What is "Transitional" in Literature?
Transitional" in literary history connotes the stage or period when a literature shifts from one dominant style, theme, or age to another, often providing works that reflected elements of both the old and the emerging trends. Indeed, between the end of the 18th century, literature was changing very significantly from Neoclassicism, idealism, reasonableness, and orderliness to Romanticism, with a focus on emotions, nature themes, and etcetera. This transitional stage is sometimes referred to as the "Age of Sensibility" or "pre-Romantic period," in which writers began to realize greater depth of emotion, individual experience, and a greater deep personal connection to nature - all hallmarks of the full expression in the Romantic era.
How Do the Poets and Writers of the Later Half of the 18th Century Represent the Transition from the Sensibility of One Literary Age to Another?
Some of the most important poets in the transition between Neoclassicism and the Romantic period were Thomas Gray, William Collins, James Thomson, Samuel Johnson, and Oliver Goldsmith. Although they maintained elements of tradition from the Neoclassics-the structure, social awareness, and reason-they also began to evolve into a more emotional, individualistic, and nature-oriented style characteristic of Romanticism.
- Thomas Gray: Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard brings the ordered forms of Neoclassicism together with profound explorations of death, nature, and human dignity to foreshadow the agenda that the Romantic movement would be concentrating on: emotion and mortality.
- James Thomson:While in The Seasons, the 'splendour of existence' Thomson described as an overpowering force and a source of awe vindicates a move toward the Romantic interest in the sublime.
- Oliver Goldsmith: In The Deserted Village, Goldsmith is a social critique of the changes industrialisation introduced, appealing to conscience, pleading for a return towards a more humane agrarian value system.
- William Collins: His Ode to Evening illustrates a movement toward evoking moods and sensory experience, writing in irregular form and with incredibly rich imagery to suggest emotion, presaging the emerging Romantic interest in personal feeling over strict formalism
Some of the Significant Characteristics of Their Works :
Focus on Emotion and Sensibility:
Interest in Nature and the Sublime:
The Deserted Village by Oliver Goldsmith deals with the question of the forced removal of agricultural populations in the face of industrialization. Through themes of social justice, sympathy, and the effects of progress on the poor, it reflects Romantic preoccupations with the individual's emotional and moral experience in society.
Experimentation with Form and Language:
Moral reflection was rendered with Samuel Johnson's The Vanity of Human Wishes in an introspective road with human ambition to lay down what would be the very groundwork for the interest of the Romantics on personal experience and the individual struggles in approaching life.
“And all that beauty, all that wealth e’er gave, / Awaits alike th' inevitable hour.”
These lines belong to Thomas Gray's Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard. They establish this inexorability whereby no matter how beautiful, wealthy, or worldly a fellow may be, all these cannot keep the "inevitable hour" away from him, so to speak. It therefore follows that a dominant theme in the poem is the justifying power of death as it reduces human achievement to nothing when confronted by mortality. The lines have called the attention of the reader to pay more heed to such things that are more lasting and meaningful, such as humility, human connection, rather than material wealth or status.
Robert Burns : the National Poet of Scotland
Robert Burns is Scotland's most famous poet, but an icon of culture where the spirit of Scotland lives on through his people and its works. The poetry of Burns reflects themes of Scottish identity such as freedom, social justice, and the enchantment of the Scottish landscape and traditions.
Born on 25 January 1759, Burns was a champion for the man in the street. Through much of his poetry, although it is mostly in Scots, he celebrates the humdrum of the day-to-day as well as the dignity owed to each human being. He is also a harbinger of the movement of Romanticism, as he was, in his case, a social equality and liberty champion, two themes that can be said to be at the heart of the literature of the movement.
Why Robert Burns is the National Poet of Scotland:
Use of Scots Language:The usage of the Scots dialect by Burns in most of his poems was a way of preserving and keeping the language alive during the time when the English language was dominating. In this manner, he highlighted the peculiarity of Scottish culture, which ran deep into the hearts of the people of Scotland and also distinctly portrayed the identity.
Themes of Common Life and Social Justice:
Burns’s poetry often focuses on the experiences, struggles, and joys of ordinary people. In poems like To a Mouse and A Man’s a Man for a’ That, Burns celebrates human dignity, equality, and the universal rights of all individuals. His criticism of social hierarchies and his advocacy for fairness and empathy solidified his status as a champion of the common folk.
Celebration of Scottish Landscape and Traditions:
Burns’s works frequently celebrate Scotland’s natural beauty and its cultural traditions. Poems like Tam o’ Shanter and Auld Lang Syne highlight Scottish folklore and the importance of community, friendship, and tradition, all of which are central to Scottish identity.
Political Symbolism and Advocacy for Freedom:
Burns’s work also reflects his political views, often focusing on themes of freedom and national pride. In Scots Wha Hae, he invokes Scotland’s fight for independence, aligning himself with revolutionary ideals and giving voice to Scotland’s ongoing struggle for autonomy.
Legacy and Cultural Impact:
Burns’s influence extends far beyond Scotland. His poems, particularly Auld Lang Syne, are sung at New Year’s celebrations worldwide. Burns Night, celebrated annually on January 25th, has become a global event, where people gather to honor his life and work.
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