The Puritan & Restoration Age

 Puritan Age (1620–1660)

This period comes under the English Civil War (1642–1651) and the Commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell (1649–1660). Literature of this time was strongly Puritan in its influence, which heavily respects morality, religion, and a general disdain for indulgences in the worldly.

Puritanism was a drive toward purifying the Church of England to be spiritually pure. The strict moral values of the Puritans and deep religious devotion would have molded the literature of this time. Common elements of Puritan literature included sin, redemption, and the tug of war going on between good and evil inside an individual's heart similar to the Puritan concern for introspection and living a righteous life.

This period also coincided with the English Civil War (1642–1651) and the rule of Oliver Cromwell (1649–1660). Puritan ideas found its way in this literature which was based on morality, religion, and rejection of worldly pleasures.

*Characteristics of the age:

• Religious and Moral Elements:  The themes handled in this literature are mostly pursuant to Puritan thoughts, where in man's relationship with God is one of the more paramount subjects dealt with the possibility of redemption.

• Didactic Purpose: The writing was largely didactic, teaching morals and spiritual precepts.

• Plain Style: The writing was simple and literal, rather ornate, to be plain, in keeping with Puritan values of humility and sobriety.

• Sermonic Influence: Much of the work written during this period was sermonic or appropriated from homiles-the meditation, prayer, and theological reflection.

• Conflict and Political Themes: The Literary trend in the English Civil War had an intense influence on the literature. Most works produced from that period reflect a conflict between the monarchy and Parliament or royalists and republicans.

*Prominent Writer of The Age:

• John Milton: The greatest product of the Puritan Age was Milton's Paradise Lost, composed in 1667 as an epic poem on the fall of man and the battle between good and evil. His other works such as Paradise Regained and Samson Agonistes (both of 1671) reflect his deep religiosity and predilection for themes of free will, sin, and redemption.

• John Bunyan: His best known book, The Pilgrim's Progress (1678) is an allegory also more outstanding than any work in the English literature that chronicles the Christian's way to salvation. This book reflects Puritan ideologies of perseverance, belief, and detest for worldly attractions.

• Andrew Marvell: As a Commonwealth's poet, metaphysical poems like "To His Coy Mistress" and "The Garden" combined political awareness with deep spiritual and philosophical introspection.

*1. Religious and Moral Themes:

1.1 Supremacy of God and Scripture:

Biblical scripture was central to life for Puritans, who believed it to be the ultimate authority on matters of both the soul and the world. Practically speaking, every aspect of life was thought about in light of God's will, and it was also very typical of literature to interpret human experience in terms of this religious framework. 

Example: Paradise Lost by John Milton, although written after the Civil War, has themes that echo Puritan values through dramatic presentation of the biblical story about the Fall of Man, free will issues, obedience to God, and consequences.

1.2 Emphasis on morality and afterlife:

Puritans believed in living morally, being prepared for judgment and salvation. Much of their literature reflects the view as a struggle between good and evil, a war against sin, and hope for salvation. The basic nature of man is depraved to the point of constant self-examination and repentance.

Example: John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress is an allegory of the journey that one Christian undergoes from sin to salvation, in a way representing purification or holiness. 

1.3 Didacticism:

Puritan literature was often didactic, that is to say, intended to teach a moral or spiritual lesson. It was conceived as a means of education, guiding people in how to lead pious lives, avoiding the pitfalls of sin and damnation. There was an almost imperative sense of obligation to reform society and lead its members toward righteousness by literary means alone.

Example : Many Puritan sermons and tracts, like those published by Richard Baxter, were deliberately prescriptive-instructive-of how to lead a good life at least during much of that period, the virtues in question were humility, obedience, and faith.

1.4. Themes of Suffering and Redemption:

Puritan writers interpreted suffering and more particularly the suffering initiated by the English Civil War as part of God's plan for redemption, either as a test of faith or punishment for sin. The importance placed by puritan writers on redemption reflects the acceptance by individuals of faith that they could save themselves from sin if they were perceived to be faithful by God's grace.

Example: Personal loss in Anne Bradstreet's poem, especially in "Upon the Burning of Our House," may be interpreted as a test from God and showed that she believes in divine providence.

2. Simple Style:

Unlike the conspicuous and verbose prose of earlier literary ages, Puritan writers tended to favor a simple and straightforward writing style. Consistent with their belief that earthly pleasures-even aesthetic ones-can distract one from God and to the value of morality, writing's purpose was not to entertain but to exalt God and inspire good morals.

Example: Such simplicity may be found in the prose of John Bunyan of The Pilgrim's Progress and in the directly poetic style of Anne Bradstreet, as they intend to achieve clarity and spiritual truth above aesthetic beauty.

3. Reflection of Inner Struggles:

Puritan literature regularly portrays internal character conflicts, especially conflict between the flesh and the spirit, temptation, guilt, and the demand for inevitable self-searching and repentance. Such soul searching is often associated with the Puritan sacrament of spiritual self-reflection and confession.

Example: Milton's Paradise Lost explores the psychological and spiritual struggle between characters to their greatest depths as one would expect, both rebellion by Satan and the Fall of Adam and Eve reflect issues of the Puritan conscience with sin and temptation and moral integrity.

#How English Civil War Influenced on Literature?

