Neoclassicism (1660-1800s ) is a term related to artistic and creative

movements that reflect qualities of ancient Greek and Roman

philosophy, culture, and art. Although the classical Greeks and Romans
lived thousands of years ago, they championed ideas like order, balance,
and restraint that had lasting influence. You can find examples of
neoclassicism in disciplines like literature and theater, art and
architecture, and music.
The idea of neoclassicism developed in the mid-18th century, sparked by
renewed interest in the classical past due to archaeological discoveries in
places like Rome and Pompeii. Inspired by these finds, scholars wrote
about Greek art, sculpture, and culture, and they advocated for a similar
clean, restrained style as a way to reflect a mature and ideal society.
Over time, artists, architects, writers, and composers adopted specific
elements to express neoclassical goals.
Sub divisions of Age

1660-1700--- Restoration age

1700-1750---THE AGE OF POPE
1700-1745--- AUGUSTAN AGE/ NEO- CLASSICAL PERIOD
1745-1783----THE AGE OF SENSIBILITY
1740-1800----THE AGE OF TRANSITION

Definition of Neoclassicism

First of all, it is mandatory to know about the etymology of the

word Neoclassicism. The term Neoclassicism is a combination of two
words: Neo and Classic. The word neo has been derived from a Greek
word neos, which means young or new, while the word classic, according to
the Webster Dictionary, refers to the style and works of the ancient authors of
Greece and Rome. To combine these words, we get the meaning
of Neoclassicism as the rebirth and restoration of Classicism.
Hence, Neoclassicism is the movement in the history of English literature,
which laid immense emphasis on revival of the classical spirit. It is a
prototype of Classicism. Writers of this period immensely endeavoured to
follow the footpaths of the writers of the period of Augustus, emperor of
Rome, which produced unparalleled writers as Horace, Virgil and Ovid.

Neoclassical Poetry is a type of poetry, which follows the pattern of poetry

authored by the poets of ancient time i.e., Greek and Rome. Pope and Dryden
were the leading writers, who deviated from the traditional schools of poetry
and sought guidance in the works of ancient Greek and Roman writers. They
tried to follow the writers of the antiquity in letter and spirit in the Augustan
Age.

18th century is also known as the Neo Classical Age because its writers
looked back to the ideals and art forms of classical times. They emphasized
even more than their Renaissance predecessors on the classical ideals of order
and rational control. 18th century writers replaced Renaissance emphasis
on the imagination, on invention, experimentation, on mysticism. Their
emphasis was on order and reason, on restraint, on common sense and on
religious, political, economic and philosophical conservatism. 18th century
writers maintained that man himself was the most appropriate subject of art.
They saw art itself an essentially pragmatic as valuable
They saw art was somehow useful and was properly intellectual rather than
emotional.
According to Britannica Encyclopaedia:

In the context of the tradition, Classicism refers either to the art produced
in antiquity or to later art inspired by that of antiquity; Neoclassicism
always refers to the art produced later but inspired by antiquity. Thus the
terms Classicism and Neoclassicism are often used interchangeably."

Stages of Neoclassicism

The Restoration Period:

It is called the Restoration Period, as King Charles was restored in this era.
The Restoration Period lasted from 1660-1700. Writers of this age, Dryden
and Milton, endeavoured to use sublime, grand and impressive style, scholarly
allusions, and mythology and curb the intense use of imagination.
After the beheading of King Charles I, the monarchy was ‘restored’, and so
this period got the name ‘restoration’. A new era had dawned with epic works
such as Paradise Lost and Areopagitica by Milton and Sodom by Wilmot, 2nd
Earl of Rochester.. While writers like Richard Blackmore wrote King Arthur,
it also saw critics like Jeremy Collier, John Dryden, and John Dennis who
gave a new direction to understand literature and theater.
Poetry too was revamped and saw the beginning of rhyme schemes. The
iambic pentameter was one of the popular forms of poetry, preferred by the
poets and the listeners. Odes and pastorals became the new means for
exchanging ideas.
The poems were mostly realistic and satirical, in which, John Dryden reigned
supreme. He further divided poetry into three heads, that of fables, political
satire, and doctrinal poems. You will not find any spiritual bias, moral
highness, or philosophy in these poems, which became the signature style of
the Restoration Era.

The Augustan Age:

The Augustan Age is also called the Age of Pope. Pope was the leading poet
in this age. The Augustan Age lasted from 1700 to 1750.

The Augustan Age took its name from the Roman Emperor Augustus, whose
monarchy brought stability in the social and political environment. It is during
his reign, that epic writers such as Ovid, Horace, Virgil, etc., flourished.
Writers such as Pope, Dryden, Daniel Defoe, Swift, and Addison were the
major contributors to this era. Dryden’s attempts at satiric verse were highly
admired by many generations. This era was also called the Age of Pope due to
his noteworthy contributions.

The Age of Johnson:

The Age of Johnson lasted up to 1798, when the Romantic Movement was
underway with the publication of Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Samuel
Coleridge.

