During the 18th and 19th centuries, the literary world saw the birth of the Enlightenment period and the Romantic period. There were similarities as well as very noticeable differences between the two. Two notable voices also gained notoriety during each of these two periods. Voltaire is considered the pioneer of the power of reason and Rousseau is considered a legendary figure of 19th century romanticism. This analysis will evaluate both eras, both of writers and literary work. The Age of Enlightenment gave way to an age of reasoning. At that time, writers were considered philosophers. They proposed various theories and possessed different points of view. Nevertheless, philosophers were merged on the basis of worldliness, civilization, broad-based and self-determination. (Gay, 3) The freedoms of the Enlightenment were free from capricious authority, allowed freedom of expression and exchange, allowed the development of individual abilities, authorized artistic reactions and recognized the right of man to self-determination. (Gay, 3 years old) Another recurring theme of the Enlightenment was happiness. Happiness was considered the most important factor in Enlightenment deliberations. It was happiness in the present and nothing outside of this moment. Happiness was considered a right that all men had the privilege of possessing and only ignorance and peripheral barriers could refute it. (Anderson, 367) Finally, the Church and the government were also two foundations that served as ethical guides for human morals during the Enlightenment. These foundations helped to curb the ignoble inclinations of the people. In other words, rules and guidance were necessary to keep people on the right...... middle of paper...... Works Cited Abrams, M. H. The Mirror and the Lamp: Romantic Theory and the Critical Tradition . London: Oxford UP, 1953. Anderson, MS Europe in the Eighteenth Century 1713-1783. 2nd edition, 1976. in the series A general history of Europe, ed. Denys Hay. London: Longman, 1961. Ayer, Alfred Jules. Voltaire. New York: Random House, 1986. Cohen, J. M. A History of Western Literature. Baltimore: Penguin, 1956. Gay, Peter. The Enlightenment: An Interpretation: The Rise of Modern Paganism. NY: Vintage, 1968.James, Lawall, Patterson, Spacks, Thalman. Western Literature from the Norton Anthology. Eighth edition. Volume 2. New York: WW Norton & Co., 2006. Mason, Hadyn. European masters: Voltaire. London: Hutchinson, 1975. Rousseau, Jean Jacques. Confessions--1765 - 1770. Penguin: published posthumously in 1781, trans. JM Cohen, 1956.