In the Restoration Period, there is no place to feelings and imagination. For the Restoration Period people, it was best to live a calm, civilized life, governed by reason. On the contrary, in the Romantic Period, there is no fixed and ordered perfection of Restoration Period.
In the Romantic Period, philosophers, poets, novelists were increasingly drawn to the irrational, the mysterious, the primitive.
Examples from Restoration Period literature themes:
Themes in Restoration Period are polite society, politics, town themes and intellectual topics of men who talk in clubs and coffee houses.
"Mac Flecknoe"
- This poem describes the Nonsense, Richard Flecknoe, looking for a successor to his throne, and settling on Thomas Shadwell.
- It is heroic poem.
"To Reign and wage immortal War with Wit;
Cry'd 'tis resolv'd; for Nature pleads that He
Should onely rule, who most resembles me:"
- In these lines, we don't see any imagination. any feelings, everything is clear and no place for feelings.
Also Jonathan Swift expresses everything clearly. He expresses his ideas by shocking people.
"Modest Proposal"
" I do therefore humbly offer it to public consideration that of the hundred and twenty thousand children already computed, twenty thousand may be reserved for breef, whereof only one-part to be males; which is more than we allow to sheep, black cattle or swine; and my reason is, that these children are seldom the fruits of marriage, a circumstance not much regarded by our savages, therefore one male will be sufficient to serve four females. that the remaining hundred thousand may, at a year old, be offered in the sale to the persons of quality and fortune through the kingdom; always advising the mother to let them suck plentifully in the last month, so as to render them plump and fat for a good table. A child will make two dishes at an entertainment for friends; and when the family dines alone, the fore or hind quarter will make a resonable dish, and seasoned with a little pepper or salt will be very good boiled on the fourth day, especially in winter."
- In this paragraph, Jonathan Swift (mockingly) proposes to solve the devastating poverty in Ireland, by selling poor children as food for wealthy families. Swift goes on to explain how this would solve all of Ireland's problems from domestic abuse to poverty. Swift explains his proposal in depth, in many way treating these children as nothing more than a new type of livestock. Towards the end of his proposal, however, Swift lists numerous reforms that could help yhe country.
- He is realistic about his ideas. No imagination is placed. He explains his ideas clearly to the rulling class. Modest Proposal's theme is around politics.
Examples from Romantic Period literatue themes:
This period is characterized by 5 "I". These are imagination, inspiration, intuition, individuality, idealism.
"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner ( Samuel Taylor Coleridge)"
- Themes in this poem are; "sin-suffering-repentance-redemption-penance"
- It is far from society. It is mysterious.
According to 5 "I";
Idealism: The mariner tells his tale as a warning to prevent similar bad things.
Imagination: The description, the journay, the events.
Inspiration: Inspired to pray by the beauty of water snakes.
Individuality: The Ancient Mariner, the Hermit.
"Songs of Innocence (William Blake)"
The Lamb
"Little Lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee?
Gave thee life & bid thee feed
By the stream & o'er the mead;
Gave thee clothing of delight,
Softest clothing wooly bright;
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Making all the vales rejoice:
Little Lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee?
- There is nothing horrible in it.
- Imagination is used.
- Lamb is the Christian symbol of Jesus.
"Songs of Experience (William Blake)"
The Tyger
"Tyger, Tyger burning bright,
In the forests of the night:
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare sieze the fire?"
- It is not the pure innocence of the prophet Jesus that will save mankind; it is through his crucification that mankind will find salvation.
There are lots of differences in the works of Restoration and Romantic Periods' themes. In Restoration Period, everything is fixed and ordered, but in Romantic Period literature, imaginations and feelings are involved.
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