Talk:Restoration Literature
"The English monarchy was restored in 1660 under Charles II. However, not everyone supported this restoration of the monarchy and some people opposed it. A split between royalists and republicans emerged": this statement conflates the English Civil War with the Restoration Period. Should definitely not happen at the end of the semester.
"Themes such as religion and faith (conflicts between Catholicism and Protestantism), criticism of the times, criticism and counter-criticism of royalists and republicans, politics, social life, humanity and its weaknesses, science and modernisation comprise Restoration Literature" truisms. Literature always deals with problems and anxieties of its times.
"Restoration Literature turned away from the artistic and anthropocentric features of the Renaissance": what is this supposed to mean? If you take the Restoration period as part of early Enlightenment, things got even more anthropocentric (think of Hobbes and Locke. Think of the Restoration rake). There was no clear break with Renaissance literature. On the contrary: Shakespeare and Ben Jonson were still celebrated as dramatists. Okay, the sonnet disappeared. What else to substantiate the claim?
Characteristics:
- Moral indifference: tell this to John Milton and John Bunyan.
- Reference to the Bible: not always; contradicting the "rejection of Puritanism" argument; not specific to the Restoration
- Satire: who says satire also has to say panegyric
- Justification of monarchy or republic as a theme: either or, or neither
- Restoration of the monarchy: what about it?
- Rejection of Puritanism: tell this to John Milton and John Bunyan.
"Well-known writers of the Restoration are Edward Hyde": the Earl of Clarendon is well known as politician, his History of the Rebellion is a history, not literary fiction; - "Samuel Pepys": he is the author of a secret diary (written in shorthand) that was not published (and discovered) until the nineteenth century; the diary is furthermore: fact, not literary fiction; - "Richard Baxter": who is he? Definitely not well known.
"Important works from the period are:
- 'The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England' by Edward Hyde": not literature; not really important (in the sense of essential Restoration reading).
- “'The Diary of Samuel Pepys' by Samuel Pepys": not literature.