The Golden Age of Literature
For centuries, many authors from different countries have written thousands and thousands of books in the English language. While poetry was popular many centuries before, novels came into being only in the 18th century. Since then to the present time, we have seen many novels and the evolution of different genres- from adventure to bildungsroman, romance to children’s literature, fantasy to sci-fi literature, gothic to thrillers, etc. After almost three centuries of the publication of the first novel in English language, we have a colossal collection of books written by authors of the previous centuries; books that contain in its pages the entire essence of the ages in which they were written. We are lucky to be born at a time when books are available abundantly.
Looking at the history of literature, we can observe that the richest period was the 19th century. This era was when the novel flourished, not only in English, but in other languages such as French, Russian, American and Australian. Other than novelists, this age also saw the upcoming of many poets who later would become the hallmark of literature. Many women writers came to the forefront, breaking gender stereotypes. Many of them had to undergo sufferings to get their works published; they had to publish anonymously or with a pen name in order to get acceptance. The eighteenth century produced many talented novelists who will remain immortal through the ages and their works read, analysed and studied for years to come. This is why the 19th century is considered as the golden age of literature in the West.
Let us look at some of the works and authors of this age from different countries of the West:
British Literature
During the 19th century, the literary world of Britain was gifted with many poets and the birth of the novel. The first English novel Pamela written by Samuel Richardson was published in 1740. Other writers also adopted this new genre and developed it to a wider perspective during the next century. Other famous novels written by his contemporaries are Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift and History of Tom Jones by Henry Fielding. The 19th century for the British literature is divided into two categories: Romanticism (1790–1837) and Victorian period (1832–1900). The Romantic age is marked with the publication of Lyrical Ballads (1798) by Wordsworth and Coleridge. Now, those who are confused by the term ‘romanticism’; it emphasises on the expression of emotion, individuality and passion. The major poets of this age were Wordsworth, Coleridge, Blake and Lord Byron.
The Romantic age saw the emergence of various women writers such as Jane Austen and Mary Shelley. Though they had to face many difficulties in becoming pioneer women writers, their novels became very popular. Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813) and Emma (1815) are some of Austen’s renowned works. She remains an endearingly popular writer with a keen observation of gender relations in middle class England. The gothic novel, which is now an important literary genre, got established in this age. Frankenstein(1818) by Mary Shelley is an example.
During the Victorin age, we have all the novelists who became the most famous literary writers. Charles Dickens, the Bronte sisters, Thomas Hardy, Elizabeth Gaskell, George Eliot, Arthur Conan Doyle, R. L Stevenson, H. G. Wells, Joseph Conrad, Bram Stoker , Elizabeth Gaskell and . This list consists of the Rulers of English literature. Oscar Wilde
Though all the great works of these authors cannot be listed here, some of my favourites are by Charlotte Bronte, by Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd by Charles Dickens, Great Expectations by George Eliot and by Stevenson. Middlemarch Treasure Island
American Literature
After the Transcendentalism movement, the Americans saw many writers. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s and Herman Melville’s The Scarlet Letter(1837) Moby Dick are some of the popular novels. Both these novels carried crucial themes such as human suffering and evil.
Edgar Allan Poe, regarded as the father of the horror genre, wrote many works with themes of terror, mystery and gothic. The Adventure of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain and The Golden Bowl by Henry James are some of other popular works of this age.
French Literature
French literature of the 19th century was abundant with themes such as Naturalism, Romanticism and Realism. Some famous French writers of the age are Victor Hugo (Les Miserables), Alexander Dumas(The Three Musketeers), t (Madame Bovary) and Gustave Flauber . Guy de Maupassant
Russian Literature
Russia produced its most famous short-story writers, playwrights, poets and novelists during this era. Fyodor Dostoevsky (Crime and Punishment), Leo Tolstoy (War and Peace) and . Anton Chekhov
The above paragraphs contains the best writers and literary works that the world has ever seen. These classics are the gems of literature and cannot be replaced by any other. Each work is unique in its own way and demand the attention of the readers. These writers laid the foundations of literature and set a benchmark for generations of writers.
- Hibathu Naseer
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Originally published at https://www.bookishsanta.com.
