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18Th Century Literature

18th Century Literature


The 18th century is a period of great literary works. The styles are
different throughout the period, but the unity of the work is still present.
Much of this period focused on public and general themes, until the Pre-
Romantic era when literary works began to focus upon personal expression. 18th
century literature can be broken down into three main parts: the Restoration,
the Age of Pope, and Pre-Romantics.

The literature of the Restoration period covers a time span from
Charles's recovery of the throne to the years until the expulsion of James II
in 1688 or until the death of John Dryden in 1700. The literature of the
Restoration was characterized by wit and elegance influenced by French
classical taste. This period pertained to traditional values and "wit". The
Diary of Samuel Pepys written by Samuel Pepys and A Journel of the Plague Years
by Daniel Defoe are just a few examples of literary works from the Restoration
Period. The Diary of Samuel Pepys is also an example of journalistic fiction.
In the excerpts from Pepys' diary, he shows the historical background and
culture of the 18th century. The reader is able to understand the values and
ethics of the time through the description detailed by Samuel Pepys and the
reader is also exposed to the life a man in the 1660's. A Journal of the
Plague Year is an example of historical fiction. Defoe uses wide ranges of
vivid descriptions including verisimilitudes and imagery, to give the reader a
realistic feel of what took place through the eyes of a witness. This literary
time period also included works from John Dryden, who used elegance and
cleverness in his writings. This period ended about 1700, and enabled a new
age of literature.

In literary history, the first half of the 18th century is known as the
Age of the Pope. In this age, the writers expressed views of the public and
restrained from writing personal topics or expressions. In the Age of the Pope
or the...