Main literary trends

Literature, like no other kind of human creative activity, is connected with the social and historical life of people, being a bright and imaginative source of its reflection. Fiction develops with society, in a certain historical sequence and we can say that it is a direct example of the artistic development of civilization. Each historical epoch is characterized by certain moods, views, attitude and outlook, which inevitably manifests itself in literary works of literature.

The common world outlook, reinforced by the unified artistic principles of the creation of a literary work by individual groups of writers, forms various literary trends. It is worth saying that the classification and isolation of such trends in the history of literature is very arbitrary. Writers, creating their works in different historical epochs, did not even suspect that literary critics would reckon them after years to a literary trend. Nevertheless, for the convenience of historical analysis in literary criticism, such a classification is necessary. It helps to more clearly and structurally understand the complex processes of development of literature and art.

Main literary trends

Each of them is characterized by the presence of a number of well-known writers, which are united by a clear ideological and aesthetic concept set forth in theoretical works, and a general view of the principles of creating a work of art or an artistic method that in turn acquires historical and social traits inherent in a particular direction.

In the history of literature it is customary to distinguish the following main literary trends:

- Classicism. It was formed as an artistic style and worldview by the XVII century. It is based on the fascination with the ancient art, which was taken as a model for imitation. In an effort to achieve the simplicity of perfection, similar to the ancient models, the classics developed strict canons of art, such as the unity of time, places and actions in drama, which must be strictly followed. The literary work was emphasized artificially, intelligently and logically organized, rationally built.

All genres were divided into high (tragedy, ode, epic), which sang heroic events and mythological subjects, and low ones depicting the everyday life of people of lower classes (comedy, satire, fable). Classics preferred dramaturgy and created works for theatrical stage, using not only the word, but also visual images, a certain plot of the plot, facial expressions and gestures, scenery and costumes. The entire seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries passed under the shadow of classicism, which after the destructive power of the French bourgeois revolution came another direction.

- Romanticism is a comprehensive trend in art, which has powerfully manifested itself not only in literature, but also in painting, philosophy and music, and in every European country it had its own specific features. The subjective view of reality and dissatisfaction with the surrounding reality united the Romantic writers, which forced them to construct other pictures of the world, leading away from reality. The heroes of romantic works are mighty non-ordinary personalities, rebels defying the imperfection of the world, the universal evil and dying in the struggle for happiness and universal harmony. Unusual characters and unusual life circumstances, fantastic worlds and unrealistically strong profound experiences writers transmitted with the help of certain artistic means, the language of their works is very emotional, sublime.

- Realism. Pathos and elation of romanticism changed this direction, the main principle of which was the depiction of life in all its terrestrial manifestations, very real typical heroes in real typical circumstances. Literature, in the opinion of writers-realists, was to become a textbook of life, so the characters were depicted in all aspects of the personality - social, psychological, historical. The main source that influences a person, shaping his character and world outlook, is the environment, real life circumstances, with which heroes constantly come into conflict because of deep contradictions. Life and images in literary works are given in development, showing a certain tendency.

Literary trends reflect the most general parameters and features of artistic creativity in a certain historical period of the development of society. In turn, within the framework of any direction, several currents can be distinguished, which are represented by writers with close ideological and artistic attitudes, moral and ethical views, and artistic and aesthetic techniques. So, within the framework of romanticism, there were such trends as religious-mystical, religious-moralistic, civil romanticism. Writers-realists also were adherents of various trends. In Russian realism, it is customary to distinguish between philosophical and sociological trends.

Literary trends and trends are a classification created in the framework of literary theories. It is based on philosophical, political and aesthetic views of the epochs and generations of people at a certain historical stage of the development of society. However, literary trends can go beyond a single historical epoch, so they are often identified with an artistic method common to a group of writers who lived at different times, but express similar spiritual and ethical principles.