Question

What is the primary reason the first half of the eighteenth century in English literature is known as the "Augustan Age"?

• A. It was a period when writers extensively studied the works of Emperor Augustus himself.
• B. The term was applied as high praise, drawing an analogy to the golden age of Latin literature under Emperor Augustus.
• C. It refers to the August holidays when most literary works were published.
• D. The literature of this period was exclusively focused on Augustan architectural styles.

Answer 1

Answer:

B. The term was applied as high praise, drawing an analogy to the golden age of Latin literature under Emperor Augustus.

• During Augustus’s rule in Rome, writers like Virgil, Horace, and Ovid produced works that were considered models of literary excellence, refinement, and classical harmony.

• This period was viewed as the “golden age” of Roman literature. Similarly, early 18th-century England—especially the age of Alexander Pope, Jonathan Swift, and Joseph Addison—was marked by a high value placed on order, reason, decorum, and classical imitation, just like in Augustus’s time.

• According to literary historian W.H. Hudson, the term “Augustan” was applied as a form of high praise, implying that the English writers of this age, like the Roman ones, were producing a literature of deliberate artistry, control, and refinement, rather than spontaneous inspiration.

• This label also reflected the self-conscious belief of many English writers that they were reviving and upholding the ideals of classical antiquity, particularly those of Latin literature.