Features of Restoration Age
After the fall of strict Cromwell government, Charles II was brought back from France. The period saw an unusual reversal of progress as in England, democracy succeeds monarchy. Now the Elizabethan works were no longer interesting and suitable for the age's demand. The quality of the works produced during the restoration age wasn't great when compared to early ages. The age didn't follow any ideologies from both early ages, it created its own trend. Some of the important features of Restoration age are as follows :-
1) Opposing or Rejecting Puritanism - With the restoration of monarchy, people started rejecting puritan values as they were very oppressive and imposed morality and simple living forcefully. People didn't like the prohibition and repression of human pleasures. Puritans were criticised and attacked by the Tories ( a party which support monarchy) which also included playwrights as before puritans banned theaters. Now theatres were reopened and all entertaining mediums were revived.
2) French Influence - When Charles II returned to England, he was conditioned to French lifestyle and literature. Writers too were imitating the French works of notable French writers - Moliere, Pascal, Bossuet, Racine to keeping up with the taste of the king.
3) Realism, i.e representation of human being as they are, no place need to express imaginary ideas or romance, just the truth and the reality and as we know that the restoration age wasn't a bright age, writers began to portray the contemporary corrupt society, thus made their work inferior and without any morals and ideals. Too much realism leaves literary work without any interest. Moreover romantic poetry was no longer produced in the age.
4) Formalism - It is the approach that focuses on writing in an established form or layout at that time, writers were tended to write in a clear, direct and simple form. This idea traced back its roots in France where they wrote with established rules.
5) In many cases, restoration writers opposed latin quotations and classical allusions which were used extensively by both Elizabethans and Puritans.
6) Heroic couplet i.e two rhyming lines written in iambic pentameter, was the next big thing in the age. In 14th century, first Chaucer used it in his Canterbury tales but Waller is generally considered as the father of heroic couplet. John Dryden, the most important writer of the age, made wide use of it in his works such as Mac Flecknoe, but Pope took it to the next level.
7) Mock Heroic - Mock heroic works also gained popularity during the age. Mock heroic creates parody by making direct reference to classical heroes and make satire by comparing these heroes with a fool or writer's target. Dryden's Mac Flecknoe and Samuel Butler's Hudibras were the well known mock heroic poetry.
8) Founding of Royal Society - The Royal Society, founded in 1662, focuses on scientic methods and reasoning and its members tend to use the plain and clear language without any style, this appoach affected the writers to adapt themselves to this trend. Dryden too implemented the rules in his prose and his companions followed him.
9) Age of Dryden - The age was also called the age of Dryden as he was the sole leading writer of the age. His achievements are more than any of his contemporaries. Though Even there was no one who mentor him still, he proved himself the greatest writer of the age. His works included Annus Mirabilis, Mac Flecknoe, Astrea Redux, Religio Medici, Alexander's Feast. But his most successful works were the translations of writings of Homer, Ovid and Juvenal. He was mostly known for his revengeful satires. He established Heroic couplet as a literary fashion.
1) Opposing or Rejecting Puritanism - With the restoration of monarchy, people started rejecting puritan values as they were very oppressive and imposed morality and simple living forcefully. People didn't like the prohibition and repression of human pleasures. Puritans were criticised and attacked by the Tories ( a party which support monarchy) which also included playwrights as before puritans banned theaters. Now theatres were reopened and all entertaining mediums were revived.
2) French Influence - When Charles II returned to England, he was conditioned to French lifestyle and literature. Writers too were imitating the French works of notable French writers - Moliere, Pascal, Bossuet, Racine to keeping up with the taste of the king.
3) Realism, i.e representation of human being as they are, no place need to express imaginary ideas or romance, just the truth and the reality and as we know that the restoration age wasn't a bright age, writers began to portray the contemporary corrupt society, thus made their work inferior and without any morals and ideals. Too much realism leaves literary work without any interest. Moreover romantic poetry was no longer produced in the age.
4) Formalism - It is the approach that focuses on writing in an established form or layout at that time, writers were tended to write in a clear, direct and simple form. This idea traced back its roots in France where they wrote with established rules.
5) In many cases, restoration writers opposed latin quotations and classical allusions which were used extensively by both Elizabethans and Puritans.
6) Heroic couplet i.e two rhyming lines written in iambic pentameter, was the next big thing in the age. In 14th century, first Chaucer used it in his Canterbury tales but Waller is generally considered as the father of heroic couplet. John Dryden, the most important writer of the age, made wide use of it in his works such as Mac Flecknoe, but Pope took it to the next level.
7) Mock Heroic - Mock heroic works also gained popularity during the age. Mock heroic creates parody by making direct reference to classical heroes and make satire by comparing these heroes with a fool or writer's target. Dryden's Mac Flecknoe and Samuel Butler's Hudibras were the well known mock heroic poetry.
8) Founding of Royal Society - The Royal Society, founded in 1662, focuses on scientic methods and reasoning and its members tend to use the plain and clear language without any style, this appoach affected the writers to adapt themselves to this trend. Dryden too implemented the rules in his prose and his companions followed him.
9) Age of Dryden - The age was also called the age of Dryden as he was the sole leading writer of the age. His achievements are more than any of his contemporaries. Though Even there was no one who mentor him still, he proved himself the greatest writer of the age. His works included Annus Mirabilis, Mac Flecknoe, Astrea Redux, Religio Medici, Alexander's Feast. But his most successful works were the translations of writings of Homer, Ovid and Juvenal. He was mostly known for his revengeful satires. He established Heroic couplet as a literary fashion.