The Enlightenment period has been, and probably will be even after this course, easily the most dry period of literature in my opinion. I have read a lot of literature from this period from taking various courses such as British Literature and World Literature. I really want to be able to enjoy it more, and perhaps I will find something or another that is assigned for this course that I will enjoy at all, but honestly I am not getting my hopes up. That being said, I am definitely aware of the importance of this period of literature to 19th century literature and even current day literature. Had it not been for a resurgence of creative writing and the return of theaters, it is entirely possible that the world we live in today would be quite different, and most certainly more bland and drab. I think that aspect is definitely what interests me the most - just seeing the various connections to modern day literature and media as well as the archetypes created in this period that are still being used to this day. Other than that, I just need to keep an open mind and try to stay positive when reading for this course.
Neoclassical literature began to emerge in direct response from the political and social changes happening in Britain at the time. As the previous years had been marked by intensely strict rules in regards to how people could express themselves, literature and art was practically nonexistent except if it had something to do with the church. This new period, with a new ruler and different church, allowed people to have more artistic freedom, which was evident in the reopening on theaters and new literature and art. Of course, most literature was still religious in nature; however, sometimes it could be paired with satire.
The return of the use of satire in literature in this period could definitely be the reason that it is so evident in various media today. Over the years since this period, satirical themes have been developed more and more, and now it is used in practically every work that is released. Some sources, like The Onion, an online newspaper, use satire exclusively in their articles. For The Onion, this means that almost every article is completely fabricated; however, they are sometimes in response to a current event happening.
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