A history of English literature : $b A practical text-bookAlbert, Edward
History
A history of English literature : $b A practical text-book
Albert, Edward
English literature -- History and criticism
| | | | |Rowe | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | |Dryden[138]| | | | | |
|1690| | | |Dryden[139]| | | | |
+----+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+------+---------+
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | |Congreve | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | |Vanbrugh | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| |Dryden[140]| | | | | | | |
|1700| |Dryden[141]| | |Farquhar | | | |
+----+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+------+---------+
In one prominent case we have a survival of the more elaborate style of
the past, and that is in the history of =Gilbert Burnet (1643–1715)=,
Bishop of Salisbury, whose _History of his own Times_ was published
after his death. The style of the book is modeled on that of Clarendon.
Burnet’s style is not of the same class as that of his predecessor: it
has lapses into colloquialism; its sentences are snipped into small
pieces by means of frequent colons and semicolons; and he has not
Clarendon’s command of vocabulary.
EXERCISES
1. The two following lyrics are respectively of the Restoration and the
Caroline periods. Compare and contrast them in (_a_) subject, (_b_)
style, and (_c_) meter. Summarize the effect of either of them, and say
which you prefer and why you prefer it.
(1) Love in fantastic triumph sate,
Whilst bleeding hearts around him flowed,
For whom fresh pains he did create,
And strange tyrannic power he showed.
From thy bright eyes he took his fires,
Which round about in sport he hurled;
But ’twas from mine he took desires
Enough t’ undo the amorous world.
From me he took his sighs and tears,
From thee his pride and cruelty;
From me his languishment and fears,
And every killing dart from thee:
Thus thou, and I, the god have armed
And set him up a deity;
But my poor heart alone is harmed,
While thine the victor is, and free.
APHRA BEHN (1640–89)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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