The Renaissance
Renaissance stands for
the revival, re-awakening or rebirth of classical art, literature, culture and
thought. It also stands for the discovery of man by himself and of the world.
This renaissance brought about a tremendous change in every aspect of human life
during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. In fact, renaissance is not only
the revival of classical heritage but also a revitalization of human mind after
a long doze of medieval ages. This renaissance creates indomitable desire of
acquiring knowledge, unlimited wealth, power, adventures and beauty.
Romanticism / The Romantic Movement
Romanticism refers to
the characteristics of an artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that
came into being in the 18th century Western Europe and strengthened in reaction
to the Industrial uprising. It was a revolt against upper-class social and
political norms of the Neo- classical age' and a response against the
scientific explanation of nature. Romanticism is a term for a school of
literature that saw a swing from faith in reason to faith in the senses,
feelings, and imagination; a shift from interest in urban society to an
interest in the rural and natural; a shift from public, impersonal poetry to
subjective poetry; and from concern with the scientific and mundane to interest
in the mystifying and unbounded.
Neo-Classicism/ Neo-Classical Movement/ The Age of Prose and Reason
The word
'neo-classicism' is derived from Greek 'neos' and Latin 'classicus'. Here
'neos' means 'new' and 'classicus' means 'anything related to ancient Greek or
Latin principles of the forms of art.' Thus, neoclassicism means the return to
classical ideas of sophistication, symmetry and lucidity. It is a rejuvenation
of the imitation of Greek and Roman literary norms and forms. The neo-classical
age is called variously as pseudo-classical, Augustan or the classical school
of criticism. The neo-classical age in English literature heralded from 1660 to
1798.This period can be divided into three distinctive stages namely the
Restoration period, the Augustan period and the Age of Johnson. This literary
age witnessed the rise of essays, parody, satire, fables, melodrama, letters
and rhyming with couplets. This age is considered as the period of illumination
and is characterized by the clean and linear style and fine draftsmanship.