( The Puritan Age-1600-1660)

The seventeenth century upto 1660 was dominated by Puritanism and it may be called puritan Age or
the Age of Milton, who was the noblest representative of the puritan spirit. The puritan movement in
literature may be considered as the second and greater Renaissance marked by the rebirth of the moral
nature of man. However in the Age of Renaissance despotism was still the order of the day and there
was fanaticism in politics and religion.

The puritan movement stood for liberty of the people from the shakless of the desposite ruler as well
as the introduction of morality and high ideals in politics .Thus it had two objects personal righteousness
,civil and religious liberty .In other words it aimed of making men honest and free.

" Puritan Literature"

In the literature of the puritan Age we fined the same confusion as we find in religion and politics.As
there were no fixed literary standards, imitations of older poets and exaggeration of the poets replaced
the original, dignified and highly imaginative compositions of the Elizabethan writers. The literature
produced during this period so called gloomy age ,as not of a higher order , however this age has the
honour of producing one great master of verse whose work would shed lustre on any age or people.
Jhon Milton, who was the noblest and indomitable representative of the puritan spirit to which he gave
a most lofty and enduring expression...

A) Puritan poetry:

The puritan poetry can be divided into three parts (1) poetry of School of Spancer
(2)poetry of the Metaphysical school, (3) poetry of the Cavalier poet.

1) School of Spencer:

The spenserians were the follower of Spencer. Inspite of the changing conditions
and revoult against Italian poetry which Spencer and Sidney had made fashionable during the sixteenth
century the preferred to follow Spencer and considered him as their master.

Phines Fletcher(1582-1648) and Giles Fletcher (1583-1623). are the most important poets of this
school.They were both priests and fellows of Cambridge university. Phineas Fletcher wrote a number of
Spencerian pastorals and allegories. His most important work is the poem " The purple Island".It is an
allegorical poem and follows the allegorical pattern of the Faerie Queen.
Giles Fletcher was more lyrical and super natural than his brother. He also choosed his subjects for his
poetry from Spencer subjects. His Christ's Victorie and Triumph in Heaven and Earth over and after
Death (1610), which is an allegorical poem is a link between the religious poetry of spancer and Milton.
Other writers who wrote under the influence of Spencer were William Browne, George Wither and
William Drummond.

(The Metaphysical School)

The name " metaphysical" was first used by Dr.Johnson in his essay on Abraham Cowley in his "Lives of
the poets" Dr.Johnson gave his name in derisions because of the fantastic form of Donne's poetry. Jon
Donne and George Herbert are the two major poets of this school. Abraham Cowely. Henry
Vaughan ,Andrew Marvell and Edmund Waller are the minor poets of this school. John Donne and
Herbert are in different ways, a type of revoult against earlier forms and standards of poetry. In feeling
and imagery both are poets of a high order, but in style and expression they are the leaders of the
fantastic school whose influence largely dominanted poetry during the half century of the puritan
period.The metaphysical poets were honest, original thinkers. They tried to analyse their feelings and
experience of love. They were also aware of the life, and were concerned with death, burial descent into
hell etc.Though hoped for immorality, they were obsessed by the Consciousness of morality which was
often expressed in a mood of mawkish disgust...

The term Cavalier or Caroline (adjective from Charles) is used for a group of mid 17th century poets who
sided with King Charles I against the parliament. These Cavalier or Caroline poets were the followers of
Ben Johnson, and may properly be called the 'Sons of Ben', though some of them also display the
influence of John Donne.

3... (The Cavalier Poetry)

The cavalier poets sympathized the king. Some of them went into exile with the king and the other
stayed home in England. Some of them wrote elegant verse, more light than serious, so that the term
‘cavalier poetry’ came to refer to a kind of light lyric, often advocating a Carpe diem (seize the day)
attitude. To “seize the day” means to disregard the future so that one might expect the poets of this
theme to ignore religion. But life is not so simple. Some cavalier poets were also men of strong religious
faith, who neither wrote religious epics nor holy sonnets. The most important poets of this school are
Herrik, Carew, Lovelace, Suckling and Walter Denham. The 17th century poet, Andrew Marvell managed
a blend of metaphysical and cavalier attitudes and techniques so neat and elegant that he has been
classified under both headings.

The Caroline lyric is the result of conscious effort. It is artificial. It is a work of art characterized by finish,
polish and elegance of language, but lacking the spontaneity and absence of effort which characterized
the Elizabethan lyric. It has a formal finish and perfection, but is wanting in natural care and warmth of
emotion.

It mirrors the mood and temper of the age. It is often coarse, licentious and indecent, thus reflecting the
coarseness and indecency of the courtly circles to which most of the poets of this school belonged. The
poets of this school again and again find the various beauties of nature united in their beauty of their
respective beloved.

The cavalier pets are great lovers of nature. They observe nature minutely and describe it with feelings.
Concrete, visual images drawn from the homelier and simpler objects and forces of nature abound in
their lyrics. The lyric is charming, but there is something trivial and unsubstantial about it. In this respect
again, it reflects the triviality and frivolity of the life of the times.