Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
John Gay (1685-1732) was one of the major figures of the Augustan period. After leaving his native Barnstable to make his way to literary London, he quickly befriended such major figures as Pope, Johnson, and Swift.
While it would be difficult to argue that Gay was as biting a satirist as his famous coffee house companions (who tended to patronise Gay’s work while valuing his geniality and wit), it was beyond doubt that he was a writer whose output – both as a poet and dramatist – offered keen social and political critiques of his times.
But Gay wasn’t a scolder. Rather he confected his work using crowd-pleasing blendings of comedy and tragedy. Enormously popular, his plays packed out London theatres. Yet they were more than crude ‘entertainments’. His plays and poems vividly brought to life the world his audience knew, its absurdities and cruel injustices.
Works such as The Shepherd’s Week, Trivia, and Polly (effectively suppressed for its sharp criticism of Robert Walpole) reveal a deep and genuine empathy for the poor and marginalised.
Today, Gay’s work has been overshadowed by the giants of the Augustan era. He is largely unread apart from his masterpiece The Beggar’s Opera which fused music with social commentary to offer a new and exciting note in English drama.
About the author
Neil Curry is a poet, translator, and literary critic with a particular interest in the eighteenth century, having published works on Alexander Pope, Christopher Smart, William Cowper, Samuel Johnson, William Shenstone, and Horace Walpole.
ISBN 9781910996898
John Gay (1685-1732) was one of the major figures of the Augustan period. After leaving his native Barnstable to make his way to literary London, he quickly befriended such major figures as Pope, Johnson, and Swift.
While it would be difficult to argue that Gay was as biting a satirist as his famous coffee house companions (who tended to patronise Gay’s work while valuing his geniality and wit), it was beyond doubt that he was a writer whose output – both as a poet and dramatist – offered keen social and political critiques of his times.
But Gay wasn’t a scolder. Rather he confected his work using crowd-pleasing blendings of comedy and tragedy. Enormously popular, his plays packed out London theatres. Yet they were more than crude ‘entertainments’. His plays and poems vividly brought to life the world his audience knew, its absurdities and cruel injustices.
Works such as The Shepherd’s Week, Trivia, and Polly (effectively suppressed for its sharp criticism of Robert Walpole) reveal a deep and genuine empathy for the poor and marginalised.
Today, Gay’s work has been overshadowed by the giants of the Augustan era. He is largely unread apart from his masterpiece The Beggar’s Opera which fused music with social commentary to offer a new and exciting note in English drama.
About the author
Neil Curry is a poet, translator, and literary critic with a particular interest in the eighteenth century, having published works on Alexander Pope, Christopher Smart, William Cowper, Samuel Johnson, William Shenstone, and Horace Walpole.
ISBN 9781910996898