The Puritan Age and The Restoration Age

 

The Puritan Age and The Restoration Age :-

This blog task is assigned by Dr and pro.Dilip Barad Sir, Department of English (MKBU). For further details click here . 

 

Q.1  How the Political and Religious climate of the Puritan Age and the Restoration Age influenced its Literature?

          

The Puritan Age ( Age of Milton) :-

The Puritan age in English literature, roughly spanning from the 1580s to the 1660s, was a period marked by religious and political upheaval, influencing literature to focus on themes of morality, faith, and social reform. It is characterized by a shift away from the Renaissance's focus on humanism and romanticism, towards a more serious and introspective style. 

Major Writer of this Age :-

1. John Milton 

2. Anne Bradstreet 

3. Edward Taylor 

4. John Dryden 

Major feature of the Puritan Age :-

1. Religious Influence :-

Literature was strongly shaped by Puritan ideals of morality, discipline, and devotion.

Writers emphasized spiritual reflection, biblical themes, and divine purpose in human life.

2. Didactic Purpose :-

Literature aimed to teach and reform, not merely to entertain.

3. Political Tone :-

The period overlapped with the English Civil War (1642–1651).  Literature often supported either the Royalists (Cavaliers) or the Puritans (Parliamentarians).

4. Seriousness and Sobriety :-

Unlike the Elizabethan love of romance and adventure, Puritan literature was serious, plain, and reflective

5. Rise of Prose :-

Prose flourished in sermons, pamphlets, political tracts, and theological writings.

Writers like John Milton, John Bunyan, and Thomas Browne stood out.

6. Decline of Drama :-

Theatres were closed by the Puritans in 1642, leading to a decline in drama.  Playwriting almost disappeared during this age.

             

            The Restoration Age ( Age of Dryden) :-

 

The Restoration Age in English history refers to the period from 1660 to 1700, specifically the reign of Charles II and his successors, following the end of the Puritan Commonwealth. This era is marked by the restoration of the Stuart monarchy and significant social, political, and cultural changes in England. 

Major Writers of this Age :-

1. John Dryden 

2.  George Etherege 

3. William Congreve

Major features of this Age :-

1. Reaction Against Puritanism :-

After the strict moral code of the Puritan Age, society shifted to pleasure, wit, and worldliness. Literature reflected this by embracing satire, comedy, and indulgence.

2. Rise of Comedy of Manners :-

 Writers like William Congreve and George Etherege perfected witty, satirical plays that ridiculed the fashions, flirtations, and hypocrisy of aristocratic society.

3. Heroic Drama & Tragedy :-

 John Dryden popularized the heroic couplet and heroic drama, filled with grandeur, rhymed verse, and themes of honor, love, and patriotism.

Influence on Literature ( The Puritan Age or The Restoration Age ) :-

Puritan Age (1620–1660)

Political Climate:

England was torn by civil wars between the monarchy and Parliament.

The Puritans, who sought strict moral and religious discipline, gained political power during Oliver Cromwell’s Commonwealth.

Religious Climate:

Puritanism emphasized austerity, piety, and a personal connection with God.

Theatre was closed (1642–1660) because plays were considered immoral.

Literature focused on spiritual introspection, morality, and religious devotion.

Literary Influence:

Poetry was serious, devotional, and often metaphysical. For example, John Milton’s Paradise Lost reflects Puritan theology and political concerns.

Metaphysical poets like John Donne and George Herbert used intellectual wit and religious themes.

Prose writing took the form of sermons, pamphlets, and religious tracts, reinforcing Puritan ideals.

Restoration Age (1660–1700)

Political Climate:

The monarchy was restored under Charles II after years of Puritan rule.

Royal patronage encouraged art, drama, and literature again.

Politics was satirical; writers often commented on corruption and party rivalries (Whigs vs. Tories).

Religious Climate:

Reaction against Puritan strictness led to a more secular and worldly outlook.

Religion lost its dominating control over literature, giving space for wit, skepticism, and comedy.

Literary Influence:

Theatres reopened, leading to the flourishing of Restoration drama, especially comedy of manners (William Congreve, George Etherege) and heroic tragedies (John Dryden).

Satire became dominant, mocking both politics and society (Samuel Butler’s Hudibras, Dryden’s political satires).

Poetry shifted from spiritual devotion to wit, reason, and elegance, reflecting the rational spirit of the age. 

Two literary genres of this Age:-

Puritan Age (1620–1660)

1. Religious/Devotional Poetry 

deeply spiritual, biblical, and moral in tone (e.g., John Milton’s Paradise Lost, George Herbert’s The Temple).

2. Prose 

Sermons and Tracts – moral, religious, and political writings, often didactic (e.g., John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress).

Restoration Age (1660–1700)

1. Drama 

 especially Comedy of Manners and Heroic Tragedy (e.g., William Congreve’s The Way of the World, John Dryden’s All for Love).

2. Satirical Poetry 

 witty, mocking, and political in nature (e.g., Samuel Butler’s Hudibras, Dryden’s Absalom and Achitophel).

Q.2  John Milton and John Dryden had met in 1670, what might they have said to each other about the purpose of literature?  Write a dialogue of 150–200 words between the two, incorporating their likely ideological differences and stylistic preferences.

John Milton :-

John Dryden :-

Dialogue between John Milton and John Dryden (1670)

Milton: 

“Master Dryden, literature must serve a higher cause. The poet is not a jester, but a prophet whose duty is to lead mankind toward virtue and divine truth.”

Dryden: 

“And yet, Master Milton, men crave delight as much as instruction. A poem or play should mirror human passions, politics, and follies. Satire and drama reform through laughter where sermons cannot.”

Milton: 

“But laughter rarely redeems the soul. Blank verse, unfettered by rhyme, speaks in the tongue of angels. The true poet justifies the ways of God to men, not the ways of courtiers to one another.”

Dryden: 

“Rhyme, sir, is no trifling ornament; it gives music, harmony, and persuasion. In the theatre, it elevates speech and pleases the ear. If men are drawn in by pleasure, they may be instructed more easily.”

Milton: 

“Pleasure is fleeting. Truth alone endures. Rhyme shackles thought; blank verse grants the freedom required for epic grandeur. I write for eternity, not for passing applause.”

Dryden: 

“Eternity is noble, but the age demands wit. After years of Puritan gloom, the people hunger for elegance, for comedy, for lively verse that reflects their world”. Should a poet not serve his time as well as posterity?

Milton: 

“To serve the age is to risk corruption by its vanities. The poet must resist fashion and point toward heaven.”

Dryden: 

“And yet, to ignore the age is to speak only to silence. I believe poetry must balance reason with delight, form with thought, art with truth.”

Milton: 

“Then let us differ, Master Dryden. You serve the court; I serve the conscience.”

Dryden: 

“A fair division, sir. Yet in both, perhaps, we shape the minds of men—one by solemn instruction, the other by witty persuasion.”

Conclusion :-

The Puritan Age valued moral discipline and religious seriousness, producing literature of deep spirituality, while the Restoration Age celebrated wit, satire, and worldly pleasure after years of restraint. Together, they show how literature reflects society’s shifting values—from faith and austerity to freedom and enjoyment.

References 

https://blog.dilipbarad.com/2021/02/puritan-and-restoration-age-english.html?m=1

https://www.allassignmenthelp.com/blog/restoration-period/