Concetti Chiave
- Puritan literature was marked by austerity, introspection, and a focus on realism and human experience analysis.
- Metaphysical poetry, led by John Donne, featured complex ideas tied to emotional states, contrasting with the Cavalier Poets' inspiration from Ben Jonson.
- Cavalier poets, influenced by Latin poets, emphasized life's fleeting beauty and opposed Puritan ideals with themes of elegance and enjoyment.
- John Milton's poetry uniquely blended humanist and Puritan influences, showcasing a variety of contemporary literary styles.
- Puritan prose, affected by the Civil War, favored religious texts like sermons and spiritual biographies, avoiding fiction as a false idol.
Characteristics of Puritan Literature
The literature of the puritan age was characterized of a general austerity, an increase of introspection and self-criticism, a greater emphasis on realism and analysis of human moods and experience.
Poetry wasn’t characterized by homogeneity of expression, but in the metaphysical poetry there were especially unusual and difficult ideas in relation to emotional states. The main representative of metaphysical poetry was John Donne. The other great influence in the poetry was Ben Jonson; from whose the Cavalier Poets drew inspiration.
They rapresented the life and culture of upper-class pre-Commonwealth England, whose ideals were personal elegance and courteous behaviour. They wrote about women, wine and song, and opposing the austere view of Puritans and their concern with God’s will and with the other world. 
They never joined in a formal group.
Cavalier Influences and Poets
The influence of Latin poets such as Horace and Catullus runs through the works of the Cavalier poet also in the kind of Epicurean melancholy which promoted enjoyment of life’s fleeting beauty.
A few names stand out in the body of Cavalier poetry: Richard Crashaw and Richard Lovelace.
There was also the remarkable development of religious poetry.
John Milton represented a highly individual voice and his poetry showed a variety of contemporary influences, and there were both the humanist and puritan character,
The last great poet of the century was Andrew Marvell.
Puritan Prose and Literary Forms
The Civil war affected the development of prose. Puritans mistrusted fiction, since for them it was one of the false idols: the attraction of the sensual world which could destroy the spiritual energy of the Good Christian. Prose in general grew less artificial; its subjects were familiar.
The true puritan literary forms were the sermons, the religious tract and the spiritual biography.
Domande da interrogazione
- What are the key characteristics of Puritan literature?
- How did Cavalier poets differ from Puritan writers in their themes and influences?
- What role did prose play in Puritan literature, and what were its main forms?
Puritan literature is marked by austerity, introspection, self-criticism, realism, and analysis of human moods and experiences. It often contrasts with the more expressive and varied metaphysical poetry of the time.
Cavalier poets, inspired by Latin poets like Horace and Catullus, focused on themes of personal elegance, courteous behavior, and the enjoyment of life's fleeting beauty, often writing about women, wine, and song, in contrast to the Puritans' focus on God's will and the spiritual world.
In Puritan literature, prose was less artificial and focused on familiar subjects. The main literary forms were sermons, religious tracts, and spiritual biographies, as Puritans mistrusted fiction, viewing it as a distraction from spiritual pursuits.
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