Thomas Gray, William Blake, Goldsmith, Cowper and Crabbe in Light of Naturalism: A Critical Perspective
Abstract views: 72 / PDF downloads: 59
Keywords:
Naturalism, Realism, Romanticism, Materialism, SupernaturalAbstract
The term ‘Naturalism’ consists of two words; natural+ism, which describes a type of literature that attempts to apply scientific principles of objectivity and detachment to its study of human beings. Unlike realism, which focuses on literary technique, naturalism implies a philosophical position. For naturalistic writers since human beings are, in Emile Zola’s phrase, “human beasts” characters can be studied through their relationships to their surroundings. As naturalism a theatrical style sometimes called ‘realism’. It began as a rebellion against romantic- artificialities of much 19th century theatre. Initially such early exponents as Emile Zola conceived it as simply offering an unadulterated “slice of life” with all theatrical glossing over of hard facts removed and with only limited concern, if any, about the necessity of presenting such views in “well made” plays. However, it soon came to be perceived at least popularly, as answering portrayals of the seamiest side of existence. Gorky’s The Lower Depths is often cited as the classic example. Those who separate realism from naturalism often suggest that the former is more selective and therefore has to be more carefully contrived, and they offer the best plays of Ibsen as instances. Naturalism is often seen as a heightened form of realism with all five senses involved. On the basis of above mentioned details, we can say that the term naturalism used by Zola and other French writers to distinguish their methods from the realism of Balzac and Flaubert and it is opposed to idealism and it applies an extreme form of realism based upon a foundation of materialism.
Downloads
References
Abraham, M. H., A Glossary of Literary Term. (third edition) Newyork: New Man Press, 1971
Ainger, Alered. Crabbe, London: Ignited Press, 1903
Bradley, A.C. Oxford Lectures On Poetry (second edition) London: Macmillan Co. Ltd;1962.
Bush, Douglas. Mythology And The Romantic Tradition In English Poetry, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1937.
Bentley, G.E. William Blake: The Critical Heritage. London & Boston: Routedge & Kegan Paul, 1938.
Beach, Joseph Warren, Concept of Nature In 19th Century English Poetry, Newyork: The Macmillan Company, 1936.
Bronowksi, J. William Blake and The Age Of Revolution. London: Routeledge & Kegan Paul, 1972.
Bowra, Maurice. The Romantic Imagination. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1950
Beers, H.A. A History of English Romanticism In The 19th Century. Newyork: Mil Press, 1902
Bateson, F.W. English Poetry: A Critical Introduction. London: 1950
Burns, Robert. The Poetical Works of Robert Burns, ed. William Wallace, London: 1958
Blake, William. Poems of William Blake, ed. By W. H. Stevenson, London, Longman, 1971
Crawford, Thomas, Burns; A Study Of The Poems And Songs. California: Stanford University Press, 1965
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.