Restoration and 18th Century Poetry and Drama Suggestions for exam 2022 of 3rd Year

If you are a student of English literature and you are preparing for the upcoming exam on Restoration and 18th century poetry and drama, you might be wondering what topics to focus on and how to study effectively. In this blog post, I will share some tips and suggestions that can help you ace the exam and impress your professors.

First of all, you should have a clear understanding of the historical and cultural context of the period, which spans from 1660 to 1800. This was a time of political turmoil, social change, scientific innovation, and literary experimentation. Some of the major events and movements that influenced the writers of this era were:

- The Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, after the Civil War and the Interregnum
- The Glorious Revolution of 1688, which established a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system
- The Enlightenment, which emphasized reason, empiricism, and humanism
- The rise of the novel as a new literary genre
- The development of satire as a form of social criticism
- The emergence of sentimentalism and sensibility as expressions of emotion and morality

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You should be familiar with the main authors and works of this period, as well as their themes, styles, and techniques. Some of the most important writers and texts are:

- John Dryden, who was the first poet laureate and a master of heroic couplets, epigrams, and mock-heroic poems. His works include Absalom and Achitophel, Mac Flecknoe, and All for Love.
- Alexander Pope, who was the leading poet of the Augustan age and a brilliant satirist. His works include The Rape of the Lock, An Essay on Criticism, An Essay on Man, and The Dunciad.
- Jonathan Swift, who was a prolific prose writer and a fierce critic of human folly. His works include A Tale of a Tub, A Modest Proposal, Gulliver's Travels, and A Journal to Stella.
- Daniel Defoe, who was one of the first novelists and a pioneer of realism. His works include Robinson Crusoe, Moll Flanders, A Journal of the Plague Year, and Roxana.
- Samuel Richardson, who was another innovator of the novel and a founder of sentimentalism. His works include Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded, Clarissa, or The History of a Young Lady, and Sir Charles Grandison.
- Henry Fielding, who was a novelist and a playwright who challenged Richardson's moralism with his wit and humor. His works include Joseph Andrews, Tom Jones, Amelia, and The History of the Life of the Late Mr Jonathan Wild the Great.
- Laurence Sterne, who was a novelist who experimented with narrative form and style. His works include Tristram Shandy and A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy.
- William Congreve, who was a playwright who excelled in comedy of manners. His works include The Old Bachelor, The Double Dealer, Love for Love, and The Way of the World.
- John Gay, who was a playwright who popularized ballad opera. His works include The Beggar's Opera and Polly.
- Richard Brinsley Sheridan, who was a playwright who revived comedy of manners in the late 18th century. His works include The Rivals, The School for Scandal, The Critic, and A Trip to Scarborough.

You should also be aware of the literary terms and concepts that are relevant to this period, such as:

- Heroic couplet: A pair of rhyming lines in iambic pentameter that express a complete thought
- Epigram: A concise and witty statement that often contains a paradox or an antithesis
- Mock-heroic: A genre that imitates the conventions of epic poetry to ridicule a trivial subject
- Satire: A genre that uses irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize human vices or follies
- Novel: A long prose narrative that depicts realistic characters and events in a complex plot
- Realism: A mode of representation that aims to portray life as it is
- Sentimentalism: A mode of expression that appeals to the emotions rather than the reason
- Sensibility: A quality of being easily affected by feelings or sensations
- Comedy of manners: A genre that depicts the manners and morals of a particular social class or group
- Ballad opera: A genre that combines spoken dialogue with songs set to popular tunes

Finally, you should practice your analytical skills by reading closely the texts you have studied,
identifying their main features,
comparing and contrasting different authors or genres,
relating them to their historical or cultural context,
and evaluating their significance or impact.

I hope this blog post has given you some useful guidance on how to prepare for the exam on Restoration and 18th century poetry and drama. Good luck and happy studying!