The Age of Enlightenment was characterized by advances in science and reason, as well as a shift toward democratic ideals over monarchy. Literature of this time celebrated human achievement and reason, using satire to critique society and inspire reform. Some of the major figures of this period include John Dryden, Alexander Pope, Jonathan Swift, Daniel Defoe, and John Milton, who made significant contributions to English literature through their poetry, novels, and political/satirical works.

1. The Age of Enlightenment

2. Monarchy restored, but power
weakened- Britain becomes more
democratic
King rules by the consent of the
people
Beginnings of the Industrial
Revolution

3. Great Advances in the Sciences
Celebrated the scientific method –
believed Man could perfect himself
and society
Literature of the time very orderly and
formed (rhymed couplets, etc)

4. Emulated Classic styles
Frequent references to classics
(myths, gods, and heroes)
Tried to look at the world
objectively
Use of Aphorisms (One liners—the
equivalent of the “sound byte”)
Very fond of Satire

5.  Age of Dryden
 Named for John Dryden
 Celebrates Human Achievement
 Age of Pope and Swift
 Heavy Neoclassic style characterized by
Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift
 Age of Johnson
 Beginnings of a shift toward Romanticism

6.  The most accomplished poet of the
period
 Made prose acceptable to literary
circles, and helped establish writing
as a legitimate career
 clear and concise and became the
standard against which all other
English writers were measured.

7. His work was a response to the
excesses and political upheaval
of the restoration.
Praised the virtues of order,
balance & harmony
Poet laureate in 1668

8.  A single, unified strain of exalted lyrical verse
 Deals with ONE theme and praises its
value/virtues
 Elaborate, dignified and imaginative

9.  Born into a working class family
 Considered the ministry but instead
decided on becoming a crappy
businessman
 Didn’t start writing the novels that made
him famous until into his sixties
 Was pilloried for political writing

10.  Wrote two very popular novels (a new
form at the time)
 Robinson Crusoe and Moll Flanders
(both purported to be nonfiction)
 Crusoe started a genre
 Also wrote a real non fiction account—
Journal of the Plague Year

11.  Was born in Dublin, Ireland
 Was a minister in the Church of
England
 His satirical works ruined his chances to
advance in the church
 Still remained a staunch supporter of
the Anglican faith
 Held a great amount of political power
in later years- wrote political pamphlets
for the government

12.  Wrote “A Modest Proposal” which
championed the Irish cause
 His greatest work, Gulliver’s
Travels is considered one of the
greatest satires in British
Literature.

13.  A work that blends humor and wit for the
improvement of human institutions or
humanity
 Satire is not intended to “tear down” as much
as to “inspire remodeling”
 Does not attack an individual- it will “pass
over a single foe to charge whole armies.”
 Satire is subtle enough that the reader must
make the inference to what or who is being
mocked

14.  The first English poet to support himself solely
by his writing
 Being Catholic prevented him from holding
public office or getting a wealthy patron
 First major work was An Essay on Criticism,
which brought him to the attention of the leading
literary figures of the time.

15.  Very frail in health- was less than five feet
tall. Was a sharp wit and was a sought
after guest
 A brilliant satirist-one of his best know
works is The Rape of the Lock, one of the
greatest Mock Epics in English

16.  Iambic Pentameter in rhymed pairs
 Became a fixed for with Pope and
dominated English verse for decades