The Age of Milton

Literature A 2014Prof. Cecilia I. Kennedy

Periods : Caroline Period

• Time Span: 1625-49• Monarch: Charles I Authors: John Ford, John Milton

• Charles I was executed 1649

Commonwealth and Protectorate • Time Span: 1649-1660 • Movements: Baroque Style, and later, Rococo Style• Authors: Milton, Andrew Marvell, Thomas Hobbes

The Restoration

• Time Span: 1660-1700• Authors: John Dryden

Historical background • Timeframe: • Reign of Charles I: English Parliament ‘s Struggle for power King’s vain attempt to resist new force CIVIL WAR: Parliamentary side wins Puritans executed king Republic declared • Dictatorship under William Cromwell • 1660: Restoration of monarchy : Charles II Attempt to return to the old way Old land-owning class sinks and new middle class rises

Literature of the Period • In 17th c: even literature takes sides Cavalier poets Roundhead poets: Puritans, new men Puritan poets: Milton’s the greatest in verse and proseGenres: prose and non-dramatic poetry playhouses closed in 1642 (drama became underground activity) Poetry of the time other than Milton: two main influences: John Donne and Ben Johnson

Ben Johnson • Followed the ancients • His examples: Horace, Virgil • took from Roman writers peculiar pagan spirit: Horace’s phrase: Carpe Diem: “pluck the day like a flower”

Robert Herrick • 1591-1674• Follows Ben Johnson closely in form and pagan philosophy• Lover of pleasure • His poems (eg “Hesperides”): full of transience of human joy,

brevity of human life

Andrew Marvell

Andrew Marvell • 1621-1678 • Same theme of brevity of life in his poem “To His Coy

Mistress”• He has elegancy and delicacy of Ben Johnson, but also

“metaphysical” voice of John Donne • Characteristic of these Metaphysical poets: seriousness lying

beneath the wit and fancy • We can hear in him voice of 17th c and of pagan Roman poets • Public persona: Puritan admirer of Cromwell devout bible reader supporter of joyless regime (spirit so unlike that of his verse)

Andrew Marvell• Contradictory: whatever Marvell’s public face, his private voice

(as revealed in his poems) is bright, humorous, tolerant, above all civilised

• With his many facets (wit, seriousness, intellectuality, sensuousness, force, and compassion) next to Milton as the most important poet of the period

Other secular poetry of the age• Courtly poets: Thomas Carew • Precursor of Cavalier poets: Suckling • Lovelace (1618-58)• John Cleveland

John Milton

John Milton

Biography