Robert Burton’s Work “The Anatomy of Melancholy”; Its Literary &amp; Philosophical Values in the English Literature

Ulkar Kazimova

doi:10.7575/ijalel.v.1n.2p.219

Abstract

The book is nominally, an anatomy, an overview, a dissection, an analysis of melancholy. But melancholy is a broad term, a common affliction with many causes, symptoms and, possibly, cures. Because of that, Burton is determined to consider each and every variation on theme. It is a famous book with a well-known title, but rarely seen. It has been essentially, out of print for some time. Now “The Anatomy of Melancholy” has been republished in a convenient single volume by New York Review Books. Burton’s book is encyclopedic. Burton acknowledges that he has read many books and every book ever written or published until that time. Indeed, he appears to quote from every one of these books in “The Anatomy of Melancholy” – from earliest Greeks to his recent contemporaries. Arguably, Anatomy is last book that encompasses entire learning of Western culture, and last successful effort to embrace it all into one volume. It is a book of references woven together. There is both madness and method here – to convince a huge mass of readers to arguments brought forward. The book is literally and philosophically overwhelming. It ranges across nearly all subjects: medicine, astronomy, philosophy, literature and all arts, politics, nature. It runs from quote to quote to reference. The book is presented as being by “Democritus Junior”. Lewellyn Powys called it “the greatest work of prose of greatest period of English prose-writing,” while celebrated surgeon William Osler declared it is greatest of medical treatises. Samuel Johnson considered it one of his favorite books, being the only book that ever took him out of bed two hours sooner than he wished to rise.

Highlights

The work is divided into three partitions; the first partition is devoted to the more common, generic sort of melancholy, focusing on causes and symptoms
Burton explores every possible reason for that sinking melancholy feeling
Composition in Latin, at a time when that language was still international, was, in itself, no special sign of learning, but Barclay and Owen give proof of wide and apt knowledge, and possess an individual style and flavor. They are remarkable instances of men of real literary inspiration, who chose to speak in a past tongue

Summary

Introduction

The work is divided into three partitions; the first partition is devoted to the more common, generic sort of melancholy, focusing on causes and symptoms. Was responsible, according to Burton and others, for the wild passions and despairs of lovers, the agonies of religious, devote the frenzies of madmen and studious ales traction He wrote The Anatomy of Melancholy largely to write himself out of being a lifelong suffers from depression. Advancement of scientific knowledge occurs in spurts that are greatly influenced by the attitudes of time, ideas about (bound) human behavior which is not just directly connected with science That is he mentioned that he had tried to create flavors of the periods the theories developed in, in order to understand better the background and consequences of them in society as a whole. Kazimova).The accepted theory is that it was an attempt to let evil spirits out He could not be certain of that, but did know that again and again human kind had been returning to the idea of mental illness be caused by “evil forces”.

In the brain

Brain Heart and liver