Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Write a detailed note on “Classicism”.

‘Classic’, ‘classical’ and ‘classicism’ are the terms describing the style historical period or quality of a work of art, literature or music. The terms generally were associated with the aesthetic achievements of the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. However thy have come to have much broader meanings and applications.
The word ‘classic’ refers to attitude of mind towards life and its expression in art. The term used primarily to denote and characterize a type and style or period of creative work. Strictly speaking a classic is any ancient Greek or Roman literary work of the highest quality. e.g. works of Greek dramatist Sophocles and the Roman Poet Virgil. In broad sense the term is applied to anything as a model of excellence. The word ‘Classical’, in the strictest sense is used to characterize the art, literature and aesthetics created by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Broadly speaking, the term classical may be used to characterize any style or period of creative work distinguished by qualities that are derived from classical Greek and Roman. While the word classicism refers to specific movement. It is an to return to the art forms. It was born of the Renaissance rediscovery of Greek and the desire to imitate Greek and Roman literature and art. Before discussing classicism, we must understand the word ‘classical’.

Classicism imitation of classical age:-
(1) Classical:-
          Classical’ this word dates from the Renaissance and come from Latin words ‘classiscus = Of the highest class or rank and classis = a class cat school). The Greek and Latin were considered to be the only first class literature. The same time they were the only literature taught in the classes. The adjective classical is used in below stated senses.
To describe everything, belonging to cultures of Greek and Rome (e.g. their language, art, philosophy etc.)
Any work of art produced in imitation of forms of Greek and Roman art.
The word is used in the sense of highest range.

(2) Classicism:-
          Classicism was the result of the Renaissance rediscovery of Greek philosophy, literature and art. To the Renaissance classicisfy,   everything Greek became a standard of civilized perfection. What was not Greek or Roman was barbarous.  There was one and only one way of creating a work of art- the classical. For it they formed the rules as they had no tradition. This the reduction of everything to rule is special feature of classicism. They believed that Homer and Virgil had constructed their epic in a certain way, so every epic must have the same construction. Because Greek plays had unities of time and place so they must obey them. There were so many rules. There are two principles which are necessary to understand neo classical art and Romantic reaction against it.   

(1) The General not particular:-
Classicists followed this rule very strictly. Because Aristotle had stated the principle that the poet’s work was to describe not the things that has happened but the things that might happen. He said that poetry was universal while history was singular. Whatever the Greeks sad the classicists turned into a dogma. The Greeks said that the artist’s business was to deal with universal characteristics which all men of certain type have in common. They were concerned with human nature as it is always and everywhere and not with individual or particular aspects. The classicists followed it blindly



(2) Idealization:-
          This principle is most evident in the visual arts rather than in literature. For in drama or narrative poetry, the character must have fault, though there was noble qualities they are on the grand scale. The lesser classicists who worked by rules only developed a tendency to idealize to the point of making their characters inhumanly faultless. Dryden had done such idealization in his preface of ‘of heroic plays’. The Greek and neo-classical sculptors and painters aimed at representing the human form not as it is but as it would be had nature done her work perfectly. No Greek Venus is a representation of any individual woman; all are idealizations with nature’s mistakes corrected.

(3) The original classical Doctrines:-
          With the Renaissance the classicism started to flourish in Europe. Greek and Latin learnings became wide spread. To understand classicism perfectly it is necessary to remember the criticisms of Aristotle, Horace and Longinu. Without their knowledge we can not understand classicism fully. Before Aristotle, Plato dealt with literary criticism. Poetry was considered to be an illusion on imitation. Aristotle expected that the poet should be more than historian or slavish imitator. He wanted them to reach for some universal truth, to build up a convincing plot about the downfall of a worthy man, a complex plot with a twist, such as a sudden reversal or discovery. The action should be motivated by thought and character. There were aims of tragic poetry and the means employed to attain those aims. e.g.
A law of genre: a tragedy must end badly.
A moral purpose: a warning is given to the spectator.
An ideal; a play must be beautiful and convincing.
A piece of advice; keep to certain limits, within the bounds of reason.
A preference; tragedy is superior to epic poetry and history.
          Horace in his ‘Ars Poetica’ admired the Greeks and wanted poets to learn their crafts for them. For him poetry is an art that can be learned. He stressed the notion of ‘decorum’. Propriety of thought and subject matter a fusion of all parts of the poem, strict adherence to usage. Admiration of the ancients, decorum and consistency within the work and craftsmanship. Were the main ideas he dealt with. Castelvetro presented a clear picture of the unities of time, place and manner.

