Facultad De Educación y Ciencias Humanas

AUGUSTAN TO GOTHIC

AUTHOR
VALENTINA PÉREZ TORRENEGRA

PROFESSOR
LEVIS LEONARDO LOZANO HOYOS

UNIVERSIDAD DE CORDOBA
Facultad de Educación y Ciencias Humanas
Montería, Córdoba
2023
 Facultad De Educación y Ciencias Humanas

Alexander Pope lived during the time known as the "August Age" or "Age of Reason",
which spanned from roughly the late 17th to the mid-18th century in England. During this
period, the country experienced great intellectual and cultural development, and was
characterized by a renewed interest in reason, science, and social criticism.
Pope was born in 1688 in London, England, into a Catholic family. Because of his
religion, he faced certain limitations and discrimination in society, which influenced his
outlook and his writing. From a young age, Pope displayed a great talent for poetry and was
recognized for his wit and ability with words. In his early works, Pope explored themes of
love, friendship, and nature, and became a leading member of the literary circle of the day.
However, it was with his poem "The Essay on Criticism" ("An Essay on Criticism")
published in 1711, when he gained great recognition and fame. In this essay, Pope exposed
his ideas on literary criticism and defended the importance of a balanced judgment and
based on reason.
One of Pope's most prominent works during the Augustan era was "The Rape of the
Lock", first published in 1712 and later expanded in 1714. This satirical and burlesque
work mocks the trivialities and vanity of British high society. The poem tells the story of a
young woman named Belinda, whose hair is cut off by a nobleman, which unleashes a
series of comic and absurd events. "The Rape of the Lock" is considered one of Pope's
masterpieces and an outstanding example of his talent for satire.
Another of Pope's best-known works is "La Dunciada" ("The Dunciad"), which was
published in various versions between 1728 and 1743. This satirical poem criticizes writers,
politicians and other public figures whom Pope considered mediocre and without talent.
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Through the allegorical figure of the goddess Dullness, Pope ridicules the stupidity and lack
of common sense in the society of his time. In addition to his poetry, Pope also wrote a
series of essays, letters, and translations, and was noted as a keen literary critic. His concise
style and poignant wit earned him recognition and admiration from his contemporaries.
Alexander Pope died in 1744, but his legacy in English literature lives on to this day.
His works continue to be studied and appreciated for their wit, his satirical skill, and his
keen analysis of society and the human condition in the Augustan era.
 Facultad De Educación y Ciencias Humanas

Augustan to Gothic
The Augustan and Gothic eras were two distinct periods in literature and art that
represented contrasting cultural and intellectual sensibilities. The Augustan era, also known
as the Neoclassical period or the Age of Enlightenment, emphasized reason, rationality, and
classical ideals. It spanned the late 17th to the mid-18th century and saw the revival of
interest in classical literature and art. In contrast, the Gothic era, which emerged in the late
18th century, celebrated the supernatural, the mysterious, and the emotional. It challenged
established norms and delved into themes of horror, the sublime, and the darker aspects of
human nature. These periods illustrate the diversity and evolution of artistic expressions
across history.

The Augustan and Gothic eras

were two distinct periods in literature
and art that represented contrasting
cultural and intellectual sensibilities.
The Augustan era, also known as the
Neoclassical period or the Age of
Enlightenment, emphasized reason,
rationality, and classical ideals. It
spanned the late 17th to the mid-18th century and saw the revival of interest in classical
literature and art. In contrast, the Gothic era, which emerged in the late 18th century,
celebrated the supernatural, the mysterious, and the emotional. It challenged established
norms and delved into themes of horror, the sublime, and the darker aspects of human
nature. These periods illustrate the diversity and evolution of artistic expressions across
history. The Augustan era, also known as the Age of Enlightenment or the Neoclassical
period, was characterized by a focus on reason, rationality, and classical ideals. It spanned
 Facultad De Educación y Ciencias Humanas

from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century and was marked by a revival of interest
in classical literature, art, and architecture.

During the Augustan era, writers such as Alexander Pope, Jonathan Swift, and Samuel
Johnson emphasized wit, satire, and social commentary in their works. They embraced
reason and logic, and their writing often reflected a belief in the power of human intellect to
understand and improve the world.
However, as the 18th century progressed, there emerged a growing discontent with the
rationalistic and ordered worldview of the Augustan era. This discontent led to the
emergence of the Gothic era, also known as the Romantic period or the Dark Romanticism
movement.

The Gothic era, which

gained prominence in the late
18th century and continued
into the early 19th century,
marked a shift in artistic and
literary sensibilities. It was
characterized by an emphasis
on the supernatural, the
mysterious, and the emotional.
Gothic literature often explored themes of horror, madness, the sublime, and the macabre.
Writers such as Horace Walpole, Ann Radcliffe, and Mary Shelley played significant roles
in shaping Gothic literature. Walpole's novel "The Castle of Otranto" (1764) is considered
the first Gothic novel, while Radcliffe's works, such as "The Mysteries of Udolpho" (1794),
were known for their atmospheric settings and suspenseful plots. Mary Shelley's
"Frankenstein" (1818) explored themes of science, morality, and the human condition.
 Facultad De Educación y Ciencias Humanas

In Gothic literature, there was a fascination with the supernatural, with haunted castles,
ghosts, and mysterious events. The genre also often delved into the darker aspects of human
nature, exploring themes of madness, guilt, and obsession.
The transition from the Augustan era to the Gothic era reflected a shift in cultural and
intellectual sensibilities. While the Augustan era celebrated reason and order, the Gothic era
embraced the irrational, the emotional, and the sublime. The Gothic movement challenged
established norms and sought to evoke strong emotional responses in its audience.
Overall, the transition from the Augustan era to the Gothic era represents a shift from a
rational and ordered worldview to one that embraces the mysterious, the emotional, and the
supernatural. It reflects the changing cultural and intellectual landscape of the time and
highlights the diversity and evolution of literature and art throughout history.

References
 Facultad De Educación y Ciencias Humanas

Ovid, A. P. R. (2016). Augustan Gothic. Augustan Poetry and the Irrational, 187.

Miles, R. (2007). Eighteenth-century gothic. In The Routledge Companion to Gothic (pp.
24-32). Routledge.
Smith, A. (2013). Gothic literature. Edinburgh University Press.