What is 18th century English literature?
Subgenres of the novel during the 18th century were the epistolary novel, the sentimental novel, histories, the gothic novel and the libertine novel. 18th Century Europe started in the Age of Enlightenment and gradually moved towards Romanticism. In the visual arts, it was the period of Neoclassicism.
What are the main features of literature in the 18th century?
The Age emphasized rationalism, intellect, logic and wit. It was opposed to excessive emotionalism, sentimentalism, enthusiasm and even imagination. The principle which got the highest widest recognition during the 18th century was the Pope’s ‘Nature’.
What is 18th-century literature called?
The Eighteenth Century is called the Classical Age in English literature on account of three reasons. In the first place, the term ‘classic’, refers in general, applies to writers of the highest rank in any nation. This term was first applied to the works of the great Greek and Roman writers, like Homer and Virgil.
What is the most critical feature of the 18th century novel?
Realism. A key concern in the eighteenth century novel is its preoccupation with realism, and realistic depiction of society. Broadly speaking, ‘realism’ is a term that can be applied to the accurate depiction of the everyday life of a place or period in a literarily work.
Why did English novel rise in 18th century?
The democratic movement that gripped England after the Glorious Revolution of 1689 could also be regarded as one factor that gave rise to the novel in the 18th century. This is because the democratic system emphasized commoners’ stories, who were the subjects in many of the novels written during this period.
What are the salient features of 18th century English novel?
The 18th-century literature was characterised by the spirit of realism and romantic features like enthusiasm, passion, imaginations etc. declined in this period. Reason, intellect, correctness, satirical spirit etc. were the main characteristics of 18th-century literature.
Who is a great English novelist in 18th century?
Other major 18th-century English novelists are Samuel Richardson (1689–1761), author of the epistolary novels Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded (1740) and Clarissa (1747–48); Henry Fielding (1707–1754), who wrote Joseph Andrews (1742) and The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling (1749); Laurence Sterne (1713–1768), who published …