Neoclassical & Romantic Criticism: Complete UGC-NET Guide
Detailed Table of Contents
- 1. Dryden's Of Dramatic Poesie
- 2. Pope's Essay on Criticism
- 3. Johnson's Preface to Shakespeare
- 4. Wordsworth's Preface to Lyrical Ballads
- 5. Coleridge's Biographia Literaria
- 6. Neoclassical vs Romantic Criticism
- 7. Key Terms Explained
- 8. UGC-NET Practice MCQs with Explanations
- 9. Conclusion: Exam Preparation Strategy
Essential Concepts for UGC-NET
- Neoclassical Principles: Imitation of ancients, decorum, reason over emotion
- Romantic Revolution: Spontaneous overflow of feelings, imagination as primary faculty
- Key Debates: Fancy vs Imagination, poetic diction, organic vs mechanical form
- Transition Figures: Johnson's balance between rules and genius
- Literary Manifestos: Wordsworth's Preface as Romantic declaration
1. Dryden's Of Dramatic Poesie (1668)
John Dryden's dialogue in Of Dramatic Poesie presents a comparative analysis of ancient and modern drama through four characters debating theatrical practices.
Key Arguments
| Speaker | Position | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Crites | Defends classical drama (especially the ancients) | Represents strict neoclassical adherence |
| Eugenius | Argues for modern improvements over ancients | Progressive neoclassicism |
| Lisideius | Prefers French drama's regularity | French neoclassical influence |
| Neander (Dryden) | Defends English tragicomedy and Shakespeare | Balances tradition with innovation |
Dryden's Critical Contributions
- Definition of Drama: "A just and lively image of human nature"
- Defense of English Dramatic Practices: Tragicomedy and violation of unities
- Comparative Criticism: Balanced evaluation of Jonson vs Shakespeare
- Versification: Championed rhymed verse in serious drama
"To imitate well is a poet's work; to affect the soul, and excite the passions, is the end of all dramatic poesy." - Dryden, Of Dramatic Poesie
UGC-NET Focus: Dryden's comparative method and his evaluation of Shakespeare vs Jonson are frequently tested.
2. Pope's Essay on Criticism (1711)
Alexander Pope's verse essay codifies neoclassical principles while demonstrating them poetically, becoming a manifesto of Augustan literary values.
Central Doctrines
| Concept | Explanation | Example from Poem |
|---|---|---|
| Nature Methodized | Art should imitate nature's ordered perfection | "Nature methodized" is the "source, and end, and test of art" |
| Follow the Ancients | Classical models provide perfect rules | "Learn hence for ancient rules a just esteem" |
| Wit and Judgment | Balance creativity with critical control | "For wit and judgment often are at strife" |
| Sound and Sense | Form should mirror content | "The sound must seem an echo to the sense" |
Pope's Critical Advice
- Avoid extremes: "Avoid extremes; and shun the fault of such / Who still are pleased too little or too much"
- Study general nature: "Those rules of old discovered, not devised / Are nature still, but nature methodized"
- Know your limits: "Whatever Nature has in worth denied / She gives in large recruits of needful pride"
Literary Criticism in the Essay
- Attacks on false critics: "Some have at first for wits, then poets passed / Turned critics next, and proved plain fools at last"
- Praise of Horace and Aristotle
- Warning against fashionable trends
3. Johnson's Preface to Shakespeare (1765)
Samuel Johnson's Preface combines neoclassical principles with proto-Romantic appreciation of Shakespeare's genius, marking a transitional moment in criticism.
Key Evaluations
| Praise | Criticism | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Shakespeare as "poet of nature" | Violations of unities of time and place | Defends emotional truth over formal rules |
| Characters as universal types | Lack of moral purpose | Neoclassical demand for didacticism |
| Blending tragedy and comedy | Careless plotting | Anticipates Romantic mixed genres |
| Natural dialogue | Puns and wordplay | Judgment of Shakespeare's style |
Johnson's Critical Principles
- General Nature: Art should represent universal human experience
- Test of Time: Lasting appeal proves literary merit
- Realism over Rules: Emotional truth justifies breaking formal conventions
- Moral Function: Literature should instruct while pleasing
"Nothing can please many, and please long, but just representations of general nature." - Johnson, Preface to Shakespeare
4. Wordsworth's Preface to Lyrical Ballads (1800)
The second edition's Preface serves as the manifesto of English Romanticism, outlining revolutionary poetic principles.
Romantic Revolution
- Poetic Subject: "Incidents and situations from common life"
- Language: "Language really used by men" (rejecting poetic diction)
- Poetic Process: "Spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings"
- Poet's Role: "Man speaking to men" with heightened sensibility
Key Concepts
| Concept | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Poetic Diction | Rejection of artificial language in favor of rustic speech | Poems like "Michael" use shepherd's language |
| Emotional Recall | Poetry as "emotion recollected in tranquility" | Memory transforms raw feeling into art |
| Purpose of Poetry | To give "pleasure" through truthful portrayal of human emotions | Contrasts with neoclassical instruction |
Wordsworth's Definitions
Poetry: "The spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility"
Poet: Differs from ordinary man "chiefly in degree" of sensibility and expression
UGC-NET Focus: Wordsworth's definitions and his rejection of poetic diction are frequently tested in both definition and analytical questions.
5. Coleridge's Biographia Literaria (1817)
Coleridge's autobiographical criticism develops key Romantic theories while critiquing and expanding Wordsworth's ideas.
