ISLE: L8: 18th century Augustan literature

Jonathan Swift - Thomas Gray

What were the Test Acts (1673–1678)?

Laws restricting public office to members of the Church of England.

What happened between 1688 and 1689

The glorious revolution where James II was deposed and replaced

What happens in 1707

The act of union, uniting England and Scotland into Great Britain

what happened in 1714

• The house of Hanover came to power with George I. Parliament became more important than monarchy in this period.

• The two houses of parliament are the house of lords and house of commons.

• The first prime minister was Sir Robert Walpole and the main political parties were the liberal Whigs and conservative Tories.

What is the Enlightenment

The “Age of Reason” in the late 17th and 18th centuries.

What is humanism and empiricism

A focus on human values and potential and knowledge based on observation and experience

How was the economy in the age of reason

It was an utilitarianism: the idea of usefulness and practical benefit

What social issues were important during the age of reason

Colonialism, slavery, cult of sentiment(focus on emotion and sympathy), philantropy, people focused more on individual and private experience.

What defines the first Augustan period (1660–1700)?

Praise of the Restoration and heroic ideals like Oroonoko by Aphra Behn

What defines the second Augustan period (1700–1745)?

Satire and criticism of society like Gulliver’s travels by Jonathan Swift

What defines the third Augustan period (1745–1785)?

Transition toward romanticism like Elegy written in a country church yard by Thomas Gray

Why is this period called the “Augustan age” and what were important genres

Because it imitates classical (Roman) ideals. Satires and elegies were important.

Why is the Augustan period called the “age of prose”?

Because prose writing became dominant. Examples are novels, essays, criticism, biographies, travel writing. The novel had no fixed form or style. Novels could have genres like travel, romance, Bildungsroman and Gothic.

Could texts be freely published in the 18th century?

Texts could be published but could be sued afterward as libel. (written defamation or damaging statements). The 18th century was also a time for periodicials and newspapers as well as magazines and pamphlets like The Tattler and The spectator

Some authors published anonimously to avoid punishment for controversial ideas

What is satire?

Criticism of society through humor and irony to expose problems and provoke thought

Who was Jonathan Swift

• An Anglo-Irish writer, satirist, and church leader

• He was a dean of the Anglican church of Ireland

• He wrote pamphlets, essays, journalism and novels

• Switched from Whigs to Tories

what was jonathan swift’s writing style

Satirical, matter-of-fact, dead-pan style. He did not always agree with his narrators as they could have different views

What is A Modest Proposal

A satirical essay by jonathan swift suggesting to cook the poor Irish people their children. It is made to criticize British policy and poverty in Ireland

What kind of text is Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift

A prose satire and parody of travel writing. It is written as if it was written by Gulliver himself. It is an important precursor to fantasies and consists of 4 books

Why did people think Gulliver’s travels was real?

Because the beginning is described as being biographical with many details. First hint to see that it is a satire is the joke about his Mr. Bates

What are the 4 books of Gulliver’s travels

1. Travel to lilliput, he meets the small, small-minded, narrow-thinking, cruel lilliputians

2. Travel to Brobdingnag, he meets friendly giants

3. Travel to other islands: Laputa, a flying island ruled by scientists, A place where he goes back in time, a place where he meets immortal people

4. He meets morally superior, nice, kind, educated ‘horse’ people and the negative, non-civilized, violent, cruel and morally despicable Yahoos. Gulliver become a misanthropist in this book and is very negative against the human kind when he arrives back home.

What does Blefuscu represent in Gulliver’s travels

A rival nation to Lilliput, symbolizing political conflicts in England. The execution of Charles I and the deposition of James II are reflected. The egg-breaking disputes represent religious and political conflicts.

What is the contrast between Lilliput and Brobdingnag in Gulliver’s travels

Different perspectives on humanity, like microscope vs telescope. Gulliver describes the people in Brobdingnag as ugly and disgusting at first but they are actually kind and moral opposed to the lilliputians.

What is A Little Pretty Pocket-Book?

One of the first children’s books published by John Newbery. The book came with a gendered toy and merchandise. Other books like Gulliver’s travels and Robinson Crusoe were adapted to children books

Who was Thomas Gray

A poet educated at Eton and worked as a professor at Cambridge. His poetry is often melancholic and reflective. He wrote Elegy written in a country church yard.

What is the rhyme scheme, metre and genre of Elegy written in a country church yard

• ABAB CDCD EFEF (rhyming quartains)

• Iambic Pentameter

• Elegy (poem about death)

• It is a precursor to romantic poetry

What major theme appears in Elegy written in a country church yard

Death and mortality, Romantic theme of interest in nature and common people. Ordinary and unremarkable lives are described

What happens around line 29 and lines 40-45 in elegy written in a country church yard.

There is a shift in tone in Line 29 and the speaker asks rhetorical questions in lines 40-45.

Why is “Ambition” capitalized in elegy written in a country church yard

It is personified

What is an anaphora

Repetition at the start of lines.

What is the epitaph about and what is it?

It is likely about the poet himself. An epitaph is a phrase written in memory of a person who has died.

What type of elegy written in a country church yard is this structurally

Narrative poetry with a lyrical “I”. It is a neoclassical structure with a reference to a muse. The syntax is special because it has a mix of English and Latin influences