Foreign Literature of the 18th — 19th Centuries
The era of foreign literature in the 18th and 19th centuries began with Classicism. This literary movement, which reached its peak in the late 17th and 18th centuries, focused on the pursuit of harmony, simplicity, and beauty, as well as the ideals of ancient culture.
The era of classicism in European literature of the 18th and 19th centuries
The Classicists used the principle of trinity, coined by Aristotle in the Poetics. The works had to respect the unity of time (one day), the unity of place (one space), and the unity of action (one main plot without secondary ones).
As early as the 17th century, the French poet François de Malherbe reformed the French language and poetic style. He became the founder of classicism. Subsequently, this trend changed depending on the time. One of the main representatives of French classicism of the 18th century was Voltaire (1694 - 1778). In his works he glorified freedom, denied religious fanaticism and the oppression of absolute monarchy.
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