English literature was very prosperous in the 18th century. Classical literature was powerful at the beginning of the century, and representative figures such as Alexander Pope (1688-1744) have always been in a dominant position in the literary world. It was not until the 20th century that enlightenment writers officially entered the literary world. Since the United Kingdom established an enlightened constitutional monarchy earlier, British Enlightenment literature did not have a strong political or critical color, but mainly moderately promoted bourgeois values, overseas colonization, and the Puritan spirit. British literature in the 18th century is often called "Augustinian literature". It is usually more orthodox in form and lighter and more humorous in content than French and German literature.
Daniel Defoe (1661-1731) was one of the founders of British novels. His enlightenment thoughts were relatively mild, but they were still a major pushback against classical literature. His masterpieces "Robinson Crusoe" and "Captain Singleton" are popular. They promote overseas colonial ideas by describing the sailing adventure stories of young people from the middle and lower classes of society. The Irishman Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) was much more radical than Defoe, and his "Gulliver's Travels" is world-famous. The novel is full of satire, using the protagonist's experiences and experiences during his travels to fully ridicule British society. Swift usually exaggerates the objects of satire to the point of cruelty or even absurdity. The black humor literature born in the United States in the 20th century "posthumously recognized" Swift as its ancestor.
The period from the 1830s to the 1850s was the heyday of British novels. Samuel 6.1 Richardson is the pioneer of British family novels. His famous work "Clarissa" takes a middle-class woman and a maid as the protagonists, focuses on marriage, family and moral issues, and is very good at portraying the psychology and emotions of the characters. The delicate changes of the novel are the pioneers of British sentimental literature. Henry 6.1 Fielding (1707-1754) was the most accomplished British novelist in the 18th century. His masterpiece "Tom 6.1 Jones" was large-scale, with 18 novels, and was one of the most accomplished British novelists in the 18th century. The most enlightening novel. The core moral implication of "Tom? 6? 1 Jones" is the principle of "nobility of virtue", which criticizes the hypocritical civilization of aristocratic society and advocates the establishment of a new "natural morality". This novel had a great influence on British literature. Writers of the two major schools of romanticism and realism in the 19th century all highly praised it. Its structure is so exquisite and thoughtful that it is shocking. In addition, important writers of this period also include Tobias Smollett (1721-1771), whose picaresque novels were widely welcomed by people at the bottom of society.
By the mid-18th century, with the onset of the British Industrial Revolution, rural farmers were becoming increasingly bankrupt, and the polarization between rich and poor in cities was intensifying. A new literary style, "sentimental literature," emerged. Usually, "sentimental literature" is considered a tributary of Enlightenment literature and a reflection of Enlightenment thought and the sentiments of the petty bourgeoisie in Britain's weak urban and rural areas. In terms of creation, the emphasis is placed on feelings and emotions, and efforts are made to exaggerate the inner pain and misfortune of the characters.
Representative figures of sentimental literature include Lawrence Stein (1713-1768), whose novel "Sentimental Journey" is the origin of sentimental literature. The novel "The Vicar of Wakefield" and the long poem "The Deserted Village" by Oliver Goldsmith (1728-1774) from Ireland are the most accomplished works of sentimental literature. In the field of poetry, the "Graveyard Poetry School" emerged, and "Graveyard Elegy" by the representative figure Gray (1716-1771) is a rare masterpiece in English poetry.
Because the British Parliament passed the Drama Censorship Act in 1737, which strictly supervised plays and theaters, the development of drama was restricted. Fielding first became famous for his political satires, but was later forced to turn to novels.
Works with higher achievements in drama include Goldsmith's "Court" and Richard Sheridan's (1751-1876) "The Rumor School", etc., which are still performed in the UK today.