Hello learners, This blog is about the Puritan Age and the great writer of this age, John Milton, about the good literature written during his time. The blog is given to us by our Sir Dilip Barad.
What is Puritan Age?
The Puritan age is named after the rise of the Puritan movement in England in the 17th century. Puritans, were a group of English speaking Protestants who were dissatisfied with the religious reformation movement carried out during the reign of queen Elizabeth. Puritan poets such as John Milton, Anne Bradstreet, Edward Taylor and John Dryden produced some of the best-known verse of their age. Let us learn about John Milton from it.
John Milton:-
Milton was born on 9 December, 1608. 8 years before Shakespeare's death. His father was senior John Milton and mother was sarah jeffery. Milton was educated St. Paul's school, london.He has also private tutor named Thomas Young. Milton studied many languages like Greek, Latin etc. He joined Christ's college in 1625. Milton got his BA in 1629 and MA in 1632. Milton skin color so fair that he was called the 'Lady of Christ College. John Milton undertook a journey of the continent for 15 months in 1638.
John Milton was seventeenth century English poet whose works have greatly influenced the literary world. He was pamphleteer, historian and English poet. Milton wrote poetry and prose between 1629 to 1674, and is most famous for his epic poem.
Periods of John Milton's Literary Career:-
The First Period (1629-40) : Period of Milton's writing at Harton university
The Second Period (1640-60) : Period of political works and prose writing.
The Third Period (1660-74) : Period of the great poems of Milton.
1)The First Period (1629-40) :-
This is the period of Milton's university career and study at Horton. During this Horton period, Milton composed 'Ode on the morning of Christ nativity(1629),
'Comus', 'lycidas'
. He also composed "On Shakespeare(1630)", and 'Arriving at the age of twenty three '(1631).
2) The Second Period (1640-60) :-
It is chiefly Milton's period of prose and political writings. Along with many prose pamphlet and the famous
'Areopagitica' (1644).
Milton also composed his eighteen sonnets such as
"On His Blindness" and
" On the Late Massacre in Piedmont" etc.
3) The Third period (1660-74) :-
It is the period of great poems of Milton during this period Milton produced
'Paradise Lost' (1667),
'Paradise Regained' (1671)
and 'Samson Agonisters'(1671).
2) General Characteristic of the Age:-
Puritan literature was direct and focused on offering instruction from a Biblical point of view. However, there were many other central characteristics.
Let's take a look at some of them:
Puritan authors preferred to write in first person and in as plain a style as possible. While they believed in sharing their experiences and beliefs, they also wanted to avoid drawing unwanted attention to themselves, hence the simple style which contrasted the more elaborate style popular in Europe. Writing was a major part of their lives, and even simple letters were treated as though they were instructive. Puritans did not believe literature was meant for entertainment.
Major Puritan writers produced works that have also become major works appreciated as literature and not just religious writings. This is highly ironic, as the idea of famous Puritans is antithetical for the concept of not drawing attention to oneself.
Puritan Literature Characteristics
Puritan literature was direct and focused on offering instruction from a Biblical point of view.
Puritan literature relied on a first-person narrative. Puritan authors approached writing from a personal point of view, with many of their writings coming in the form of journals, diaries, and day-to-day experiences. By writing from a first-person perspective, thoughts are conveyed from the author speaking about him or herself.
Puritan literature relied on a religious, rather than an entertainment, theme. Puritans didn't believe in writing for entertainment; rather, they thought of writing as a tool to reach people with the story of God. Works focused on realistic messages illustrating the idea that everyone was born a sinner and that his or her salvation had been pre-determined, a concept known as predestination.
Puritan literature also relied on specific genres. Taking into account the first-person narrative and religious focus, most Puritan literature took the form of a sermon, poem, letter, or historical narrative. There was often an underlying purpose to these types of communications, illustrating their values and the importance of the Bible and God in their daily lives.
Puritan literature relied on a simple style of writing. Puritans lived simple lives, so it stands to reason that their style of writing would mimic the same pattern. Puritan authors used direct and simple language and sentence structure to convey their point, shunning the more elaborate style of writing that was popular in many circles at the time.
Puritan literature relied on Biblical allusions. Biblical allusions, or references to Biblical events or characters, were used heavily in Puritan writing. Many authors would compare themselves or current struggles to hardships endured by characters illustrated in the Bible.
Puritan literature relied on fear. In many works, authors relied on their readers' sense of fear about God and hell to effect change in the readers' minds and souls. By using fear to reach the readers, the author thought there was better potential for change. After all, sinners who did not conform to their religious beliefs were believed to be headed for an eternity of torment in hell.
No comments:
Post a Comment