Neo-Classicism in English Literature

• 2. Neo-Classicism in English Literature

Neo-Classicism made a rapid growth and prevailed for the better part of the 18th century. In early 18th century, writers of the neo-classical school were Addison, Steele and Pope. In the middle decades of the century, Samuel Johnson became the leader of the classical school in English poetry and prose.
This term mainly applies to the classical tendency which dominated the literature of the early period. It found its artistic models in the classical literature of the ancient Greek and Roman writers, and tried to control literary creation by some fixed laws and rules drawn from their works, for example, rimed couplet instead of blank verse and the three unities of time, place and action，etc. It put the stress on the classical ideals of order, logic, restrained emotion, accuracy, good taste .
The English classicists followed these standards in their writings. They tried to make English literature conform to rules and principles established by the great Roman and Greek classical writers. Prose should be precise, direct and flexible. All the neo-classicists followed these standards in writing.