Characteristics of the literary illustration

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In this new lesson that begins here we are going to know the characteristics of literary illustration. Although the movement that is known by the aforementioned name of the Enlightenment, brought together a good number of sciences and arts, since which was a new way of thinking for the time, in this lesson from a PROFESSOR we are going to focus basically on his enormous influence for lyrics.

As is logical to think, and since its postulates spread rapidly throughout all European countries during the 18th century, books and writers of the time were totally influenced by this powerful movement what ‘Attacked’ the concept of classical and absolute monarchy, in favor of a much more open-minded and man-centered ideology, on equality among all human beings, and in a much higher idealization of the individual from a point of view rational.

Index

1. What is Enlightenment: easy definition
2. Introduction to literary illustration
3. Basic characteristics of literary illustration

To know well the characteristics of the literary Enlightenment, it is necessary to first know what this consisted of. movement, since this way it will be much easier to understand its influence on the letters, mainly European, in their epoch.

We can consider the Enlightenment as a ideology emerging among the eighteenth century European bourgeoisie, in struggle against the nobility of the time and the absolutist monarchies of the old continent.

The concept of Enlightenment is also defined as a continuation, and in turn culmination, of the rationalismborn centuries before, in the Renaissance. That is to say, a phenomenon that, from France, spreads across Europe as a bourgeois and critical stance against the established order, which focuses on man, as happened previously.

Therefore, we can say that the Enlightenment has certain characteristics that clearly define it, such as the rationalism, optimism and the pursuit of happiness, secularism, and the consideration that man is good by nature, although he can be perverted by action of society.

In this video we discover the Rousseau's Enlightenment ideas.

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We are now going to elucidate the characteristics of the literary Enlightenment, which we could consider to begin in 1689, when John Locke publishes Essays on human understanding, and finds its end in 1785, with the work of Goethe call Young Werther's Misadventures.

Before continuing, clarify that the literary concept in this period is understood as an experience, a human capacity, and not so much in the set of books, but also. That is, it is like a combination that includes essays, history, economics, etc., but that exclude genres like the novel.

It is evident that, in a breakthrough movement with respect to the traditional and supernatural, rationalism prevails over fantasy or fiction. In fact, the Enlightenment took it to the last consequences of it.

And, within this, we can find unique characteristics, such as:

• The quoted dominance of reason in front of the sensitivity, the imagination and the own emotion.
• Works are imprinted with one more character collective and moral good, more focused on the civil and the impersonal.
• Literature is understood as an end for man, which has to be useful, social, didactic and moral. A good example of this is the encyclopedia which is written in France.
• Has a clear tendency towards secularism, since it questions religion and all related institutions, which are considered as threatening human freedom.
• The absolute monarchy as a form of political power and state organization is clearly questioned, and the participation of the people in the decisions that concern them is requested.
• The values ​​of the people, as well as their customs, are strongly criticized. For this, the opinion of the foreigner is used as a form of social analysis, as is the case with Persian Letters by Montesquieu.
• There is a clear concern for the vital applications of science, hence names like Isaac Newton are highlighted by the enlightened.
• A fundamental virtue is created, which is the tolerance, referring mainly to politics and religion.
• History is used as the main source of knowledge.
• Nature is taken as a political sign.
• The classics are imitated, just as the Renaissance did in the past. A good example of this is La Henriada de Voltaire, in clear allusion to The Aeneid by Virgilio.
• Use neoclassical aesthetics for the theater.
• The genres are separated, so that no mixes between tragedies and comedies or prose and verse, for example, are allowed.
• Classical traditional literature is valued above the novelty.
• It is essential to use decorum in the way you express yourself, looking for the middle ground and avoiding exaggeration.
• It is realistic and natural.
• Clarity is sought as a literary value when expressing concepts and situations.
• In criticism and denunciation, parody and irony gain importance.
• A cultured language is used, known as literary, providing rhetorical figures and metaphors previously used by the classics.

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