ORIGIN OF WHIG PANEGYRICAL STYLE Waller his Whig temperament. : His complimentary style in poetry: trivial classical mythology. Tendency of Waller's classical style to become insipid in panegyrical verse. Johnson's criticism of Addison's simile of the Angel in The Campaign: Addison's conventional descriptions in The Campaign. Contrast between the classical style of Waller and that of the "Meta- Negative character of Whiggism reflected in the Courts of William III. Increased interest of the public in literature: Dryden's Fables and Translations. New tendencies in the public taste: epic, ethical, and didactic poetry. Birth, education, history, and character. His Epics: Prince Arthur, King Arthur, etc.: their grotesque character: imitation of Virgil and other poets: their ethical vein: specimen of style. His didactic poetry: Creation: superiority to his epic style: specimens Birth, education, history, and character. Origin of the conflict between the Physicians and the Apothecaries. Birth, education, history, and character. Atterbury's epitaph on him: imitation of the Classics. The Splendid Shilling: Johnson's criticism on it: how far just. Cider: Philips' best performance. Excellencies of its mock-heroic style. Specimens of the verse: Tory sentiments. Blenheim: Johnson's criticism on it. Defects of it, as a panegyrical poem, Specimen of the versification. Philips the forerunner of Thomson and Cowper. Collapse of the standards of medieval taste: necessity for the formation Influence of the Coffee-Houses: their origin and history: dislike of the Court party for them: centres for the Whig Opposition: meeting-places for The News-Letter: its origin and purpose. Steele combines in The Tatler the character of the Coffee-House and the Birth, education, history, and character. The Spectator: its design and character. Formation of Public Opinion: reconstruction of the Standard in Religion, Sectarian divisions of religious opinion in English society. Absolutist principles of Hobbes: practical atheism illustrated from The Fluctuating state or average opinion: Religio Laici: Hind and Panther. Addison's reasoning on Religion in The Spectator: dislike of the Deists. Johnson's description of The Spectator as an instrument of social reform : Comparison between the reform of manners in France by the Hôtel Simon Honeycomb's description of manners in England under Charles II. Addison, through The Spectator, increases the social influence of women. Influence of French on English taste after the Restoration: how far Opposition in English society to the supposed Aristotelian "Rules." Dryden's authority in England as a critic: his Prefaces. Contrast between the criticism of Dryden and that of Addison. Weakness of Addison as a philosophical critic: excellence of his applied Specimens of Addison's criticisms in The Spectator. Tickell's Elegy on Addison. Contrast in the mode of forming the standard of poetical diction in France Monarchical and Female influence in French Literature. Coffee-House and Parliamentary influence in English Literature. Infusion of popular idiom in English verse after the Revolution of 1688. Birth, education, history, and character. Effect on Granville's style of Legitimist principles and admiration for Joined with Granville in Pope's panegyric. His merit as a critic: fastidious taste. Modification of the Provençal manner : avoidance of Waller's mythological Pomfret's birth, education, history, and character. The Choice, the first example in English Poetry of the adaptation of Resemblances in social feeling between the Romans after the Battle of Solomon: Epistle to Charles Johnson's criticism of Henry and Emma: Cowper's defence of it. Comparison of Henry and Emma with The Nut-brown Maid. Johnson's criticism of Prior's style and Cowper's eulogy of it examined. Prior's Love Verses to a Child of Quality. His lines Written in the beginning of Mezeray's History of France. Johnson's analysis of the "simplicity" of Swift's style inadequate. Specimens of Swift's style in prose its irony. Main elements in Swift's genius: Pyrrhonism: practical sense: sense of Birth, education, history, and character. Swift's "singularity" to be considered with reference to his circumstances Johnson's prejudiced view of Swift. Swift's insight into the social motives of the leading men of his day. His contempt for party leaders and for “Free-thinkers.” His ironical style the reflection of his insight into affairs and the characters of men. His saeva indignatio and misanthropy indefensible in reason. The increase of his egotism reflected in his verse. Genial style of his poems from 1708 to 1714. Character of his verse from his installation as Dean of St. Patrick's till the Violence of his misanthropy from 1727 till 1737. Swift's passion for "simplicity" in style: his Letter to The Tatler. His observance of the couplet in octosyllabic verse. Specimen of versification in his Imitation of Horace, Epistle i. 7. Birth, education, history, and character. His temperament faithfully reflected in his verse. His want of originating power: his genius for reflecting the tastes of Specimen of his pastoral style in The Shepherd's Week. Trivia: excellence of the descriptions: its faults. His Fables: specimen of their versification. Feeling for the country; simplicity of character; love of pleasure; reflection of qualities in the society of the time. Mixture of artifice and romance illustrated in the ballad of Black-eyed Susan. His Pastorals: rivalry with Ambrose Philips: ironic praise of the latter Windsor Forest and The Messiah: close of Pope's pastoral period. Defects of classical imitation in the pastoral period: harmonious, Essay on Criticism: Mr. Saintsbury's estimate of the poem: how far Pope's critical principles opposed to the practice of the Metaphysical Poets: "Nature" and "Wit." Evolution of the idea of correctness from the time of Dryden. Merits and defects of the Essay on Criticism. Johnson's estimate of it. The Rape of the Lock: its original and its enlarged form. Dennis's censure on it: Pope's attention to Dennis's strictures. Warton's opinion of The Rape of the Lock considered: comparison Specimens of mock-heroic verse in Le Lutrin and The Rape of the Lock. Intimate connection between The Dunciad, the Ethical Epistles, and the Publication of the Essay on Man and Moral Essays. Association of Pope with the leaders of the Parliamentary Opposition. Lofty spirit of Pope's satire. The New Dunciad: recast of the poem in view of the quarrel with Cibber. Analogy between the political career of Walpole and the poetical career Limitations of the Whig régime, on the one side, and of the Classical School of English poetry, on the other. Evolution of Pope's ethical manner. |