21 Febuary, 1997 18th Century Literature The 18th century is a period of great literary works.

The styles are di fferent throughout the period, but the unity of the work is still present. Much of this period foc used on public and general themes, until the Pre-Romantic era when literary works began to focus up on personal expression. 18th century literature can be broken down into three main parts: t he 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 dea th of John Dryden in 1700. The literature of the Restoration was characterized by wit and eleganc e 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 th e values and ethics of the time through the description detailed by Samuel Pepys and the read er is also exposed to the life a man in the 1660's. A Journal of the Plague Year is an exa mple 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 witnes s. This literary time period also included works from John Dryden, who used elegance and cleverne ss 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 Neoclassical Age, most of the litera ry themes were of social, political, and moral life. The Rape of the Lock and Epigrams by Alexand er Pope, and "A Modest Proposal" and Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift are some examples from the Age of Pope or the Neoclassical age. Most of the literary works in this period used sa tirical styles to express a concern in society. "Puffs, powders, patches, Bibles, billet-doux", f rom The Rape of the Lock shows an example of pathos a satirical device used in this age of literature. Jonathan Swift also uses satire in Gulliver's Travels to mock the Parliament, and in "Modest Proposal" he writes about eating children as a solution to a socioeconomic prob lem. After the writings, literature began to focus on private expressions rather than public th oughts and emotions. The Age of Johnson or the Pre-romantic era was shown in various ways. C haracteristics of the age included ballads, a new taste for ruins, Gothic castles and tales of mystery, and secret societies interested in magic. Pre Romantics wrote about a mood in which the in ner world of wonder and strange feelings that led to private thoughts and emotions. Selecte Poems by William Blake and the "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" by Thomas Gray ar e some examples of Pre Romantic literature. Both of this literary works focused on the self, rather than on the society or public, which was the beginning of the Romantic Period. The 18th century was known as the Restoration Period. The people of thi s period

sought unity and stability in everything. The people wanted to unify and stabli ze life, government, and even maybe their literature. 18th century was filled with many different types of devices and styles of literature. The three major literary periods of this era were the Restoration, the Age of the Pope, and the Pre Romanitics.