18th Century English Literature: Rise of Prose & Coffeehouse Culture

The Rise of Prose in 18th Century English Literature

Coffeehouse Culture and the Socialization of Literature

In London, the coffeehouse replaced the Court as the meeting place for intellectuals and cultural figures. The emergence of journalism contributed to the socialization of poetry, making it more accessible and familiar to the public.

The Expanding World of the British People

A growing sense of possibility transformed the daily lives of the British people. New ways of thinking about their relationship with nature emerged. London became the center of business, pleasure, and a burgeoning consumer society. With increasing prosperity, London transformed into a city where everything was for sale, and spectacles and shows attracted larger and larger crowds.

The Royal Exchange: A Symbol of Globalization

The Royal Exchange, located in the heart of London, served not only as a hub for business and shopping but also as a symbol of globalization. The importance of international commerce to the British economy grew significantly.

The Rise of Journalism and Periodicals

During the successful run of The Tatler (1709-1711), a precursor to The Spectator, The Female Tatler was published three times a week.

The Dominance of Prose over Poetry

Prose writers of this age excelled the poets in every respect. The graceful and elegant prose of Addison's essays, the terse style of Swift's satires, the artistic perfection of Fielding's novels, the sonorous eloquence of Gibbon's history, and the oratorical style of Burke's writing had no equal in the poetry of the time.

Poetry itself had become prosaic. It was no longer used for lofty and sublime purposes. Instead, like prose, its subject matter turned to criticism, satire, and controversy. It was often written in the form of the essay, a common literary form of the time.

Poetry became polished, witty, and artificial, but it lacked the fire, passion, and poetic glow of the Elizabethan Age and the moral earnestness of Puritanism. It became more interested in portraying actual life and less reliant on inspiration and imagination.

Prose, on the other hand, proved capable of expressing the full range of human interests and emotions with clarity and precision.