1.2 Major literary movements and genres

The Restoration period saw a shift in literary trends, with neoclassicism taking center stage. Writers embraced classical forms, order, and restraint, moving away from Renaissance excess. This era birthed new genres and styles that would shape English literature for years to come.

Restoration comedy, heroic drama, and polished poetry flourished alongside emerging forms like periodical essays and early novels. These genres reflected the period's focus on wit, satire, and formal structures, while also laying the groundwork for future literary innovations.

Restoration Literary Movements and Genres

Neoclassicism and Dominant Genres

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• Restoration period in English literature spanned from 1660 to 1700 marked the return of monarchy after Puritan-dominated Commonwealth period
• Neoclassicism emerged as dominant literary movement characterized by return to classical forms, order, and restraint contrasted with Renaissance excesses
• Restoration comedy gained prominence featured wit, satire, and sexual explicitness (William Congreve, Aphra Behn)
• Heroic drama rose in popularity showcased idealized heroes and elaborate verse (John Dryden)
• Restoration poetry shifted towards formal, polished verse forms included heroic couplet and ode (John Dryden, Alexander Pope)

Emerging Literary Forms

• Periodical essays and journalism pioneered by writers developed as significant prose writing (Joseph Addison, Richard Steele)
• English novel beginnings traced to this period laid groundwork for genre's 18th-century development (Aphra Behn's "Oroonoko")
• Satire became prominent mode across genres manifested in poetry (mock-epics), prose (Jonathan Swift), and drama (Restoration comedies)
• Non-fiction prose including essays and political writings developed more direct and persuasive style compared to earlier ornate prose

Literary Genre Characteristics

Poetry and Drama

• Restoration and early 18th-century poetry favored formal structures such as heroic couplet contrasted with varied Renaissance poetry forms
• Drama divided into comedy and tragedy
  • Restoration comedy characterized by wit and sexual themes
  • Tragedy often took form of heroic drama with elevated language and noble characters
• Poetry and drama maintained strong connections to classical traditions while allowing for some innovation

Prose and Novel Development

• Prose writing expanded beyond religious and historical works included periodical essays, political pamphlets, and early novels
• Novel as emerging genre incorporated elements from other writing forms
  • Epistolary styles
  • Picaresque adventures
  • Realistic narratives
• Novel distinguished itself through extended prose fiction format
• Prose genres like novel and periodical essay allowed for more experimentation and innovation in form and content

Rise of the Novel in the Restoration

Early Novel Characteristics

• Novel emerged as distinct literary form during late 17th and early 18th centuries marked significant shift in literary production and consumption
• Early novels established conventions shaped genre's development
  • First-person narration
  • Realistic settings
  • Complex character portrayals
• Novel's flexibility allowed incorporation of various narrative techniques and subject matters (epistolary novels, satirical tales, picaresque adventures)
• Early novelists experimented with realism and verisimilitude in storytelling influenced development of literary aesthetics and reader expectations

Social and Literary Impact

• Novel's rise coincided with increased literacy rates and growth of middle-class readership reflected and influenced social changes
• Provided new medium for exploring individual psychology and social issues in depth contributed to development of complex character portrayals
• Challenged dominance of poetry and drama as primary forms of literary expression paved way for prose fiction to become major literary genre
• Influenced subsequent periods' literary development and reader expectations