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ERA OF EXPANSION, 1750-1850.

ITS CHARACTERISTICS AND INFLUENCES, AND THE
POETRY OF ITS PERIOD OF PREPARATION,

1750-1800.

WITH BIOGRAPHICAL APPENDIX.

BY

J. MACMILLAN BROWN, M.A.,

Professor of English Literature, Canterbury College.

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THE addition of Anglo-Saxon and Early English to the work in English for the Pass Degree by the Senate of the University of New Zealand at its 1893 session has necessitated the writing of this manual. Each of the periods of literature set for 1894 and 1895, viz. from 1750 to 1800 and from 1800 to 1850, is so full of authors and books and so worthy of detailed study, and yet has so little upon it in any of the available textbooks, that it needs two hours' lecture a week during the session. One of these hours has now, I found, to be devoted to the teaching of Old English. And I have had to spend my long vacation in attempting a manual that would supply the deficiency. After I had written the general chapters on the characteristics and influences of the two periods, I saw that the vacation would be too short for the detailed study of the literature of both. I have now found it to be too short for the completion of even the first period; and the approach of the beginning of the session has compelled me to print only the general chapters and the chapter on its poetry. The other chapters will be delivered as lectures during the session.

Yet what is printed forms a natural unity. It sketches in the first three chapters the features of the great era of the rise of modern literature, and then, taking poetry, the form that has hitherto been the most essentially literary and the most sensitive to coming change, describes its development, and illustrates in detail the application of the general conclusions of the earlier chapters. Nor would a correct view of the evolution of the poetry of the period of preparation (1750 to 1800) have been gained, unless by throwing it into perspective, by seeing its relation to the period of fulfilment (1800 to 1850), for which it was a preparation. Hence not merely is the era of expansion (1750 to 1850) described as a whole, but each of the two stages or periods is described separately.

The biographical tables in the appendix have been prepared by Mr. James Hight, B.A. They include the life and works of all the authors who wrote poetry during the period (1750 to 1800).

J. MACMILLAN BROWN.

March 19th, 1894.

209967

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS AND INFLUENCES OF THE ERA
OF EXPANSION.

1750-1850.

Section 1.-(1) There are no exact limits for any era. (2)
Artificial limits are needed for the sake of convenience.
(3) Those of the modern era of English literature are less
definite than of any other. (4) It was the era of expansion.
(5) It was preceded by a period of as great contraction.
(6) The absence of literary taste in the Georges weakened
the power of patronage over English literature. (7) Other-
wise a national literature could not have reappeared. (8)
Yet the centralistic spirit lingered on in various forms
throughout the era. ...
Section 2.-(1) The audience expanded by the inclusion of the
new middle classes; (2) which at the same time purified
and narrowed the scope of the literary art, (3) nationalised
the literature, (4) abridged the freedom of authors in
depicting the passion of love, (5) and generated sentiment-
alism. (6) The process was aided by the inclusion of
women amongst authors and readers, (7) which explains
the predominance of the novel.

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Section 3.-(1) New literary centres came into prominence
outside of London-especially in Scotland, (2) also in
Ireland, (3) in provincial England, (4) and in America.
(5) The Continent drew English literary men to it. (6)
But there was a movement towards recentralisation after
the middle of this century.
Section 4.-(1) The decentralisation resulted in the expansion
of topics, (2) and especially in the annexation of middle
class life, lowly life, (3) and provincial life. (4) The
insularity of English literature disappeared; (5) and foreign
countries were ransacked by fiction for its themes, (6) and
past ages too. (7) The inclusion of the new leisured classes
in the audience of literature made the modern novel a
necessity, (8) as the portal into other spheres of literature.

1-3

3-6

6-8

8-12

Section 5.-(1) The expansion also made it a great poetic era.

(2) But it was the expansion of the thought that most

affected poetry. (3) English poetry was reborn with the
lavish material of the Elizabethan era and the finish of the
Queen Anne period; (4) and gained passion from revolu-✔
tionism, (5) that did not find vent; (6) and it became seer-
like especially in its later phases. (7) The renaissance of
English poetry is to be accounted for more by the urbanis-
ing of the population than by reaction. (8) All poetry,
even the reactionary, was touched by the new philanthropy ;
(9) it did not feel any recoil from the Revolution.

Section 6.-(1) All passions and thoughts, all history and

science and philosophy were revivified by the new point

of view. (2) A new kinship with nature was discovered

(3) and a new interest in the future awakened; (4) whilst

the feeling of a new relationship to God made the period
almost an age of faith. (5) The new religious enthusiasm
was due rather to the resurgence of the puritan middle
classes than to reaction; (6) was felt in all spheres ; (7)
and transfigured poetry.

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17-21

21-24


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