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PAPER
# 6 (ESSAY)
M.A.
ENGLISH PART - II
Literature
and Society
Man
Is A Social Animal
Literary man
is as much a product of his age as his art is the production of his own
reaction to the society.” Man is a social animal”. (Aristotle’s Theory)
And he cannot live aloof from the other human beings.
Every man is the citizen of his age as well as of
his country and he have, by nature, taken the associations of race and tribe. (Goethe)
it has been well established that ‘One belongs to one's country and race even
when one reacts against one's country and race.’ (Renan) thus literature always
expresses the thoughts and sentiment of human mind which are closely connected
with his age.
Literature has been defined by critics in varying moods.
One says’ literature must voice the past, reflect the present and mould the future.
( S Radha Krishna)
The other essays
‘Literature always anticipates life.’ (Oscar Wilde)
And some critics do not Concur with these statements
saying:
‘Literature is news that always news.’ (Ezra)
So, it is difficult to decide whether or not
literature is the true representation of the age.
Literature As A Source Of Knowledge:
If a book is read merely with a view to acquire
knowledge about a particular age, it is right to say, is not real
interpretation of literature. Such type of knowledge is required by
sociologists and historians and has nothing to do with literature. It is
because certain facts are involved in the making of literature.
The first element which is notable here is the
influence of the writer himself. The artist at one time undergoes a particular
process and observes. Finally, he expresses his influence and both his
observation and expression become a source of influence for the audience or the
readers.
Tolstoy define art and literature as the
communication of emotions.
Communication:
It is due to the successful communication of the
influence that a piece of art become a Masterpiece for the people of the world.
War and Peace by Tolstoy and Haji Murad have been translated from Russian into
several other languages. Similarly, ‘Ali and Nano’ a German novel is available
in several languages. It is not easy to be decided whether or not the writer is
the representative of his age. It is a natural phenomenon that some men concord
to the circumstances, some criticize and some oppose. Every man's temperament
is different and can't be brought on uniform basis.
Influence of The Age:
The study of English literature shows that a
particular movement when arose, has influenced many. French Revolution was
accepted mostly by the romantics. Although Wordsworth and Coleridge were
royalist to his movement but its influence on the age is undeniable. Machiavelli’s
Theory’ might is right’ is the product of Machiavelli’s reaction to the
prevailing circumstances of his age. The romantic movement emphasized on
imagination and idealism and all the romantics contributed to the movement. There
is, however, Byron who is more a critic than imaginative.
Let us discuss literature and Society through the
history of English literature.
Chaucer And His Age:
Chaucer, through his story telling style, has drawn
a picture of his society. Corruption in clergy and enthusiasm to life are the
reflection of his age. He satirizes his characters. He lashed the social,
economic and political condition of his age.
Spencer:
Faerie queen is a representative poem showing the
eternal war of good and evil. He is a pictorial and musical poetry. But he,
being an individual, has accepted his personal approach and reaction to the
human activities.
William Shakespeare:
William Shakespeare was a God gifted genius. He could
Express much about the incidents and events he never witnessed. Yet we can’t
deny his claim to be the representative of his age. Ben Johnson says about
Shakespeare’ he was not of an age, but for all times.’ even George Bernard Shaw
in his essay Poor Merchant of Venice shows the Jews attitude, King Lear, the
inner conflict of human nature, Macbeth the ambitiousness.
John Milton:
John Milton’s Political career was influenced by the
Renaissance. He was as much a child of Renaissance as of reformation. In paradise
lost his eagerness for beauty is reflected. It was due to his studies of Greek
and Roman classics that he expressed Greek legends and myths in his great poems.
John Milton’s Lycidas is directly associated. He followed the form of pastoral
elegy which was adopted by Spencer’s in his poem. Astrophel is the direct
Pursuit of Adonis.
Alexander Pope:
Alexander Pope was for a whole generation ‘The poet
of a great Nation.’ poetry had a very limited scope in his age. There were few
lyrics, little or no love poetry.’ the rape of the lock’ is one of the greatest
of mock heroic poems. It pictures the frivolities of the time. No doubt
Alexander Pope satirizes the upper Strata of society, his poetry concerned
mostly with the town, not with the country.
French Revolution And Romantic Poets:
The French revolution brought to Europe the hope for
freedom and social reconstruction. It was due to Russian’s social contract that
he advocated the theory of Liberty, Equality and fraternity. Wordsworth was at
first not concerned with the revolution but later on he was much influenced by
the movement and his prelude communicate the progress of his political sympathies.
Coleridge was much influenced by the movements and
he diverted to spiritual idealism which gave him mental satisfaction. Byron,
however, did not Express the French revolution in his works, yet he imbibed the
Revolutionary spirit in its action against old social conventions. PB Shelley
was much influenced by Spencer’s astrophel.
Milton's Lycidas, and wrote an elegy on the death of
Keats - Adonai’s. He is a melodious poet of the French Revolution and of
Revolutionary idealism. Being ‘a perfect singing god’, he has in his heart love
for mankind.
The Victorians:
The Victorian age is much judged by the study of Tennyson.
His poems reveal the great spheres of human thoughts. His poems exhibit the
society, the art, the Philosophy, the religion of the day. In politics it was
the time of Reform bill, in religion it was the time of Catholics emancipation,
in science it was the time of steam engine and evolution. Tennyson has
described all these tendencies and problems in his writings which give a vivid
picture of his age.
Carlyle is a prominent figure of the Victorians. He is
a great thinker, a religious sea, a political reformer. His writings show the
materialistic tendencies of his age and the experiment of democracy. He advocates
Machiavellian theory’ might is right’ an elected government through a majority
of vote. He concludes that the government should be run by the’ noblest’ and
the’ best’. His writings exhibit the political, religious, social and economic
condition of his age.
Modern Poets:
TS Eliot is a modern poet and he is an age when the
people left the villages and moved towards cities. Charlotte Brute’s ‘thorn
field’ being a countryside will no more be attractive, since England developed
sentimental philosophy was replaced by mechanical existence. His’ wasteland’
represents England as an area a wasteland. This poem made a tremendous impact
on the post war generation.
Growth and Progress In Literature:
Literature, as a whole, changes from generation to generation.
It is dynamic, not static. It is because every age has its particular
circumstances and temperament. Chaucer tells us the stories of his characters,
Alexander Pope exhibit the upper class, on the other hand Carlyle discusses all
the aspects of human life, social, political, economic and religious.
Similarly, TS Eliot has he watched field, since
everything has been changed. Mourns the conditions of England. It is, of
course, Touchstone after sir Philip Sidney who defended poetry. Sydney's was a
time when poetry was abused, Eliot’s when a literary spirit has been covered by
the mechanism.
Exceptional Qualities of Writer:
Generally, an age is known from a particular point
of view, and almost all the writers show their reaction in the same way. But some
writers have numerous exceptional qualities. In the general, too, we cannot
deny the individualistic qualities of a writer. Every book takes us back to the
man behind it. So, while criticizing a book, we go back to know as much as we
can, about the personality of the author. Great men produce great literature
and great literature produces great generation.
Conclusion:
Literature, if we discuss it elaborately, is both
idolism and reality. According to Ezra pound, ‘literature is news that stays
news’ which shows that the model of literature that lives in his mind is quiet
and has yet not been achieved. For studying the literature, we have to pierce
into philosophies, religious, economic and political history of a particular age.
Shakespeare cost the boundaries of his age. Milton revolved his age; Alexander
Pope gave new morals to his gentry. Thus, the relation of literature and
Society is inseparable.
