Rise to an Unprecedented Spirit of Satire in the Augustan Age: From John Dryden to Dr. Johnson

“We must beat the iron while it is hot, but we may polish it at leisure.”

John Dryden (1631 - 1700)

English poet, playwright, and literary critic.

Aeneis

Various causes gave rise to an unprecedented spirit of satire in the Augustan age, from John Dryden (1631-1700) to Samuel Johnson (1709-1784). It is a materialistic age in which certain fashions and modes of behaving and taste hold away.

 (1) What is considered “genteel taste” is vigorously upheld, and any deviation from it is satirized.

(2) “Correctness” and “good sense” are the order of the day. Emphasis is on reason and correct observation of certain rules both in literature and social life. Rationalism develops clear thinking and the temptation to pronounce judgment is strong. This accounts for the rise both social and literary satire.

 (3) The restoration witnessed a revolt against Puritan austerity. There was also a reaction against religious hypocrisy. The religious and the devout were criticized as hypocrites. The Puritans were the special targets of satire. The devout, on the other hand, satirized the court and the courtly circles as immoral.

(4) Political strife also accounts for the growth of the spirit of satire. The age witnessed the rise of the two political parties. Whigs and Tories and each tried to enlist the support of the leading writers of the day. Much satire, often virulent and abusive, was hurled at one’s political opponents.

(5) The imitation of the classics also did much to promote the growth of satire. Horace (65-8 bc), Juvenal (65?-128?) and Persius (34-62) were translated and widely read and enjoyed. They inspired the poets of the age to take to satire and to encourage folly as they had done in age gone by. Classical tradition had consecrated satire, and the poets of the age followed this tradition. Satire is, — therefore, everywhere, and the poets, the dramatists and prose-writers all alike indulge in it.

Satire bulks large in the works of Dryden and Alexander Pope (1688-1744). John Dryden began his satiric career quite early in life. He made his mark as a satirist with the publication of Absalom and Achitophel in 1651. It was followed in quick succession by the Medal; Mac Fleckone; and Absalom and Achitophel in part II, written in collaboration with Nahum Tate.

‘The Work of Dryden fixed for several generations the course of English satire” (Hugh Walker). Dryden perfected the Heroic Couplet. Dryden gave to his followers a fitting medium for satire and in his satirical portraits he set an example which was followed by all those who took part in political controversies. The satires put him at the head and front of the English men of letters. From this time forward there could be no doubt at all of his position, with no second at any moderate distance” (Saintsbury). He began with writing a Toy pamphlet and within a very short time became the supreme satirist of England. He imparted epic grandeur and sublimity to political satire which in the hands of his contemporaries was coarse and brutal.

Next in order of merit among Restoration satirists is Samuel Butler (1612-1680). He was a Royalist and in his powerful satire Hudibras, he has satirized Puritanism in what may be called doggerel verse, largely on the pattern of the comic doggerel of Skelton. The learned author of Hudibras modeled his style very largely upon Skelton, whose methods and spirit contribute much to the making of Hudibras.

Alexander Pope is another great satirist. The Rape of the Lock is Pope’s first satire. It is a social satire as well as a mock epic. It is a mocking poem in which Pope mocks not only at the “little unguarded follies” of the fair sex, but at the artificial social life of 18th century London as a whole. The fashion, the artificiality, the vanity and frivolity of the age is exposed and ridiculed. The pierce sparkles in every line. The touch is never too heavy; an air of gay good humour is preserved throughout.

The Moral Essays and Satires and Epistles are the final and crowing efforts of the poet’s satiric genius. They contain his finest workmanship as satirist and will be ever read with more pleasure than the Dunciad. In the Epistle to Mr. Fortesque, Pope boldly satirizes corruption in high places. We know that Pope never flattered, like Dryden, and that he was much more independent “Unplaced, unpensioned, no mans heir or slave, he was never afraid to write with exemplary fearlessness; he lashes vice and fosters virtue.”

