Augustan Literature
What is it?
The Augustan era in English poetry is noted for its fondness for wit, urbanity, and classical (mostly Roman) forms and values. Named for the Augustan period or “Golden Age” in Roman poetry, the English Augustans both translated and modeled their own verse after poets such as Virgil, Horace, and Propertius. This period is marked by the end of the Restoration era at its beginning, approximately 1690, and by the death of Alexander Pope in 1744.
The Augustan era in English poetry is noted for its fondness for wit, urbanity, and classical (mostly Roman) forms and values. Named for the Augustan period or “Golden Age” in Roman poetry, the English Augustans both translated and modeled their own verse after poets such as Virgil, Horace, and Propertius. This period is marked by the end of the Restoration era at its beginning, approximately 1690, and by the death of Alexander Pope in 1744.