The term “classic” has a dual meaning rooted in its Latin origin, Classicus, which initially referred to a member of the “first class” of citizens. In Western languages, the word “classic” can either denote works from ancient Greece and Rome or refer to any work of lasting value and historical significance. Understanding which meaning is intended requires careful attention to context.
The first meaning, often referred to as “Classical Style,” describes a specific aesthetic originating from ancient Greek and Roman literature. This style is defined by its emphasis on simplicity, solemnity, and symmetry—qualities mirrored in the era’s architecture and sculpture. Its principles, refined by a highly developed tradition of rhetoric, were designed to produce clean, direct, and powerful prose. After the Renaissance, this style experienced a revival in the 16th-century Neoclassical movement, which influenced writers primarily in England and France.
In stark contrast, the second meaning, a “Literary Classic,” refers to a work of enduring merit whose style is not bound by any single aesthetic. The language and tone of literary classics are incredibly diverse, often reflecting a complex interplay of personal expression and historical context. To illustrate this point, one can compare the contrasting styles of two 19th-century English masters: Jane Austen and Charles Dickens.
Jane Austen’s prose aligns more closely with the Classical tradition. Her writing is restrained, nuanced, and elegant, characterized by minimal external description and a heavy focus on formal dialogue and psychological depth. Her narratives unfold through conversation, revealing character and plot with a subtle, delicate touch.
Conversely, Charles Dickens’s style is a powerful departure from this classical restraint. His prose is ornate, raw, and full of vitality, with a heavy emphasis on vivid visual details and a rich use of colloquialisms and dialects. His characters are often defined by their bold external traits rather than psychological complexity, and his novels are renowned for their highly cinematic depictions of bustling city life. This stylistic approach, with its embrace of complexity and dramatic flourish, is often described as Baroque.
The divergence between Austen and Dickens highlights a significant shift in literary history. The Classical style, with its focus on pastoral landscapes and a more rigid social order, began to lose relevance in the 19th century. It was ill-suited to capturing the dramatic social changes brought by the Industrial Revolution. A new aesthetic emerged, one that mirrored the raw energy and complexity of urban life and industry. This new style, exemplified by Dickens, ultimately supplanted the classical ideal, becoming the foundation for the realism and modernism that followed. As one 19th-century novel noted, an old-fashioned character who clung to the “pure English” of an earlier era was often a subject of ridicule, illustrating the irreversible move away from the classical ideal toward a more dynamic, modern form of expression.