BritLit 17th Century

• 17th century poetry: rhetorical ( dramatic) situation,also marked linguistically, lovers addressing each other, real-life situation and people
• Memento Mori = be aware of death, reminder of mortality, reason: 17th century is violent, a lot of wars ( Civil war, Thirty Years War)
• Carpe Diem : seize the day, make the best of short life
• conceit: excessive pride in oneself, develop conceit to the extreme
• Metaphysical poetry : A type of poetry that deals with the nature of reality and the human condition, celebration of ambiguity, gathering a lot of meanings into one thing, experiment with form ( of texts)
• John Donne : catholic converted to anglican, writes sermons( in prose), religious poetry, love poetry= attempt to get a name in society, metaphysical poetry
• John Milton: puritan, started with political pamphlets (freedom of press and expression), went blind, dictated poems to his wife and daughter
• Paradise Lost:1667, base - myth of humanity, Milton wanted to do what was never done before, inspired authors and painters, 10000 lines of blank verse, 12 books\chapters, purpose: to justify the ways of God to men
• The Restoration: Charles II (1630-1685, interested in arts and women), Court as a center of political power and culture
• John Dryden ( Restoration poetry): no market = found patronage(Cromwell, Charles II), Poet Laureate 1668 - official poet for monarchy, wrote for anglican and catholic church, wrote poetry, heroic plays, comedies, father of English criticism
• Libertinism: scepticism, rejection of absolutes, sense should guide our reason, important influence : Thomas Hobbes "Leviathan"
• John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester : satires, anti-rationality, philosophical poems
• 1660- comeback of theatres by the king, two companies, first theatres - tennis courts, a lot of stage effects, women are allowed to act, higher prise, smaller venue than before, actresses as mistresses of aristocracy
• Heroic drama: high drama, stylised dialogues, larger-than-life, idealised characters, often in exotic places, highly elaborate plot, celebration of love and honour
• 1680-return to tragedy, smaller scale, more emotionally introspective, unhappy endings
• Thomas Otway : tragedies "The Orphan", " Venice Preserved", really popular for 50 years
• Comedy of manners : set in world of upperclass, witty dialogue, comment on the standard of society, shallow characters, satiric, characters are usually well-off, sex and power
• William Wycherly : "The country wife", impossible to take sides, the restoration rake
• Samuel Pepys : wrote the most important diary in 17th century, in shorthand, published in 20th century, tells us about life in Restoration
• The restoration rake on stage: truewit vs falsewit, penitent rake( stops being a rake) vs persistent rake; extravagant, vicious, philosophical libertine
• At the end of 17th century, comedy comes under attack because of immorality, two reasons : disillusionment with the Court, middle class gains importance after the Glorious Revolution
• Society for the Reformation of Manners ( first in 1691) : aimed to morality
• Beginning of 18th century: moving towards sentimental comedy, becoming more refine, restrain, upright