Literature, like no other type of creative activity of a person, is connected with the social and historical life of people, being a bright and figurative 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 era is characterized by certain moods, views, attitude and worldview, which inevitably manifests itself in literary works of art.
A common worldview, reinforced by the unified artistic principles of creating a literary work among individual groups of writers, forms various literary trends. It is worth saying that the classification and allocation of such areas in the history of literature is very arbitrary. Writers, creating their works in different historical eras, did not even suspect that literary scholars would classify them in any literary direction over the course of years. Nevertheless, for the convenience of historical analysis in literary criticism, such a classification is necessary. It helps to more clearly and structuredly understand the complex processes of development of literature and art.
The main literary areas
Each of them is characterized by the presence of a number of famous writers who 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, which, in turn, acquires historical and social features inherent in a certain 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 17th century. It is based on a fascination with ancient art, which was taken as a role model. In an effort to achieve simplicity of perfection, similar to ancient examples, the classicists developed strict canons of art, such as the unity of time, place and action in drama, which had to be strictly followed. The literary work was emphasized artificial, reasonably and logically organized, rationally built.
All genres were divided into high (tragedy, ode, epic), which sang heroic events and mythological subjects, and low - depicting the everyday life of people of the lower classes (comedy, satire, fable). Classicists preferred drama and created a lot of works especially for theatrical stage, using not only the word, but also visual images, a certain plot, facial expressions and gestures, sets and costumes to express ideas. The entire seventeenth and the beginning of the eighteenth century passed under the shadow of classicism, which was replaced by a different direction after the destructive power of the French bourgeois revolution .
- Romanticism is a comprehensive direction in art, which has powerfully shown itself not only in literature, but also in painting, philosophy and music, and in every European country it had its own specific features. The romantic writers were united by a subjective view of reality and dissatisfaction with the surrounding reality, which forced them to construct other pictures of the world that led away from reality. The heroes of romantic works are powerful extraordinary personalities, rebels who challenge the imperfection of the world, universal evil and perish in the struggle for happiness and universal harmony. Unusual heroes and unusual life circumstances, fantastic worlds and unrealistically strong deep experiences writers conveyed with the help of certain artistic means, the language of their works is very emotional, sublime.
- Realism. The pathos and elation of romanticism replaced this direction, the basic principle of which was the depiction of life in all its earthly manifestations, very real typical heroes in real typical circumstances. Literature, according to realist writers, was supposed to be a textbook of life, so the characters were portrayed in all aspects of the manifestation of personality - social, psychological, historical. The main source influencing a person, shaping his character and worldview, is the environment, real life circumstances, with which the heroes constantly come into conflict with due to deep contradictions. Life and images in literary works are given in development, showing a certain tendency.
Literary directions reflect the most general parameters and features of artistic creativity in a certain historical period of the development of society. In turn, in any direction, several trends can be distinguished that 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. Realist writers have also been committed to various movements. In Russian realism, it is customary to distinguish a philosophical and sociological trend.
Literary trends and currents - a classification created in the framework of literary theories. It is based on the philosophical, political and aesthetic views of eras and generations of people at a certain historical stage in the development of society. However, literary trends can go beyond the framework of one historical era, therefore, they are often identified with the artistic method, common to a group of writers who lived at different times, but expressing similar spiritual and ethical principles.