The greatest of prose satire in the English language belongs to this age. Satire is all-pervasive in the Spectator Papers of Joseph Addison (1672-1719) and Richard Steele (1672-1729). Their satire is mild and gentle. A number of follies and frivolities of the day are held up to ridicule by Addison, his purpose always being to reform and improve. Like Steele, he deals mainly with fashions in dress and with feminine frivolities and probably nowhere does he pass judgment as stern as that of Steele on the coquette. But neither does he show that warmth of admiration which is so conspicuous in Steele. For him the trivialities are the very soul of woman. Patches, the towering headdress, the hoop-petticoat, the fan and other things of that sort take up a far larger share of Addison’s treatment of women than that of Steele. “An empty life directed by an empty head and a shallow heart” such is the impression he leaves.

Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) is the greatest of prose satirists in the English language. Although Swift was something provoked into exposing the individual, his satire is more often general than personal. A Tale of a Tub is one of those books which it is more fun to write than to read. It is obviously characteristic of the Rabelaisian side of Swift, but it is not at all typical of his satire as a whole, Compared with the Argument against Abolishing of Christianity or Gulliver’s Travels or the Modest Proposal where Swift holds to his theme with an undeviating sense of relevance. A Tale of a Tub is an undisciplined and self-indulgent work. It does however, by its very waywardness and provocative individuality, bring home to us the distinctive nature of Swift’s humour.

In the Battle of the Books the satire is both general and personal. This is a highly successful exercise in belittlement, effectively ridiculing a literary controversy. Swift’s aim here is almost purely destructive; his intention is much more to expose Bentley and Wotten than to take sides with the Ancients against the Moderns. He does, it is true, pronounce upon the issue In the fable of the spider and the bee but his essential purpose is to make the whole controversy appear trivial, a mere battle of the books.

Swift’s best satire is Gulliver’s Travels which is, on its face; a book of travels to strange lands of pygmies, giants, and horses, Swift’s purpose was to expose the vices and follies of mankind by ridiculing them. Man is reduced to the shortness of the Lilliputians or magnified into the gross Brondlingangians, or contrasted with the equine virtue of the Honyhnhnms. The effectiveness of such a satire depends on the invention with which these strange worlds are made plausible and the precision with which the irony makes evident the likeness between the real world and the imaginary. So successful was Swift’s invention that ever since the book was published, children have read the voyages to Lilliput and Brobdingnag as fairy stories, without worrying about the satire. So effective is the irony that Gulliver’s Travels remains one of the most appealing exposures of human weaknesses.

💅Recap

The Augustan Age (18th century) in English literature witnessed a significant rise in the spirit of satire, characterized by sharp criticism and wit, aiming to reform society's vices and follies.

💅Key points of the rise of satire from John Dryden to Dr. Johnson include:

👉John Dryden (1631-1700):

Pioneered satire in the Restoration period, focusing on political and social issues.

His satirical works, like "Absalom and Achitophel," targeted political figures and exposed corruption.

Employed allegory and irony to convey his messages effectively.

👉Alexander Pope (1688-1744):

Mastered the use of the heroic couplet in satire, providing a smooth and impactful reading experience.

His "The Rape of the Lock" humorously mocked the frivolous society of his time.

Employed wit and mock-heroic elements to highlight the vanity and shallowness of the aristocracy.

👉Jonathan Swift (1667-1745):

Known for his savage and biting satire, he used allegory to criticize political and societal issues.

"Gulliver's Travels" remains a classic satirical work, mocking human nature and institutions through imaginative voyages.

👉Samuel Johnson (1709-1784):

Contributed to the development of moral and ethical satire in the later Augustan period.

"The Vanity of Human Wishes" satirized human desires and ambitions, showcasing the imperfections of humanity.

His periodical "The Rambler" contained moral essays laced with satire, reflecting his moralistic views.

👉The Augustan Age witnessed satire's evolution into a powerful tool for social commentary, aiming to reform society's shortcomings.

👉Satirical works from this era continue to be appreciated for their wit, humor, and insight into human behavior and society's flaws.

Ardhendu De

Ref:

1. A history of English literature : Buchan, John, 1875-1940 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. Retrieved March 21, 2017, from https://archive.org/details/historyofenglish00buch

2. A history of English literature : Compton-Rickett, Arthur, 1869-1937 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. Retrieved March 21, 2017, from https://archive.org/details/historyofenglish00comp

3. A Short History Of English Literature : E Legouis : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. Retrieved March 21, 2022, from https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.182574