The Puritan Age | Complete Lecture: Background, Key Factors, Writers & Themes | The Literature Girl

Welcome to The Literature Girl! In this complete lecture, we explore the Puritan Age (1625-1660), also known as the Age of Milton. It was one of the most turbulent periods in English history, and its literature was shaped by religion, politics and war. This lecture is made for English Literature students who want clear, well-organized notes in one place. We begin with the historical background of the age. You will learn who the Puritans were and why they wanted to purify the Church of England. We then cover the main events of the period: the conflict between King Charles I and Parliament, the English Civil War, the execution of the king in 1649, Oliver Cromwell’s Commonwealth, the closing of the theatres in 1642, and the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660. Next, we look at the key factors that shaped the literature of this age: the strong influence of the Bible, the Puritan emphasis on morality and discipline, the political and religious conflict, and the decline of drama. We also see how the divide between Puritan and Cavalier tastes affected writing. In the major writer's section, we discuss the important authors and their works: John Milton, the greatest writer of the age, including Paradise Lost, Lycidas, Samson Agonistes and Areopagites John Bunyan and his allegory The Pilgrim’s Progress The Metaphysical poets, such as John Donne, George Herbert and Andrew Marvell The Cavalier poets, such as Robert Herrick, Richard Lovelace and Sir John Suckling Important prose writers such as Sir Thomas Browne Then we explore the major themes of the period: religion, sin and salvation, the struggle between good and evil, morality, liberty and the shortness of life. Finally, we finish with a quick overview and recap of everything covered, which you can use for fast revision before your exam. 00:00 Introduction 00:23 Historical Background 02:12 Key Factors 03:49 Major Characteristics 05:32 Major Themes 07:20 Major Writers 09:32 Literary Forms & Lasting Influence 11:45 Overview #PuritanAge #PuritanLiterature #EnglishLiterature #JohnMilton #ParadiseLost #AgeOfMilton #HistoryOfEnglishLiterature #EnglishLiteratureLecture #ExamPreparation #LiteratureStudents #TheLiteratureGirl This lecture is useful for BA, MA and competitive exam preparation. Keep your notebook ready and pause the video whenever you need to make notes. If this lecture helped you, please like the video, share it with your classmates, and subscribe to The Literature Girl for more English Literature lectures. Turn on the bell icon so you don’t miss the next one. Let me know in the comments which age or author you want covered next!