Major Contributions
| Concept | Explanation | Contrast with Wordsworth |
|---|---|---|
| Imagination vs Fancy | Primary (creative) and secondary (rearranging) imagination vs mechanical fancy | More systematic psychological theory |
| Poetic Diction | Defends meter and elevated language in poetry | Disagrees with Wordsworth's rustic language |
| Willing Suspension of Disbelief | Reader's acceptance of poetic illusions | Explains supernatural elements |
| Organic Form | Poems grow naturally from subject matter | Contrasts neoclassical mechanical form |
Coleridge's Imagination Theory
- Primary Imagination: Fundamental creative perception ("living power and prime agent of all human perception")
- Secondary Imagination: Conscious artistic creation ("echo of the former... differing only in degree")
- Fancy: Mere rearrangement of fixed elements ("mode of memory emancipated from time and space")
"The poet... brings the whole soul of man into activity... diffuses a tone and spirit of unity that blends and fuses by that synthetic and magical power, the imagination." - Coleridge, Biographia Literaria
6. Neoclassical vs Romantic Criticism
| Aspect | Neoclassical | Romantic |
|---|---|---|
| Source of Authority | Classical models and rules | Individual genius and inspiration |
| View of Nature | Ordered system to imitate | Living, organic force |
| Poetic Language | Refined, decorous diction | Natural speech, even rustic |
| Creative Faculty | Judgment and wit | Imagination as supreme |
| Purpose of Poetry | Instruct and please | Express emotion and truth |
Transition from Neoclassical to Romantic
Continuity: Johnson's emphasis on general nature anticipates Wordsworth's universality
Revolution: Wordsworth's Preface overturns neoclassical decorum and diction
Synthesis: Coleridge systematizes Romantic theory while preserving some traditional elements
7. Key Terms Explained
| Term | Definition | Critic |
|---|---|---|
| Negative Capability | Poet's ability to remain in uncertainties without reaching for facts (Keats) | Keats (though not in our core texts) |
| Poetic Diction | Debate over appropriate language for poetry | Wordsworth vs Coleridge |
| Organic Form | Work grows naturally from subject vs imposed mechanical form | Coleridge |
| Fancy vs Imagination | Mechanical rearrangement vs creative transformation | Coleridge |
| Unities | Time, place and action constraints (neoclassical ideal) | Dryden/Johnson debate |
Expanded Definitions
Willing Suspension of Disbelief: Coleridge's concept that readers temporarily accept poetic illusions for artistic enjoyment
Spontaneous Overflow: Wordsworth's description of poetic creation originating in powerful emotions
Heterocosm: Romantic idea of poem as self-contained world (related to organic form)
8. UGC-NET Practice MCQs with Explanations
1. Which critic famously described poetry as "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings"?
- Coleridge
- Wordsworth
- Dryden
- Johnson
Explanation: This appears in Wordsworth's Preface to Lyrical Ballads, a key Romantic statement.
2. The distinction between Primary and Secondary Imagination was made by:
- Wordsworth in Preface to Lyrical Ballads
- Coleridge in Biographia Literaria
- Pope in Essay on Criticism
- Dryden in Of Dramatic Poesie
Explanation: Coleridge's Biographia Literaria develops this psychological theory of creativity.
3. Which neoclassical principle is summarized as "instruction and pleasure"?
- Decorum
- Utile et dulce
- Mimesis
Explanation: Horace's principle (from Ars Poetica) was central to neoclassical theory.
4. Samuel Johnson's evaluation of Shakespeare emphasizes:
- Strict adherence to classical unities
- Representation of general human nature
- Use of elaborate poetic diction
- Supernatural elements
Explanation: Johnson praised Shakespeare as "poet of nature" representing universal human experience.
5. Match the following works with their authors:
| Work | Author |
|---|---|
| 1. Preface to Lyrical Ballads | A. Alexander Pope |
| 2. Biographia Literaria | B. John Dryden |
| 3. Of Dramatic Poesie | C. William Wordsworth |
- 1-A, 2-B, 3-C
- 1-C, 2-A, 3-B
- 1-C, 2-B, 3-A
- 1-B, 2-C, 3-A
Explanation: Correct matching is Wordsworth-Preface, Coleridge-Biographia, Dryden-Of Dramatic Poesie.
9. Conclusion: Exam Preparation Strategy
The transition from neoclassical to romantic criticism is crucial for understanding the development of English literary theory.
Key Areas for Focus
- Text-Author Matching: Which critic wrote which seminal text
- Definitional Clarity: Precise understanding of terms like organic form, negative capability
- Comparative Analysis: How Romantics reacted against neoclassical principles
- Critical Debates: Wordsworth vs Coleridge on poetic diction
Memorization Tips
Wordsworth's Principles (SPEL):
- Spontaneous overflow
- Poetic diction (rejection of)
- Emotion recollected in tranquility
- Language of common men
Coleridge's Imagination (PSF):
- Primary Imagination
- Secondary Imagination
- Fancy
Final Revision Checklist
- ✓ Dryden's comparative criticism and dramatic theory
- ✓ Pope's neoclassical principles in Essay on Criticism
- ✓ Johnson's balanced evaluation of Shakespeare
- ✓ Wordsworth's Romantic manifesto in Preface
- ✓ Coleridge's theories of imagination and organic form
- ✓ Key differences between neoclassical and romantic approaches
"Poetry is the breath and finer spirit of all knowledge; it is the impassioned expression which is in the countenance of all Science." - Wordsworth, Preface to Lyrical Ballads
