Literature 95

NINETEENTH CENTURY PROSE ROMANTIC PROSE Poetry dominated the literary scene of the first half of 19 th  century more popularly known as the Romantic period. Due to the presence of Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelley, Byron and Keats the literary limelight was focussed on poetry. Jane Austen and Walter Scott were the prominent names in Novel. Hence prose was at the third rank in the stature of literary popularity. However the prose of this period was no mean genre and we have essayists like Charles Lamb and William Hazlitt enlarging the horizon of English literature through their contributions. Apart from these two we have Wordsworth, Coleridge, Scott, Shelley and Keats also writing some substantial prose works. It is a fact that the age did not produce a pamphleteer of the first rank but the productivity of the age is marked in the immense productivity of the political writers. Apart from a steep rise in periodicals the age witnessed the beginning of daily journals whic...

SEVENTEENTH CENTURY PROSE The development of English prose in the 17 th  century can be divided into two periods:  1) prose in the age of  Milton   2) prose during Restoration. During the mid 17 th  century or rather the Age of Milton th e development of prose carried on from the previous age. In spite of the hampering effects of the civil strife, the prose output was copious and excellent in kind. There was a notable advance in the sermon writing; pamphlets were abundant; and history, politics, philosophy and miscellaneous kinds were well represented. There was a remarkable advance in prose style. The prose of this age was cultivated in a style very different from the Elizabethan and Sixteenth century prose. The prose writers used a grand style which Bacon and Hooker never anticipated. It was loose in structure, over coloured, elaborate and way ward. The writers indulged too freely in the use of Latinised words of classical constructi...

SIXTEENTH CENTURY/ELIZABETHAN PROSE The Elizabethan Age has well been called as a young age. It was full of boundless vigour, reawakened intellectual esteem and soaring imagination. The best of the age is found in drama and next in poetry. As prose, unlike verse, does not admit any substantial restriction hence Elizabethan prose developed substantially. For the first time prose had risen to a position of first rate importance. The dead weight of the Latin tradition was passing away and English prose was acquiring a tradition and a universal application. During the 15 th  century Latin dominated as the medium of expression while English came to its own in the 16 th  century. With the arrival of mass printing, English prose became the popular medium for works aiming both at amusement and instruction. The books which date from this period covered many departments of learning. The early Elizabethan use of prose was rich, gaudy and overflowing. It is far from commonly ac...

FIFTEENTH CENTURY PROSE The Fifteenth century is comparatively barren and non productive in the field of English literature. During this time little poetry of quality was written. The English and Scottish poets were very poor imitators of Chaucer both in the command of subject matter and versification. But the prose literature of this age recorded considerable progress. Unlike the poetry of this age prose suffered from no retrogression. There was a perceptible increase in skill due to increased practice. There was a growing perception of the beauties of rhythm and cadence and there was the development of various prose styles including the ornate and the plain. The English prose certainly moved forward during the 15th century to a richness that was unknown to the preceding age. During the 15th century prose made some remarkable progress because the English men shaped the rough material of their native tongue to form a literature for providing instruction and entertainment. But stil...

                        Othello by William Shakespeare Introduction: "Othello", is tragic play written by William Shakespeare, the greatest English Playwright ever. Shakespeare draws our attention to the minutes of life which are often neglected though they always prove pivotal in carving our fates and ruining of our lives. The tale of Othello is full of such horrors which root back to the basics of human psychology. However, pride, fear, jealousy, revenge and love are the prime themes of this play.  Othello is a simple yet brave soldier, a general indeed. He falls for he acts without inquiry for the natural inquisitiveness and misgivings of the heart which are common to the lovers. But for Othello nothing goes lucky to restore the normal course of life and love, he plunges and nobody stops nor is there any stroke of happy coincidence to save his happiness. Short Summary: The story is all about ...