Elizabethan Poetry Essay - 582 Words

It was during the Elizabethan age that England felt the complete effect of the Renaissance. There occurred a revival of the old and classical literature of Greece and Rome and this was manifested in the poetry of the age. The Elizabethan age was characterized by an extreme spirit of adventure, aestheticism and materialism which became the characteristic features of Elizabethan poetry. Many poets displayed their skill in versification during this time and England came to be called The Nest Of Singing Birds. Wyatt and Surrey In 1557 Tottel printed A Miscellany of Uncertain Authors commonly known as Tottels Miscellany. Sir Thomas Wyatt (1503 - 42) and Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey (1517-47) made valuable contributions to this†¦show more content†¦Spenser also wrote the famous wedding hymns Prothalmion and Epithalmion. The Faerie Queene is the masterpiece of Spenser. He modeled it on Ariostos Orlando Furioso. It contains six books each of which describes the adventure and triumph of a knight who represents a moral virtue. It is a didactic romance. For this he invented a poetic form known as Spenserian stanza. Spensers idealism, his love of beauty and his exquisite melody has earned him the name The Poets Poet. Shakespeare He was the most famous dramatic poet of Elizabethan age. His non-dramatic poetry consists of two narrative poems Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece and a sequence of 154 sonnets. Shakespeare was not only a great dramatist, but also as a great poet who with the use of his melodious words and sheer imagination have made an everlasting name in literature. Sir Philip Sidney The spirit of Elizabethan England was greatly manifested in the life and literature of this eminent courtier of Elizabeth. Sir Philip Sidney. His Greatest work is Astrophel and Stella, a series of sonnets on the various facets of love. The bitter sorrow for his lost happiness, the unconquerable longing to possess his love, the despair into which he was flung, the struggle between honour and passion - all is intensely portrayed in Astrophel and Stella. Minor poets The minor poets of Elizabethan age are Thomas Sackville, George Chapman and Michael Drayton. Thomas Sackville wrote the poem AShow MoreRelatedElizabethan Poetry941 Words   |  4 PagesElizabethan Poetry I Drama dominates our syllabus but the Renaissance was a Golden Age not just for English drama, but also for English poetry. But what was English poetry? George Puttenham’s The Arte of English Poesie (1589) and Sir Philip Sidney’s The Defense of Poesie (1595): early attempts to think about English poetry as a distinct national tradition. Puttenham and Sidney were concerned to build a canon and help shape English poetry into a tradition capable of rivalling more prestigiousRead MoreElizabethan Poetry Analysis1292 Words   |  6 PagesThe Female Figure in Elizabethan Drama and Poetry The Elizabethan era was marked by a flourishing of the arts, particularly literature. Many famous poets and writers such as Shakespeare and Marlowe were prevalent in this time and they all sought to be unique from one another. Through this race to be the best, they used common themes while taking a wide variety of approaches towards each subject. Even works done by the same author hold different values in an attempt to stand out among the crowd.Read MoreEssay on Pre 1914 Love Poetry from the Victorian and Elizabethan Era3579 Words   |  15 PagesPre 1914 Love Poetry from the Victorian and Elizabethan Era Conventional females were considered to be second class citizens who were expected to refrain in conveying their natural feelings and emotions. 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This period embodies the work of Sir Philip Sidney, Edmund Spenser, Christopher Marlowe, the well-known, William ShakespeareRead More William Shakespeare and His Works Essay3349 Words   |  14 Pagesmarry a woman by the name of Anne Hathaway. With Hathaway he had three children, two girls and a son, and as a playwright and poet, Shakespeare went on to enjoy moderate success in his time, writing thirty-seven (known) plays and several works of poetry. Of course his pla ys would be well underappreciated during his time (as with all great artists), but later, such titles as King Lear, Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Macbeth would only begin a list of some of the most appraised scriptsRead MoreShakespeares Presentation of the Female Character in the Taming of the Shrew1503 Words   |  7 PagesShrew Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew explores the role of women in Elizabethan times. Shakespeare uses many themes and imagery in the play and this essay intends to explore how Shakespeare presents the female character in the Taming of the Shrew. The Elizabethans believed that a peaceful and tamed house wife was a good wife. This view is supported by The goodie and the Baddie an Elizabethan text giving advice on how to be a good wife. â€Å"†¦she is a comfort of calamity†¦sheRead MoreMarriage and Relationships in William Shakespeares The Taming of the Shrew2278 Words   |  10 Pagesthe Shrew†. In â€Å"The Taming of the Shrew† it is quite obvious that love is seen as in no way important when people are to be married. Perhaps some of Shakespeare’s own experiences, have been transferred into the characters. In Elizabethan England, men were dominant, they would go out to work and get the respect in the community. Women, however, were expected to wait on the men hand and foot, they would have to make dinner, cook, clean, do whatever their husband wishedRead MoreA Brief History of English Literature1782 Words   |  8 PagesA brief history of English literature 1. Anglo-Saxon literature Written in Old English c.650-c.1100. Anglo-Saxon poetry survives almost entirely in four manuscripts. Beowulf is the oldest surviving Germanic epic and the longest Old English poem; other great works include The Wanderer, The Battle of Maldon, and The Dream of the Rood. Notable prose includes the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a historical record begun about the time of King Alfred ´s reign (871-899) and continuing for more than three centuriesRead MoreThe Elizabethan Eras Effect on Shakespeares Works2878 Words   |  12 PagesThe Elizabethan Eras Effect on Shakespeares Works If every playwright in Shakespeares time aspired, as he did, to paint a portrait of an age in their works, his would have been the Mona Lisa, leaving the most lasting impression on generations to come and at the same time, one of the worlds most baffling mysteries. Surely it is no coincidence that the worlds most celebrated dramatist wouldve lived during the time when one of the worlds most powerful rulers in history reigned. Or was it? Read MoreEssay Manipulation of Lyrics in Shakespeares As You Like It1697 Words   |  7 Pagesroles and identity, William Shakespeares As you Like It is a historical preservation of Renaissance music. The play is fraught with spontaneous song and poetry, yet Shakespeare strategically manipulates these musical elements. Specifically, the lyrics and poetry of the play function to establish a soundtrack and a direct appeal to their Elizabethan audience, while providing Shakespeare with a valuable shorthand for character development.    It is necessary to understand that music in Shakespeares