THE AGE OF TRANSITION
Like all other periods of transition, the one under review is disturbed and confused. It is a matter of great difficulty to trace the different tendencies, but with care the task may be accomplished with some accuracy.
1. The Double Tendency. Two movements can be clearly observed in the writing of the time, namely:
(a) The allegiance to the old order of classicism. In this movement the chief and almost the only figure is that of Samuel Johnson. He is a host in himself, however.
(b) The search after the new order of Romanticism. In their different degrees, as can be seen from the second table at the beginning of this chapter, many writers were engaged in the search. It began as early as 1730, with the publication of Thomson’s Seasons; and though it lapsed for a time, it was to continue with gathering force during the latter years of the century.
2. The New Romanticism. The general features of the Romantic movement were:
(a) A return to nature—to the real nature of earth and air, and not to the stuffy, bookish nature of the artificial pastoral.
(b) A fresh interest in man’s position in the world of nature. This led to great activity in religious and political speculation, as will be seen further on.
(c) An enlightened sympathy for the poor and oppressed. In English literature during this time one has but to think of the work of Cowper, Burns, and Crabbe, and even of the classically minded Gray, to perceive the revolution that is taking place in the minds of men.
(d) A revolt against the conventional literary technique, such as that of the heroic couplet. On the other hand, we have a desire for strength, simplicity, and sincerity in the expression of the new literary ideals.