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The Augustan Age (1700-1750) - Easy Summary - PrettyEasyy
The Augustan Age (1700-1750) - Easy Summary - PrettyEasyy
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ENGLISH LITERATURE
INTRODUCTION
The term “The Augustan Age” was primarily used by the great poet Oliver Goldsmith to designate the
period of the early 18th century. The writers of this period tried to imitate the characteristics of
Virgil, Horace, Cicero, and other writers of Augustus Caesar in Rome. This Age is also termed as “the
Age of Pope” and “the Neo-classical age”. It is so evident since we have had the greatest writers of all
time in prose, poetry, and drama during this age.
Often the term “Classical Age” is also used for this period because the writers of this age were
governed by set principles and rules. They adopted and regarded qualities such as restraint,
simplicity, dignity, serenity, repose, and reason as something very critical in life.
Born in the late 17th century, Daniel Defoe became one of the greatest known writers of the
Augustan Age. He was also a trader, journalist, pamphleteer, and a spy by profession. Known as the
pioneer of periodical essays, Defoe has carved his place as a great essayist in the world of English
Literature. His most important works were published between 1704 to 1713 under the newspaper
called “The Review”. Defoe’s most famous work is “Robinson Crusoe” which was published in 1719
and “Moll Flanders” in 1722.
Born in 1672, both Richard Steele and Joseph Addison are known for their periodical essays. They
are considered as the actual initiator of periodical essays. Both Steele and Addison were prominent
for their famous journals ‘The Tatler’ and ‘The Spectator’. Steele was the only creator of ‘The Tatler’
which got published in 1709 and ‘The Spectator’ was published in collaboration with Addison.
Richard Steele was well-known for his other works also. His first work, “The Christian Hero” was
published in 1701. Numerous works of Richard were important for the sentimental comedies. Later,
he had published several works in the form of political pamphlets and periodicals like, “The
Englishman”, and “The Lover”.
Joseph Addison is also known for his most famous work Cato, a tragedy that was published in 1712.
Addison’s friendship with Steele favored him in participation in the magazine called “The Tatler” and
“The Spectator”.
Born in the late 17th century, Jonathan Swift is known as an Anglo-Irish playwright, satirist, poet,
pamphleteer, essayist, and Anglican cleric. Jonathan Swift is a prominent writer of the Augustan
age who was famous for his controversial works like The Modest Proposal, The Battle of Books, A Tale
of a Tub, Gulliver’s Travels, The Journal to Stella, and The Drapier Letters. Most of his prose is in a
satirical tone with obvious humor and irony. In other words, he was the greatest prose satirist of the
Augustan age.
Another important philosopher, poet, and representative satirist of the Augustan Age in the field of
18th-century prose. Pope was a public figure. Pope was also considered the greatest master of the
classical school. He is regarded as the master of the heroic couplet during the Restoration Period.
Through the use of ‘heroic couplet’ in his mock-epic “The Rape of the Lock” this form came in
recognition during Augustan Age. His major work “An Essay on Criticism” was published when he was
just 23 years old. Pope became rich and famous after he translated the works of Homer’s “Iliad” and
“Odyssey” from Greek Homeric to English. His works were published by his friends Joseph Addison
and Richard Steele. Pope died in Pope’s villa on 30th May 1744 because of dropsy and asthma.
The greatest novelist of the 18th century took to novel writing after a career as a dramatist,
journalist, lawyer, and magistrate. “The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling” is his masterpiece. In the
course of writing “Tom Jones”, Fielding has also provided his insights on the art of writing a novel.
Fielding in his works talks about the contrast between social classes of British society.
Considered among one of the chief poets of the Augustan Age, Oliver Goldsmith is also known as the
transitional poet of this age. Goldsmith is an Anglo-Irish playwright, poet, and novelist of the 18th
century. Lord Clare was the patron of Goldsmith.
Goldsmith’s contribution can be seen in many periodicals, pamphlets, and journals, like “Critical
Review” (1756-1817), which was first edited by Tobias Smollett, and “The Monthly Review”. Also,
there was a magazine called “The Bee” which was first introduced by him on 6th October 1759 which
ran only for 8 weeks. In this magazine, he had published essays like “An Enquiry into the Present State
of Polite Learning in Europe” and “The Citizen of the World”. Some important poems written by
Goldsmith are “The Traveller” (1764), “The Deserted Village” (1770), “The Hermit” (1765), and so on. A
comic satire written by him is “An Elegy in the Death of a Mad Dog”.
TAGGED AGE OF POPE AGE OF PROSE AND REASON AUGUSTAN AGE THE CLASSICAL AGE
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