Classicism

 

Definitions:

School: group of poets, writers and… who has the same principles, characters and ways in their works.

Class: where some one learn s.th

Classis: rate, group

As an idiom it is in conflict with romanticism

In literature: works which are the best are classic.

 

Reader of the best works were high classes range of people and society neither common people nor their relation ships.

Maybe because of church impressions there were no new ideas about nature or social relations among human beings and all the history for them was just a hierarchical or great chain of being.

Classicism is continued about 23 centuries. Some body thinks it is forgotten in 18th century but it is rebuilt again by Paul Sarter in 20th century.

 

Literarians divide classicism in to four eras:

 

1- the first period is from 5th B.C to 5th A.D which is the combination of ancient Greek and Roman works.

2- from the 5th century to 12th century combination of ancient Greek and Roman works with Latin language which was the language of science and literature but church obstructed both.

In this era the familiarity with Aristotle and Plato happened and some new harsh and serious rules were established for human beings.

3- in the 13th century Renaissance happened in literature and humanism structured.

4- from 13th to 18th century people emphasized on nationalism and humanism so Latin lost its position among writers and poetry developed in all over the with Aristotle and Horace.

English famous in classicism are: Ben jonson, Dryden, swift, Eddison, and …

In all classic works all the persona’s are circling around a super human whom is not reachable on the ground.

 

Permanent features of  neoclassicism:

 

1- authors exhibited a strong traditionalism. They thought to have achieved excellence and enduring models in all the major genres.

2- literature was conceived to be primarily an art. It is some skills which reached by study and practice. The neoclassic ideal founded in Horace is demanding finish, correction and attention to details. I mean natural geniuses.

As Alexander Pope says: “a grace beyond the reach of art”.

3- imitation of nature in human beings life as it is a mirror held up to the nature.

4- both in the subject matter and appear of art emphasize was placed on what human being possess in common representative characteristics and widely shared experiences, thoughts, feelings and tastes as Pope calls it:”True Wit”.

5- neoclassic writers like the major philosophers of the time viewed human beings as limited agents who ought to set themselves only accessible goals.

For classics the major art of poet or writer is to follow the clear principles of classics.

Differences of classicism and Romanticism:

1- classics are idealist and tell about positive side of every things but romantics tell about both sides of concepts good or bad.

2- classics thoughts are based on thought and logic but romantics based on imagination and feeling.

3- classics imitate ancient Greek and Romans but romantics follow the middle ages renaissance and their national habits.