1.

Late 17th and 18th centuries, between the

Glorious Revolution1688 and the French
Revolution1789 => the collapse of feudal
regime
2. A recovery from the “Dark Ages”
3. Scientific revolution:
Galileo Galilei’s conflict with the Catholic
Church: The Earth goes around the Sun
1. Focus on reason and truths
2. Question religious authority
3. End of abuses by Church and State
4. Religious Tolerance
5. Liberty
6. Scientific Discovery
The Radical
1. Democracy
2. Individual liberty
3. Racial and sexual equality
4. Eradication of religious
authority from the legislative
process and education
5. Full separation of church and
state
6. Writers of the radical wing:
Jonathan Swift, Robert Burns
The Moderate
1. Neutralize the influence of the
radical.
2. Be wary of reason even as they
respected it
3. Respect religious belief,
hierarchical authority and social
order
4. Writers of the moderate wing:
Daniel Defoe, Samuel
Richardson
1. A writer of the moderate wing
2. A merchant with a lot of opportunities to
travel
3. A politic pamphleteer
4. A writer of fictitious history + adventure
5. Writings: Robinson Crusoe 1719, The
Shortest Way With the Dissenters 1702,
Essay upon Projects 1697
1. Realism:
- Present life objectively and honestly without
being sentimental or idealistic
- Depict ordinary people and life, not heroes or
villains.
- Focus mainly on present issues and truths
from now rather than the past or fantasy.
1. Always identifies himself with the subject
2. Interests in his contemporary life
3. Has a thorough knowledge of men and
women of his class in his time
Þ Correct people’s error or social excess
4. Is optimistic: believe in social progress but
also see the vicious influence of the new
society
1. A writer of the radical wing
2. Genre: prose, satire
3. A moody, self-tortured and often
despondent man
4. Writings: A Tale of a Tub, The Drapier's
Letters, A Modest Proposal, & Gulliver’s Travels
(the most popular novel that satirizes the evils
of the existing society)
1. A writer of the radical wing
2. Genre: poetry, satire
3. A forerunner of romanticism
4. Transmuting Scottish traditional folk songs
into poetry
5. Attack sham, hypocrisy and cruelty.
6. Writings: Auld Lang Syne, A Red Red Rose,
Coming thro the Rye, Scots Wha Hae
} Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?

(Chorus)
For auld lang syne, my jo,
For auld lang syne,
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

} Mariah Carey’s performance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOQuh_5SD7M
The Renaissance
1. Common literary genres:
Epics, Tragedies, Sonnets, Odes,
Masques, Dramas
2.Man’s capability focused
=> Man is good, unlimited
potential
3.Experience, imagination,
mysticism
4.Art is beautiful
5.Emotional
The Enlightenment
1. Common literary genres:
Political pamphlet, satirical essays,
narrative poems, personal
narratives
2.Natural law and universal order
=> Man is sinful, limited potential
3.Exercise of reason
4.Art is pragmatic
5.Intellectual