This era made its way into the literary world by stepping out of the shadows
of its previous age. Shakespearean literature found appreciation during this
era. It brought forth the Gothic school of literature. Qualities like balance,
reason, and intellect were the main focus of this era. Hence, this age is also
called the Age of Sensibility.
Important works such as Burke’s, A Philosophical Inquiry into the Origins of
Our Ideas on the Sublime and Beautiful, Johnson’s, The Rambler, and
Goldsmith’s, The Vicar of Wakefield are still read.
Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) gave a massive literary contribution, which till
date is a great boon to one an all. And that is the Dictionary of the English
Language, which was first published in the year 1755. Though many similar
books were used prior to this book, the dictionary in particular was the one
that was most popularly used and admired, right until the printing of the
Oxford English Dictionary in 1928.

Characteristics of Neoclassical Poetry

Rationalism

Rationalism is the most essential feature of neoclassical poetry. Neoclassical

poets viewed reason as the mainspring of learning, knowledge and inspiration
for their poetry. Neoclassical poetry is a reaction against the renaissance style
of poetry. It is a unique outcome of intellect, not fancy and imagination.
Unlike romantic poetry, which is entirely the result of sentiments of the poet,
neoclassical poetry is a simulated, fabricated and stereotypical type of poetry.
In romantic poetry, sentiments play a vital role in writing of poetry, while in
neoclassical poetry; reason and intellect are dominant elements. You might
have heard about Coleridge and Wordsworth, who wrote poetry thoroughly at
the impulse of their imagination. They didn’t lay emphasis on reason to
compose poetry. The neoclassical poets made an effort to disregard
imagination, emotion and feelings, while composing their poetry. That is the
reason; their poetry may be branded as artificial and synthetic.

Scholarly Allusions

The neoclassical poets always loved to make use of scholarly allusions in their
poetry. As they were all highly educated and well-versed in various fields of
studies, they knew a lot about religious, biblical and classical literature.
Allusions helped them to convey their message to their readers effectively and
easily. That is why; their poetry is brimming with plentiful allusions to
classical writers i.e., Virgil, Horace and Homer. They desired to write in the
manner of their classical masters. Look at the following examples taken
from Rape of the Lock by Alexander Pope:

Didacticism

Neoclassical poets rebelled against the romantic nature of poetry of the

Renaissance Period. Romantic poets loved to compose poetry just for the sake
of poetry like John Keats. They tried hard to sidestep morality and didacticism
in their poetry. Their foremost purpose was to give vent to their feelings. On
the other hand, the neoclassical poets laid stress significantly on the didactic
purpose of poetry. They endeavoured hard to fix the teething troubles of
humanity through the magical power of poetry. The neoclassical poets were
chiefly concerned with the didactic aspects of their poetry. That is the reason;
most of the neoclassical poetry is replete with didacticism to a great deal.
Consider the following lines taken from Alexander Pope’s poem An Essay on
Man, which is absolutely an excellent example in this regard:

Realism

Realism is the hallmark of neoclassical poetry. The neoclassical poets, unlike

romantic poets, were not living in their own world of imagination. They were
hard realists and they presented the true picture of their society. They didn’t
turn their eyes from the harsh realities of life. They were keen observers and
dwelled upon what they experienced with their open eyes in their poetry.
These poets were not escapists like romantic poets, who turned their back to
the harsh realities of life and tried to escape from them with the help of plight
of imagination. Neoclassical poets were men of action and practically lived in
the midst of people. That is why; they had a very keen observation of their
society. They avoided abstract ideas, imaginative thoughts and idealism in
their poetry. Dryden’s and Pope’s poetry are replete with excellent examples
of realism. Look at the following example:

Adherence to Classical Rules

The neoclassical poets were undoubtedly great adherents of classical rules.
They went all-out to revive the Classicism in their poetry by following each
and every rule of Classicism. Their highest concern was to adhere to the
classical rules and employ them in their poetry as much as possible. That is
the reason; neoclassical poetry is also labeled as Pseudo Classical Poetry.
They respected the classical rules a great deal. Look at the following example
from Pope’s poetry:

Heroic Couplet

Heroic couplet is another hallmark of neoclassical poetry. The neoclassical

poets were primarily responsible for reputation of heroic couplets in the
history of English literature. They were the champions of heroic couplet. No
poet, in the history of English literature, can compete with the mastery of
neoclassical poets in handling heroic couplet. They excelled each and every
poet in this regard. Chaucer was the first poet, who employed heroic couplet
in his poetry. Though many renowned poets of the world tried their hands on
heroic couplet, yet Dryden and Pope are the only poets, who outdid everyone
in this regard. They are considered as the real masters of heroic couplet. What
is most important about these two poets is that they polished the heroic
couplet, corrected it, made it regular, more flexible and a polished medium of
poetic expression. It is said that Dryden wrote almost thirty thousand heroic
couplets. His poems like Absalam and Achitopel, Mac Flecnoe and The
Medal are all in heroic couplets. Look at the following examples:

