Paper No. 105 Paper Name - History Of English Literature From 1350 To 1900 Sem - 1

1. NAME : NIYATI VYAS
ROLL NO. : 15
COURSE : MA ENGLISH
SEM : 1
PAPER NO. : 105
PAPER NAME : HISTORY OF ENGLISH LITERATURE – FROM 1350 TO 1900
TOPIC LITERARY CHARACTERISTICS OF RESTORATION AGE
BATCH : 2020-2022
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH MKBU

2. THE RESTORATION PERIOD
 The Restoration period of English literature roughly lasts from 1660 to
1688. It begins with Charles II returning to the throne following the rule of
various republican governments that ruled England from 1649 to 1659
after Charles I was executed.
 an act of restoring or the condition of being restored.
 One of the most important and interesting aspects of literature is the way
that it both responds to and is inevitably shaped by the political context in
which it is written. Some of the best examples of this can be found in the
Restoration period, which lasted from 1660 to around 1688. The name
'restoration' comes from the crowning of Charles II, which marks the
restoring of the traditional English monarchical form of government
following a short period of rule by a handful of republican governments.

3. INTRODUCTION
 The age is also known as, “ THE AGE OF FRENCH INFLUENCE”.
 In this age Charles has return to throne.
 In this age the progress of liberty plainly turned backward.
 It had repressed too many natural pleasure.
 As per W J Long, “ An entire generation following the restoration age, in
1660, England lay sick of fever.
 After the fever, England has come slowely to health. There was a
corruption in the society but the character of people was strong.

4. LITERARY CHARACTERISTICS
FRENCH INFLUENCE
NEW TENDENCIES
REALISM
FORMALISM
THE COUPLET

5. FRENCH INFLUENCE
 It was the time of French Influence.England was not interested in the plays of SHAKESPEARE
and were getting bore in reading ‘HAMLET’ and other plays.
 Literary writers began to imitate the French writers.
NEW TENDENCIES
 When all the writers of Restoration age have rejected all the styles, there was a serious crisis.
The old Elizabethan spirit, its love of romans, and the moral spirit of Puritanism were the things
of past.
 Literature is a progressive art, writers have developed two marked tendencies of their own. The
tendency of Realism and tendency of Preciseness.
REALISM
 Realism is representation of ‘Reality’ and representation of ‘Man’ as they are. It is just plain
expression of truth rather than having ideals or romance. The tendency was first not accepted.
The Restoration wanted to point corrupt court and society.
 Most of writers have observed the outer appearance of man rather than presenting his soul
and ideals. This tendency to realism become more wholesome.

6. FORMALISM
 This tendency was about directness and simplicity of expression. In both
Elizabethan and Puritanism Ages the general tendency of writers was to write with
decorative words. Sentences were having Latin quotations and classical allusions.
 The restoration writers opposed this. From France they brought new tendency.
They have established rules for writing, to use short clear cut sentences without
unnecessary words.
THE COUPLET
 Another thing was ‘Heroic couplet’, which restoration literature has adopted in the
age. This was most suitable form of poetry.
 Waller is regarded as the father of this couplet. Chaucer has used the rhymed
couplet in his “ Canterbury Tales”.

7. WORK REFRENCE
 https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-restoration-
period-in-english-literature-timeline-lesson-
quiz.html
 HISTORY OF ENGLISH LITERATURE BY W.J.LONG.
THANK YOU…..