The late-17th and early-18th centuries saw the virtual reinvention of the known world. It was at this time that the very notion of knowledge itself began to shift away from classical traditions of diversity to the modern scientific model of the world based upon absolute and unchanging principles. Contemporary literature both embraced and rejected the idea. This work presents an evaluation of the literary history of the period 1650-1750. The writing of the period is seen in new perspectives, the intellectual and cultural climate shaping and reshaping authors' responses and in turn being refracted by their works. Authors including Milton, Marvell, Defoe, Swift and Pope are examined, with the emphasis on their involvement in contemporary cultural issues, along with lesser-known writers such as Traherne, Aphra Behn, and the Wartons. The book also examines the place of women in literature and culture.