No Passionate Lyricism

Romantic poetry is popular for its lyrical quality, while neoclassical poetry is
lacking in lyrical features due to apathy of the neoclassical poets for passion,
feelings and emotions. They looked at the passion with distrust and suspicion.
That is the reason; very few lyrics were written in the age of Pope and
Dryden. They didn’t give free play to their imagination; rather they dwelt
upon the intellectual aspects of poetry. Look at the following example:

Objectivity
Objectivity is another important feature of neoclassical poetry. As these poets
were completely against subjectivity in poetry, they endeavoured hard to write
objective poetry. They avoided giving vent to their feelings; rather they dwelt
upon the miseries, hardships and problems of the people around them. That is
why; we find very little information about the lives of neoclassical poets in
their poetry.

Poetic Diction

Poetic diction of neoclassical poetry is completely different from that of

romantic poetry. In romantic poetry, the diction is flexible and easy to use,
while in the neoclassical poetry, it is restrained, concrete and rigid. The
neoclassical poets were fond of using a different language for poetry. They
thought that there should be a dividing line between the language of prose and
poetry. That is why; they laid emphasis on specific style for poetry. They were
of the view that decorum, specific style and mannerism are the vital elements
of poetry. Alexander Pope was very conscious about the language of his
poetry. He says in Essay on Criticism:

Influence of Materialism

When Pope declares the limits of man, he also sets, by implications, the limits
for the artist:

But Pope echoes only dominant philosophical thoughts here. After

the Renaissance, Platonism and Christian Humanism, we find in the
Neoclassical age, the dominance of Materialism and Empirical Science.

The ruling thought of the age is shaped by philosophers like Thomas Hobbes,
John Locke, and Joseph Butler. The philosophical empiricism of the age
propagated through the writings of Bacon, Hobbes and Locke were supported
and strengthened by the advancement of empirical science.
Under the influence of empirical philosophy and experimental science, writers
of the age narrowed both their vision of man and view of life. The affairs of
men, their politics, their morals, and manners became the chief concern.

Although the concern with politics was present in the time

of Shakespeare also, his and his contemporaries’ treatment was ideal and
utopian. But the treatment of Neoclassical writers was practical rather than
utopian.

Imitation of Classics

One of the most important features of the Neoclassical literature is the

imitation of the classics of ancient Greek and Roman literature.

Although the Renaissance writers had imitated the classics, whereas

Renaissance writers mere derived inspirations from the classics rather than
copying the models of the past, the Neoclassical writers strictly adhered to the
authority of their models. Thus Neoclassical literature can be called
as ‘Traditional’.

The Neoclassical writers like Dryden, Pope, Swift, and Johnson were
convinced that excellence and perfection in the literary art have been attained
by the Roman writers of antiquity, thus they can only copy the models of
perfection and excellence.

Concept of Nature

The concept of nature was also an important characteristic of the Neoclassical

age. By nature, they never meant the forest nature, but for them, nature meant
the general human nature.

The general human nature was not what the ordinary men and women felt and
thought, but the standard view of human nature as held by Homer and Horace.

Like their static view of the world, the Neoclassical writers thought of human
nature also was something static and standard, which is the same in all men
and remains the same at all times. Thus their view of nature as well as of man,
world, and genre was static and standard.

Concept of Man
The Neoclassical literature considers man as a limited being, having limited
power. A large number of satires and works of the period attack the man for
his pride and advise him to remain content with his limited power of
knowledge. Thus man in Neoclassical literature remains a being of limited
means and power.

Literary Forms

Among the Neoclassical forms of literature, the most famous were the essay,
both in verse and prose. While drama declined and almost disappeared during
the later part of the period, Novel made its beginnings. The literature of the
age was mostly comic and satiric. An important failure of the age was to
produce tragedy.

Neoclassical Drama

Neoclassical drama falls into two phases-

 Restoration Drama (later 17th century)
 Sentimental Drama (18th century)

In the Restoration Age, drama rose in the form of Comedy of Manners. But in
the second phase, it declined as the Elizabethan dramas like those
of Shakespeare were reproduced and age itself did not produce drama. Thus
the decline of drama happened.

The New Restraint

Writers started inventing new words and regularising vocabulary and

grammar. Complex bodily metaphysical language such as Shakespeare used in
his major tragedies was clarified and simplified.

Moreover, the plays of Neoclassical age compared to those of Shakespeare

plays are of single plot-line and are strictly limited in time and place.

Age of Reason

Neoclassical Period is often called the Age of Reason. Thinkers of this age
considered reason to be the highest mental faculty and sufficient guide in all
areas. Both religious beliefs and morality were grounded on reason. In
literature also, the reason is predominant in the Neoclassical age. Emotions
and imaginations are also present but in a controlled way.

Conclusion

The Neoclassical Period in literature brought a sense of decorum and stability

to writers. There were rules to be carefully followed. It was a time of careful
moral appearance, though appearances were more valued than honesty.
However, some of England’s most brilliant literature can be credited to this
era.