The English Civil War marked a period characterized by deeply placed political and religious themes within Puritan literature. The Puritans were against Charles I, accusing him of corrupt practices and favoring Catholicism and wanted a more Protestant government. 

Literature during this period tended to depict the conflict as divine justice versus tyranny. Some of the writers, for example, John Milton, wrote their books for propaganda. Thus in Areopagitica, written in 1644, he is advocating freedom of speech, while in The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates, in which he defends Charles I's execution, was written in 1649. Puritan writers also portrayed their suffering as spiritual martyrdom, such as in Samson Agonistes, composed by Milton in 1671.

Restoration Period (1660-1700)

Restoration by Charles II, 1660

The Restoration by Charles II was an extreme transition in English social and literary life. The world of Restoration is characterized by a negative attitude toward Puritanism and worldly pleasure, beauty, and wit.

*Major characteristics of the age:

• Humor and Satire: This period satire often mocks Puritan hypocrisy and rigidity in morals with irony, humor, and witty social commentary.

• Realism: He concentrated more on human behavior, society, and politics with less concentration of religion than that of the Puritan Age.

• Heroic Drama and Comedy: The theaters closed down by the Puritans were opened up, and drama restored. The Restoration comedies were usually bawdry, full of innuendos, and social satire.

• Social and Political Commentary: The literature of the time reflected courtly values under restored monarchy and commented upon political struggle and shifting power play.

• Scientific and Philosophical Inquiry: Writers influenced by this period's thinkers - John Locke, Isaac Newton, etc. - began to explore ideas regarding reason and individual rights and empirical thought.

*Prominent  Writers:

• John Dryden: John Dryden was the most prominent literary figure of the Restoration period, excelling in multiple genres including poetry, drama, and literary criticism. Dryden was perhaps the leading figure of the Restoration era. His satirical poem Absalom and Achitophel, of 1681, allegorizes the political unrest of his time by the use of such figures as are found in the Bible to comment on more contemporary events; his plays, such as All for Love, of 1677, are paradigmatic of Restoration heroic drama.

• Aphra Behn: Probably the first professional female writer in the English language, Behn's The Rover (1677), among other works, raises issues of gender, power, and sexuality. Her novel Oroonoko (1688), about an enslaved African prince, is cited as a ground-breaking work in the creation of the form of the English novel and early anti-slavery writing.

• William Congreve : William Congreve was a master of the Comedy of Manners and is known for his brilliant dialogue and complex characterizations. His works, which came later in the Restoration period, are some of the best examples of this genre.Though remembered mainly for his Restoration comedies, which are clever and comic, the plays of Congreve - like The Way of the World (1700) - provide plenty of acerbic social comment, particularly on the follies and intrigues of aristocratic life.

#How monarchy influenced on literary themes and style?

The Restoration under Charles II initiated the shift in literature away from Puritan morality and towards the splendor of courtly life, extravagance, and pleasure.

• Court Influence: Literature either praised or defamed the intrigues, gossip, and political maneuvers at court.

• Political Commentary: Themes of the Exclusion Crisis and tension between monarchy and parliament were omnipresent; at times expressions belonged directly to the politics of the commentary.

• Moral Complexity: Restoration literature supported the idea of moral complexity, where characters were not strictly good or bad in some absolute sense, but spoke to the prevalent notion of corruption and immorality inherent within the Court.

*Emergence of Satire and Comedy:

Satire becomes one of the characteristic genres of Restoration literature, as writers criticize society, politics, and human nature to use wit and humor. Satire would provide a means for exposing hypocrisy, greed, and corruptness at the top echelons of aristocracy and political leaders.

 Restoration Comedy emerged as one of the dominant forms, focusing on romantic and sexual adventure about the upper classes. Also known as the Comedy of Manners, these plays had witty dialogue and sexual intrigue with stock characters that included the rake and the coquette. They regularly celebrated sexual freedom, became scandalous, and were very popular.

Restoration comedies were marked by their audacity in stage representation of behaviors in society, mainly concerning gender and sexuality, and frequently laughed at the pretensions and follies of the high by depicting promiscuity and moral ambiguity as parts of a permissive Restoration court culture.

Satire as a political genre also thrived during that time. The Exclusion Crisis of 1679–1681, in its attempt to exclude the Catholic Duke of York from succeeding his brother Charles II, inspired satirical works against politicians and parliamentary politics. Writers like John Dryden commentated such events using satire. In Absalom and Achitophel, he used allegory to comment on the crisis from a point of view of advocacy for royalist views.

Conclusion:  The Puritan and Restoration Ages are two sides of the same coin of the cultural change that was undertaken in 17th century England. The Puritan Age is always marked by strict discipline, morality, and good versus evil spiritually, and the Restoration Age involves worldly pleasures, satire, and wit. These contrasts of styles and themes reflect the political and social change of the time-from the English Civil War to the restoration of the monarchy. This terrible shift from Puritan restraint to Restoration indulgence underlines how differently literature progresses in the wake of historical events-spiritually into the confessional struggles that beset every human heart.

References:

“Literary Developments in the Puritan and Restoration Eras – AllAssignmentHelp.com.” Assignment Help - Allassignmenthelp.com, 4 September 2023, https://www.allassignmenthelp.com/blog/restoration-period/ . Accessed 18 September 2024.

“Puritanism | Definition, History, Beliefs, & Facts.” Britannica, 14 September 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Puritanism . Accessed 18 September 2024.