Puritan Age (1620-1660)

 Prof.abdelhamid Fouda 

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1. Background:-

The period between 1620-1675 was known as puritan age or age of Melton because during this period puritan prevailed in England and the literary figure John Melton was also a puritan. This age was the most disturb age in the history because of two reasons peoples were against the king Charles I which was killed in 1649 and the establishment of commonwealth under Cromwell. The puritans consider himself pure because of reformation which was started by Martin Luther King. Puritanism become a great national movement which included English Churchman as well as extreme separatist while the catholic had always held the idea of unity church the possibility of the idea of purely national Protestantism grew up. There was a conflict between the religious peoples and monarchy, the religious peoples were supported by the common peoples. The age was about moral standard and the literature of this age was not much developed.

Slogan Of Puritans:-

There were 2 slogans of puritan, one was the righteous mean everything should be done on time and other was liberty mean every one should be free.

Censer Board:-

In this age censer board was also there, the purpose of censor board was that they check a book before publication. If some thing in this book which was against them and also when they don’t like them they removed it from the book.

Wrong ideas of the puritans:-

The peoples of puritan were not a religious sects nor a narrow minded. They believed on past things on which peoples don’t believe

Literary Characteristics:-

• In literature of puritan age we find the same confusion as we find in religion and politics

• The medieval standard of clivarly , the impossible of love and romance are disappeared.

• The literary achievements of this so-called gloomy age are not of high high order

• But the one who was John Melton who was the representative of puritan age work for them

Difference between Puritan Age and Elizabeth Age:-

This age was differ due to 3 reasons of the preceding age.

1) In puritan age peoples have no unity of spirit while the people of elizabeth age have unity of spirit they love their country

2) Puritan works are somber in characters; it has sense of sadness, gloom and pessimism

3) This age was critcial and intellectual ; it makes us think

Literature of Puritan Age:-

In literature of puritan age we find many things

1) The school of spenser

2) Metaphysical poetry

3) Cavalier Poetry

4) John Melton

5) Prose Writer

1) The School Of Spenser:-

A group of English poets who, in the earlier part of the 17th c., were considerably under the influence of Edmund Spenser. The main poets were: Browne, Wither, Giles and Phineas Fletcher, and the Scots Drummond of Hawthornden and Sir William Alexander. In imagery, meter and diction, as well as in theme and subject matter, they were imitators of Spenser.

2) Metaphysical Poetry:-

• Metaphysical mean dealing with the relationship between spirit to matter or ultimate nature of reality

• “Meta” means “beyond” and “physics” means “physical nature”. Metaphysical poetry means poetry that goes beyond the physical world of the senses and explores the spiritual world. Metaphysical poetry began early in the Jacobean age in the last stage of the age of Shakespeare.

• Metaphysical poetry was blended mean emotional and intellutual

• Dr Johnson given the name metaphysical poet to the John Done and his group poets Among other metaphysical poets are Abraham Cowley, Henry Vaughan, Richard Crashaw, Andrew Marvell, George Herbert, Robert Herrick etc.

• Dr Johnson given the name metaphysical due to which they wrote different kinds of poetry

3) Cavalier Poetry:-

• The important poets were Herrick, Lovelace, Suckling, and Carew

• They were the follower of Ben Johnson

• The cavalier mean royalist who fought on the side of king during civil war

• They were persude classicist they were only the follower of Ben Johnson

John Melton:-

John Milton was a great English writer of the 17th Century. Milton was also a great believer in liberty. He also wrote poetry. In 1638 a famous poem by Milton called Lycidas was published. In 1642 civil war began between king and parliament. John Milton was a strong supporter of freedom so naturally he supported parliament. In 1642 Milton wrote pamphlets attacking episcopacy (the belief that the church should have bishops). In 1643 he wrote a pamphlet arguing that divorce should be allowed and in 1644 he wrote a pamphlet in favor of freedom of speech. Melton work in Charles excuation and also he create way for peoples. Melton was the representative of Puritism.

Famous Work:-

The famous work of “John Melton” was paradise lost. This book is one of the top book of the John Melton. The theme of this book is to justify the ways of God to men. He wrote this book in 12 books.

