Literary Criticism Lecture Seven Neoclassical Criticism
Literary Criticism Lecture Seven Neoclassical Criticism
CRITICISM
JOHN DRYDEN & ALEXANDER POPE
Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism
Neoclassical Concepts:
Imitation
Neoclassical Concepts:
Nature
Neoclassical Concepts:
Nature
The neoclassical vision of nature was very different
from the meanings later given to it by the
Romantics.
The neoclassical writers saw the ancients as having
already expressed the fundamental laws of nature.
Hence, modern writers should follow the path of
imitation already paved by the ancients.
Neoclassicism in England
The main streams of English neoclassical criticism
were most pronounced by
John Dryden
Alexander Pope
John Dryden
John Dryden
10
John Dryden
11
One
man argues that the moderns are but ill copiers of the
Ancients.
our merits are their merits; our faults are our own.
Another says we have improved art, because we have two
sources to imitate:
Nature and the Ancients, while they had only nature.
All
12
The
13
15
16
18
Pope points out that both the best poetry and the best
criticism are divinely inspired.
He sees the endeavour of criticism as a noble one.
The critic must be conversant with every aspect of the author
whom he is examining.
Pope insists that the critic bases his interpretation on the
authors intention.
The critic has to recognize the overall unity of a work, and
thereby to avoid falling into partial assessments based on the
authors use of poetic conceits, ornamented language, meters,
as well as judgments which are biased toward either archaic
or modern styles or based on the reputations of given writers.
The critic needs to possess a moral sensibility, as well as a
sense of balance and proportion.
19
20
21