(4) Classicism before Restoration: -
          In the 16th century, literary critics in France and England had a number of preoccupations. Evaluation of Greek and Roman texts that were becoming available at the time. Greece influenced playwrights. Regarding classicism sir Philip Sidney and Ben Johnson are noteworthy. In his ‘Apology for poetry. (1595). Sidney draws examples from all realms of knowledge. Aristotelian concepts of ‘pity and fear, unities are discussed. He says that tragedy is tied to the laws of poesy and not of history. He preferred the subject that moved round certain human failings.
          Generally Elizabethan art is experimental very free, powerful, varied, unafraid of mixing the sublime with the ridiculous, often sensational or romantic. A Shakespeare play is its own criterion. It can not be measured in terms of a theory. The tragic or comic material found its own form and that is the only classic feature to be found.  
          During Elizabethan period Ben Jonson’s works contain classical doctrine. Jonson had become the new mouthpiece of Aristotle; yet he remained a liberal classicist. He tried to make a combination between England’s native genius and the best that antiquity had given. Classical precepts remained a starting point him. For him imitation stood for re-creating. Even Milton advocated freedom from convention and a return to the live sources of antiquity e.g. Homer, Virgil etc as well as Dante, Petrarch, Tasso etc.

(5) Restoration and Augustan Classicism: -
          It is the period known as the ‘neo-classicism’. It begins from later half of the 17th century to the end of the 18th century. It extends between the death of Dryden (1700) and the publication of the ‘Lyrical Ballads’ (1797). English writers after Cromwell’s regime and on the return of the King from France slipped back into the traditional mould. The critics felt that the ideals of Romanticism was now old and it should check. They began to imitate classic with rigid rules. That’s how Neo classicism began. W.J. Long says ‘The general tendency of literature was to look at life critically to emphasize intellect rather than imagination, the form rather than content. Writers strove to repress all emotion and enthusiasm and to use only precise and elegant methods of expression. This is what is often meant by ‘classicism’ of the ages of pope and Johnson.
          They accepted Aristotelian theory that poetry is an art not an inspiration. Poetry expressed rational thoughts. They based the form according to the rules placed by Greek writers Dryden, Chapman, Pope etc. followed these rules in their words. 

(6) Some theories of neo-classicism:-
There are some theories that makes this period distinct. It is useful in understanding of the age.

(A) Classical poetry:-
Classical poetry is centre on Pope. This type of poetry was polished unimaginative and formal. Poetry waited for emotional aspects. Taste of correctness led for verbal intensify but instead inspiration reason brings abstract and artificial language.

(B) Correctness in Art (Decorum) :-
Literature is primarily an art. For that talent is essential. It can be achieved by long study and practice. The neo-classical ideal is founded on Horace’s Ars Poetica’. He placed weight on the craftsman’s ideal, demanding the almost finish, correction and attention to detail. The authors observe stylistic decorum. They established rules according to form of poetry.

(C) Imitation of Nature:-
It is seen in following human nature. Pope believed that nature of men should be studied which will enable a writer to express thoughts of character.
(D) Closed Couplets: -
The poets wrote in closed couplets. End of each couplet tends to co inside with the end of either of a sentence. They used it as a model for exploiting the possibilities of the verse form. It was also used in dramas. Dryden had used it earlier then pope did it niobly.

(E) Unities in Drama:  -
          Three unities of time, place and action were maintained in dramas. The dramas were based on France model. These writers believed in reason and order. They adjusted their requirements with the given classical rules. Restoration dramatists followed these unities.

          The whole 18th century saw the poetry governed by set rules and regulations. But with the comings of Romantic poets the age ceased. The Romantic age broke down the rules of Neo-classicism. In imitating the classics writers the authors of this age lacked spirit and grace. Soul was not there. Geniuses devoted themselves yet the literature lacked originality. But we got some writers like pope, Dryden, Dr. Johnson, Swift, Addison and Steel.  

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