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The Puritan Age-1600-1660

The seventeenth century up to 1660 was dominated by Puritanism and it may be called the Puritan Age or the Age of Milton, who was the noblest representative of the Puritan spirit. The Puritan movement in literature may be considered the second and greater Renaissance marked by the rebirth of the moral nature of man. However, in the Age of Renaissance despotism was still the order of the day and there was fanaticism in politics and religion. 

The Puritan movement stood for the liberty of the people from the shackles of the deposited ruler as well as the introduction of morality and high ideals in politics. Thus it had two objects personal righteousness and civil and religious liberty. In other words, it aimed to make men honest and accessible.

Puritan Literature

In the literature of the Puritan Age, we find the same confusion as we find in religion and politics. As there were no fixed literary standards, imitations of older poets and exaggeration of the poets replaced the original, dignified and highly imaginative compositions of the Elizabethan writers. The literature produced during this period so-called gloomy age, is not of a higher order, however, this age has the honour of producing one great master of verse whose work would shed lustre on any age or people. John Milton was the noblest and indomitable representative of the Puritan spirit to which he gave a most lofty and enduring expression.

Puritan poetry

Puritan poetry can be divided into three parts 

1. poetry of the School of Spencer 
2. poetry of the Metaphysical school
3. poetry of the Cavalier poet. 
   
   
   

1) School of Spencer

The Spenserians were followers of Spencer. Despite the changing conditions and revolt against Italian poetry which Spencer and Sidney had made fashionable during the sixteenth century, they preferred to follow Spencer and considered him as their master.

Phineas Fletcher(1582-1648) and Giles Fletcher (1583-1623). are the most important poets of this school. They were both priests and fellows of Cambridge University. Phineas Fletcher wrote several Spencerian pastorals and allegories. His most important work is the poem " The Purple Island".It is an allegorical poem and follows the allegorical pattern of the Faerie Queen.

Giles Fletcher was more lyrical and supernatural than his brother. He also chose his subjects for his poetry from Spencer's subjects. His Christ's Victorie and Triumph in Heaven and Earth over and after Death (1610), which is an allegorical poem is a link between the religious poetry of Spancer and Milton. Other writers who wrote under the influence of Spencer were William Browne, George Wither and William Drummond.

2. The Metaphysical School

The name metaphysical was first used by Dr Johnson in his essay on Abraham Cowley in his "Lives of the Poets" Dr Johnson gave his name in derisions because of the fantastic form of Donne's poetry. Jon Donne and George  Herbert are the two major poets of this school. Abraham Cowley. Henry Vaughan, Andrew Marvell and Edmund Waller are the minor poets of this school. John Donne and Herbert are in different ways, a type of revolt against earlier forms and standards of poetry. In feeling and imagery, both are poets of a high order, but in style and expression, they are the leaders of the fantastic school whose influence largely dominated poetry during the half-century of the Puritan period. The metaphysical poets were honest, original thinkers. They tried to analyse their feelings and experience of love. They were also aware of life and were concerned with death, burial descent into hell etc. Though hoped for immorality, they were obsessed by the Consciousness of morality which was often expressed in a mood of mawkish disgust.

The term Cavalier or Caroline (adjective from Charles) is used for a group of mid-17th century poets who sided with King Charles I against the parliament. These Cavalier or Caroline poets were the followers of Ben Johnson, and may properly be called the 'Sons of Ben', though some of them also display the influence of John Donne.

3. The Cavalier Poetry

The cavalier poets sympathized with the king. Some of them went into exile with the king and the others stayed home in England. Some of them wrote elegant verses, more light than serious so that the term ‘cavalier poetry’ came to refer to a kind of light lyric, often advocating a Carpe diem (seize the day) attitude. To “seize the day” means to disregard the future so one might expect the poets of this theme to ignore religion. But life is not so simple. Some cavalier poets were also men of strong religious faith, who neither wrote religious epics nor holy sonnets. The most important poets of this school are Herrick, Carew, Lovelace, Suckling and Walter Denham. The 17th-century poet, Andrew Marvell managed a blend of metaphysical and cavalier attitudes and techniques so neat and elegant that he has been classified under both headings.

The Caroline lyric is the result of conscious effort. It is artificial. It is a work of art characterized by finish, polish and elegance of language, but lacking the spontaneity and absence of effort which characterized the Elizabethan lyric. It has a formal finish and perfection but is wanting in the natural care and warmth of emotion.

It mirrors the mood and temper of the age. It is often coarse, licentious and indecent, thus reflecting the coarseness and indecency of the courtly circles to which most of the poets of this school belonged. The poets of this school, again and again, find the various beauties of nature united in the beauty of their respective beloved.

The cavalier pets are great lovers of nature. They observe nature minutely and describe it with feelings. Concrete, visual images drawn from the homelier and simpler objects and forces of nature abound in their lyrics. The lyric is charming, but there is something trivial and unsubstantial about it. In this respect again, it reflects the triviality and frivolity of the life of the times.

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