\/a>, argument, wit, plain prose; the other inspired the\u00a0psychological novel<\/a>\u00a0and the poetry of the\u00a0sublime<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The cult of wit, satire, and argument is evident in England in the writings of\u00a0Alexander Pope<\/a>,\u00a0Jonathan Swift<\/a>, and\u00a0Samuel Johnson<\/a>, continuing the tradition of Dryden from the 17th century. The\u00a0<\/span>novel<\/a>\u00a0was established as a major art form in\u00a0English literature<\/a>\u00a0partly by a rational realism shown in the works of\u00a0Henry Fielding<\/a>,\u00a0Daniel Defoe<\/a>, and\u00a0Tobias Smollett<\/a>\u00a0and partly by the psychological probing of the novels of\u00a0Samuel Richardson<\/a>\u00a0and of\u00a0Laurence Sterne\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0Tristram Shandy.<\/em>\u00a0In France the major characteristic of the period lies in the philosophical and political writings of the Enlightenment, which had a profound influence throughout the rest of Europe and foreshadowed the\u00a0French Revolution<\/a>.\u00a0Voltaire<\/a>, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Charles de\u00a0Montesquieu<\/a>, and the Encyclop\u00e9distes\u00a0Denis Diderot<\/a>\u00a0and Jean d\u2019Alembert all devoted much of their writing to controversies about social and religious matters, often involving direct conflict with the authorities. In the first part of the century,\u00a0German literature<\/a>\u00a0looked to English and French models, although innovative advances were made by the dramatist and critic\u00a0Gotthold Ephraim Lessing<\/a>. The great epoch of German literature came at the end of the century, when cultivation of the feelings and of emotional grandeur found its most powerful expression in what came to be called the\u00a0<\/span>Sturm und Drang<\/a><\/em>\u00a0(\u201cStorm and Stress\u201d) movement. Associated with this were two of the greatest names of German literature,\u00a0Johann Wolfgang von Goethe<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Friedrich Schiller<\/a>, both of whom in\u00a0drama<\/a>\u00a0and poetry advanced far beyond the turbulence of\u00a0Sturm und Drang.<\/em><\/p>\n

Read this excerpt from\u00a0An Essay on Man<\/em> (1732-1734) by Alexander Pope for an example of Enlightenment era poetry:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

All nature is but art, unknown to thee;
\nAll chance, direction, which thou canst not see;
\nAll discord, harmony not understood;
\nAll partial evil, universal good:
\nAnd, spite of pride in erring reason\u2019s spite,
\nOne truth is clear, whatever is, is right.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Know, then, thyself, presume not God to scan;
\nThe proper study of mankind is man.
\nPlaced on this isthmus of a middle state,
\nA being darkly wise, and rudely great:
\nWith too much knowledge for the sceptic side,
\nWith too much weakness for the stoic\u2019s pride,
\nHe hangs between; in doubt to act, or rest;
\nIn doubt to deem himself a god, or beast;
\nIn doubt his mind or body to prefer;
\nBorn but to die, and reasoning but to err;
\nAlike in ignorance, his reason such,
\nWhether he thinks too little, or too much:
\nChaos of thought and passion, all confused;
\nStill by himself abused, or disabused;
\nCreated half to rise, and half to fall;
\nGreat lord of all things, yet a prey to all;
\nSole judge of truth, in endless error hurled:
\nThe glory, jest, and riddle of the world!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Read this excerpt from Gulliver’s Travels<\/em> (1726) by Jonathan Swift for an instance of Enlightenment era fiction:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

<\/h2>\n

I made his honour my most humble acknowledgments for the good opinion he was pleased to conceive of me, but assured him at the same time, \u201cthat my birth was of the lower sort, having been born of plain honest parents, who were just able to give me a tolerable education; that nobility, among us, was altogether a different thing from the idea he had of it; that our young noblemen are bred from their childhood in idleness and luxury; that, as soon as years will permit, they consume their vigour, and contract odious diseases among lewd females; and when their fortunes are almost ruined, they marry some woman of mean birth, disagreeable person, and unsound constitution (merely for the sake of money), whom they hate and despise.\u00a0 That the productions of such marriages are generally scrofulous, rickety, or deformed children; by which means the family seldom continues above three generations, unless the wife takes care to provide a healthy father, among her neighbours or domestics, in order to improve and continue the breed.\u00a0 That a weak diseased body, a meagre countenance, and sallow complexion, are the true marks of noble blood; and a healthy robust appearance is so disgraceful in a man of quality, that the world concludes his real father to have been a groom or a coachman.\u00a0 The imperfections of his mind run parallel with those of his body, being a composition of spleen, dullness, ignorance, caprice, sensuality, and pride.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t

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Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
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