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    Neo-Classicism, Pope, Dryden

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    Neo-classicism rose in response to the excesses of metaphysical poets like Donne. It emphasized correctness, rationalism, and simplicity over extravagance. Key features included following nature and classical rules, emphasizing reason over inspiration, formal perfection, instruction and delight as poetry's function, and clarity and decorum over obsolete language. Alexander Pope was a major proponent, following classical models like Aristotle, Horace, and Longinus. John Dryden argued that drama should represent human nature and passions realistically to delight and instruct, distinguishing heroic plays from tragedies.

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    Neo-Classicism, Pope, Dryden

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    yasbs
    378 views9 pages
    Neo-classicism rose in response to the excesses of metaphysical poets like Donne. It emphasized correctness, rationalism, and simplicity over extravagance. Key features included following nature and classical rules, emphasizing reason over inspiration, formal perfection, instruction and delight as poetry's function, and clarity and decorum over obsolete language. Alexander Pope was a major proponent, following classical models like Aristotle, Horace, and Longinus. John Dryden argued that drama should represent human nature and passions realistically to delight and instruct, distinguishing heroic plays from tragedies.

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    Neo-classicism, Pope, Dryden

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    Neo-classicism rose in response to the excesses of metaphysical poets like Donne. It emphasized correctness, rationalism, and simplicity over extravagance. Key features included following nature and classical rules, emphasizing reason over inspiration, formal perfection, instruction and delight as poetry's function, and clarity and decorum over obsolete language. Alexander Pope was a major proponent, following classical models like Aristotle, Horace, and Longinus. John Dryden argued that drama should represent human nature and passions realistically to delight and instruct, distinguishing heroic plays from tragedies.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    378 views9 pages

    Neo-Classicism, Pope, Dryden

    Uploaded by

    yasbs
    Neo-classicism rose in response to the excesses of metaphysical poets like Donne. It emphasized correctness, rationalism, and simplicity over extravagance. Key features included following nature and classical rules, emphasizing reason over inspiration, formal perfection, instruction and delight as poetry's function, and clarity and decorum over obsolete language. Alexander Pope was a major proponent, following classical models like Aristotle, Horace, and Longinus. John Dryden argued that drama should represent human nature and passions realistically to delight and instruct, distinguishing heroic plays from tragedies.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    of 9

    Neo-classicism, reasons of rise

     The excess of metaphysicals –followers of Donne-led to


    a revolt in favor of order, balance and sanity in literature.
    Their extravagant hyperboles, farfetched and violent
    similes and metaphors and conceits elaborated to a fantastic
    extent prepared the ground for Neo-classicism with its
    emphasis on correctness and decorum.
     The French influence: Charles II and his courtiers’ return
    from France, French respect for rules, French theory and
    practice of literature.
     The rise of the scientific spirit and the new philosophy
    with their emphasis on rationalism, reason, clarity, and
    simplicity in thought and expression, and the avoidance of
    all that was extravagant favored the rise of Neo-classicism.
    Chief features
     1. Follow nature:
     Realism, verisimilitude
     Human nature, universal not individual
     The power that governs the world literature should have
    order, regularity, harmony like nature
     Rules of ancient masters as they were based upon
    nature. Respect for rules emerges as one of the cardinal
    features of Neo-classicism.
    Chief features cont’d
     2. Emphasis on correctness( rules), reason(check
    inspiration) and good sense( common sense)
     3 Emphasis on formal perfection rather than on content.
    Follow nature:
     Realism, verisimilitude
    Chief features cont’d
     4. function of poetry: to instruct and to delight
     5. Style and diction of poetry: elevated
     Virgil was held out as ideal
     Personification and circumlocution often used
     Common words avoided
     Deities of classical mythology used
     Frequent use of compound words and epithets( artificial
    poetic diction)
     Clarity preferred, so obsolete and archaic words avoided
    Chief features cont’d
     6. decorum emphasized
    Alexander Pope(1688-1744)
     Chief critical guides: Aristotle, Horace, Quintilian and
    Longinus . Homer, his literary model.
     His important critical precept is “ follow nature” ; follow
    the classical rules
     For Pope, literary beauty is possible even without the
    close following of the precepts, hence the assertion of
    native independence of the English temperament.
    Pope cont’d
     Pope shows a better understanding of the poets nearer to
    his own age than to those belonging to the past.
    John Dryden(1631-1700), Essay
    on Heroic Tragedy
     Heroic play: an imitation of a heroic poem, Love and
    valor proper themes, its function to arouse admiration,
    not Aristotelian pity and fear
    Drama: the lively ( more heightened and beautiful
    reproduction, imaginative creation, no servile imitation),
    and just image of human nature representing its passions
    and humors and the changes of fortune to which it is
    subject, for the delight and instruction of mankind, more
    emphasis on liveliness
    Essay on Dramatic Poesy
     The superiority of the modern dramatists over the
    ancient ones, and the superiority of the contemporary
    (restoration)English dramatists over the Elizabethans,
     The superiority of rhymed verse over blank verse for
    dramatic purposes
     Tragi-comedy justified for Dryden in that both good and
    evil/ joy and sorrow mingle in countless modes in
    nature.

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