Poetry of the Augustan Age & the Age of Johnson (1660-1770) | Lecture 9

In this lecture, I’ll survey the very wide and prolific poetry of the Restoration, often called England’s Augustan Age of poetry. I’ll focus on John Dryden and Alexander Pope in the first half, and turn attention to the eighteenth-century and the Age of Johnson in the second half. The eighteenth-century is often neglected-both by the academies and public readers. It is a seemingly forbidding domain of poetry, full of satire, erudite and compact verse, and neoclassical art. But in this lecture, I aim at making this period of poetry accessible to you all. If you want to appreciate, or at least to know more about, the eighteenth century, what do you need to know?
What happens to Poetry in the Augustan Age?: 0:00-6:25
John Dryden and the late 17thc: 6:25-21:26
Alexander Pope and the early 18thc: 21:26-29:17
The Age of Johnson: 29:17-33:59
Pre-Romanticism: 33:59-37:53

[@Brahmsian]

Pope, the Mozart of English verse.
Great channel sir!

[@jamesduggan7200]

Thank you very much - enjoyed. The Eliot-Pound anecdote was especially amusing! However, I found the deep criticism of terrible poetry hitting a little too close to home for comfort. There are a lot of us scribblers who are compelled to write and it's really not our fault that we're not particularly good at it : )

[@closereadingpoetry]

Haha, don't let them get you down. Even the Drydens and Popes started somewhere!

[@Blue_3987]

Absolutely love your videos sir!

[@closereadingpoetry]

Thank you! ❤️

[@Khatoon170]

Last part of my research pre - romanticism is cultural shift of mid of late 18 th century that preceded and gave rise to romanticism. Main pre romanticism poets were Thomas gray , Robert burns . Romanticism was reaction to Augustan age . Augustan poets wrote court Poetry that represented royals and courtiers so there wasn’t much freedom of expression. Their poems have fixed structures and meters . And early romantic poetry subjective , material lyrical experiences of life , emotional, have sense of melancholy and sadness. Augustan age characterized by political. Stability, cultural revival and social reforms . Main poets of Augustan age were Alexander pop , samuel Johnson, William Collins. Thank you for giving us chance to read learn new information, improve our English as well . Happy mother day in advance. We celebrated mother day in Arabic countries as well as England. It’s different date around world you in USA and Canada on May, we in last March. I hope you like my research. Best wishes for you your dearest ones .

[@Khatoon170]

Thank you mr Adam for your wonderful cultural literary channel. We hope to call you dr very soon . As always iam gathering main information about topics you mentioned briefly here it’s first of all definition of Augustan poetry in Latin literature that flourished during reign of Caesar Augustus as emperor of Rome , most notably including works of vigil and Horace , Ovid in English literature, Augustus poetry is branch Augustan literature, refers to poets of 18 th century. Term comes most originally from term that George 1 had used for himself. He saw himself as Augustus therefore British poets picked up term as way of referring to their endeavors for for another respect . In 18 th century English poetry was political, statical philosophical problem of whether individual or society took precedence as subject to verse . Age of samuel Johnson from 1744- 1784was time of changing literary ideals . Developed classicism and literary conservatism associated with Johnson fought rearguard action of sentimental feelings associated in various ways with harbingers of coming age of romanticism.

[@blane1814]

Excellent video

[@EyeLean5280]

Is it in the same essay that Pope says, "fools rush in where angels fear to tread"?

[@closereadingpoetry]

from An Essay on Criticism, yes!