English Literature

comic epic poem in prose   It is true that we can term "Joseph Andrews" as a 'comic epic poem in prose' because it has almost all the prerequisites that are important for labeling it as a 'comic epic poem in prose'.   Fielding himself termed it as a 'comic epic poem in prose' in the "Preface to Joseph Andrews". Fielding claimed that he was founding a new genre of writing but this was not entirely accurate. There was a long tradition of such writing before him, though it was not completely developed or established. According to Aristotle, Homer had produced a 'comic epic in verse' but again according to Aristotle verse is not the only criterion for poetry. Fielding has only combined the ideal of 'comic epic' and the 'prose epic' to produce what he termed as 'comic epic poem in prose'.   An epic is a story of "a conspicuous man who falls from prosperity to adversity bec...

Realism means conceiving and representing the things as they are. The basic essence of human life is embodied in realistic literature. Besides it, we have also realistic picture of contemporary society. We, thus, have realism of particular order i.e. a true picture of society, manners, people and customs. We also have what we may call the "universal realism". While it is true that Richardson and Defoe have some claim to have brought realism to English fiction, it is Fielding who can be called the real pioneer in realistic mode of novel writing. Fielding's realism is called "universal realism" as well as global. As Fielding says in the Preface to "Joseph Andrews": "I believe I might aver that I have written little more than I have seen." Fielding's novels present the fairly comprehensive picture of English society in eighteenth century. Though Fielding does not give us material about the environment of the people, yet their men...

Fielding's proclaimed aim was to tear the veil off affectation and expose it to ridicule, which is the true source of laughter. Humour, naturally, occupies an important place in Fielding's concept of novel. Satire has an equally important role, for it has to strip the mask off the ills of society, holds up a mirror to human folly and corrects human beings of their vanities and hypocrisy. In his Preface to "Joseph Andrews", Fielding concludes that affectation is the source of the ridiculous, springing from vanity or hypocrisy. Fielding intends to laugh mankind out of its follies and foibles. Fielding, thus, employs ironical and satirical humour in several places. But he does not confine himself to these two varieties. Essentially a comic genius, he often indulges in other forms of humour, among which pure fun is very common. Joseph Andrews has a large variety of humour. Farce is not excluded. Several farcical situations such as the fight scene at the inn, Joseph fall...