Prose Writer:-

John Bunyan was known for “Pilgrims Progress” and aslo known as prose pridise lost. Pilgrims progress was one of the 3 top class allegory of the world.Puritan Age (1620-1660)

1. Background:-

The period between 1620-1675 was known as puritan age or age of Melton because during this period puritan prevailed in England and the literary figure John Melton was also a puritan. This age was the most disturb age in the history because of two reasons peoples were against the king Charles I which was killed in 1649 and the establishment of commonwealth under Cromwell. The puritans consider himself pure because of reformation which was started by Martin Luther King. Puritanism become a great national movement which included English Churchman as well as extreme separatist while the catholic had always held the idea of unity church the possibility of the idea of purely national Protestantism grew up. There was a conflict between the religious peoples and monarchy, the religious peoples were supported by the common peoples. The age was about moral standard and the literature of this age was not much developed.

Slogan Of Puritans:-

There were 2 slogans of puritan, one was the righteous mean everything should be done on time and other was liberty mean every one should be free.

Censer Board:-

In this age censer board was also there, the purpose of censor board was that they check a book before publication. If some thing in this book which was against them and also when they don’t like them they removed it from the book.

Wrong ideas of the puritans:-

The peoples of puritan were not a religious sects nor a narrow minded. They believed on past things on which peoples don’t believe

Literary Characteristics:-

• In literature of puritan age we find the same confusion as we find in religion and politics

• The medieval standard of clivarly , the impossible of love and romance are disappeared.

• The literary achievements of this so-called gloomy age are not of high high order

• But the one who was John Melton who was the representative of puritan age work for them

Difference between Puritan Age and Elizabeth Age:-

This age was differ due to 3 reasons of the preceding age.

1) In puritan age peoples have no unity of spirit while the people of elizabeth age have unity of spirit they love their country

2) Puritan works are somber in characters; it has sense of sadness, gloom and pessimism

3) This age was critcial and intellectual ; it makes us think

Literature of Puritan Age:-

In literature of puritan age we find many things

1) The school of spenser

2) Metaphysical poetry

3) Cavalier Poetry

4) John Melton

5) Prose Writer

1) The School Of Spenser:-

A group of English poets who, in the earlier part of the 17th c., were considerably under the influence of Edmund Spenser. The main poets were: Browne, Wither, Giles and Phineas Fletcher, and the Scots Drummond of Hawthornden and Sir William Alexander. In imagery, meter and diction, as well as in theme and subject matter, they were imitators of Spenser.

2) Metaphysical Poetry:-

• Metaphysical mean dealing with the relationship between spirit to matter or ultimate nature of reality

• “Meta” means “beyond” and “physics” means “physical nature”. Metaphysical poetry means poetry that goes beyond the physical world of the senses and explores the spiritual world. Metaphysical poetry began early in the Jacobean age in the last stage of the age of Shakespeare.

• Metaphysical poetry was blended mean emotional and intellutual

• Dr Johnson given the name metaphysical poet to the John Done and his group poets Among other metaphysical poets are Abraham Cowley, Henry Vaughan, Richard Crashaw, Andrew Marvell, George Herbert, Robert Herrick etc.

• Dr Johnson given the name metaphysical due to which they wrote different kinds of poetry

3) Cavalier Poetry:-

• The important poets were Herrick, Lovelace, Suckling, and Carew

• They were the follower of Ben Johnson

• The cavalier mean royalist who fought on the side of king during civil war

• They were persude classicist they were only the follower of Ben Johnson

John Melton:-

John Milton was a great English writer of the 17th Century. Milton was also a great believer in liberty. He also wrote poetry. In 1638 a famous poem by Milton called Lycidas was published. In 1642 civil war began between king and parliament. John Milton was a strong supporter of freedom so naturally he supported parliament. In 1642 Milton wrote pamphlets attacking episcopacy (the belief that the church should have bishops). In 1643 he wrote a pamphlet arguing that divorce should be allowed and in 1644 he wrote a pamphlet in favor of freedom of speech. Melton work in Charles excuation and also he create way for peoples. Melton was the representative of Puritism.

Famous Work:-

The famous work of “John Melton” was paradise lost. This book is one of the top book of the John Melton. The theme of this book is to justify the ways of God to men. He wrote this book in 12 books.

Prose Writer:-

John Bunyan was known for “Pilgrims Progress” and aslo known as prose pridise lost. Pilgrims progress was one of the 3 top class allegory of the world.