The Renaissance in English Literature and culture extends from the end of XV century and refers to the reign of the Tudors, the first two Stuarts and Cromwell's Republic until the restoration in 1660.
John Milton is regarded as the last representative of this magnificent epoch, he died in 1674, His the most well known piece of work is "Paradise Lost" published in 1667.
The Renaissance started in England with the humanists' movement which upheld new learning, the studying of classical Latin and Greek, the epoch showed respect to human Reason and critic behavior.
The greatest figure of the Renaissance was Sir, Thomas More, the author of "Utopia", he was the closest friend of Erasmus of Rotterdam.
John Milton is also regarded as the last Christian poet of his times.
The Renaissance in England is divided into two parts, the first is the Tudor Epoch (XVI c), the second is the Jacobin and the Stuarts Epoch (XVII c)
The pure idea of the Renaissance was to combine the life of action with the life of contemplation, for this reason, diversification put emphasis on daily life. The greatest respect was paid to literature and culture, there were lots of borrowings from ancient stories, mythology.
Ben Johnson was the founder of neoclassicism in England.
In the sphere of new political ideas, the most important was the nation state, the Medieval idea of Christian univeralism, , the Christendom as a common European civilization. The Reformation which meant to build new order, new law, and break away from Rome. Nations made efforts to establish an independence from Catholic States.
Under the Stuarts; James I and Charles I, the most important political ideas were combined with religious issues, and concerned problems of government, the relationships between the Monarchy and reformed church and between the Crown and the Parliament. The contraries and misunderstandings led to Civil War, the execution of Charles I and establishing the Republic under Oliver Cromwell's leadership.
New mode and trends in English literature, culture, fashion came from Italy and later from France.
"New Poetry" began in England in the third and fourth decade of the XV c with Sir, Thomas Wyatt and the Earl of Surrey.
The Elizabethan Period is dominated by the works of Sidney, Spencer and Raleigh.
The Renaissance aim was to implement so-called "delightful teaching" with the Horace notion "... docere act delectore..."; "... teach and delight..."
It was the great time for lyrical poetry, the period is often called the Age of Songs.
Sonnets bloomed and dominated the art of writing. For instance, F. Petrarch and his "Astrophel to Laura" which was very rhetoric, retrospective, portrayed the chase for love, unreal, filled with beauty. English sonnets differed from Italian, rhyme was different, as well as movement of arguments.
The English sonnets are called Shakespearean sonnets, just as simple as that.
They had more rhymes and had the following pattern; 3 quatrains and closing couplet, the conclusion often offered the surprised ending.
in 1609 the Shakespearean sonnets were published, yet, all of them were written a decade earlier. All of them shows a lot of anti-Petrarch features in the range of topics, touch upon conventional statement, the often expressed anger, resentment, disillusionment, object of love.
In Elizabethan times Lyrical forms expressed private thoughts and emotions. In particular the subject of the Queen, the praise of Her reign.
"Faire Queen" it is a national epic poem, an apological romance, each of the six completed books deal with the adventures of the Knight. The knight comes from the court of Gloriana, the Faire Queen, beloved of Prince Arthur, she symbolizes Elizabeth I, the glory of England, the epic poem is filled with patriotic cult of the Queen. There is a return to Medieval times, all is expressed by means of allegory.
The Renaissance is a period of translation, there were many translation of Latin, Greek, of Homer and Ovid.
The role of translation in Elizabethan period was enormous, it changed the English Language for good, extended vocabulary, changed syntax and lexis. The great interest in translation was a sign of intellectual curiosity of the age, the Spirit of Adventure.
Undoubtedly, John Milton is the successor of Spencer, versatile craftsman. He wrote poetry with high moral purpose. In His youth he tried lots of various poetry such as: pastoral elegy, sonnets, Latin poems.
Milton was also a politician, a prose writer, supporter of the Puritan cause in the Civil War. The final period in his career is after 1660, it is marked by his political isolation, and the great involvement in writing of his masterpiece "Paradise Lost"
Milton was very disappointed by the Republic government, therefore he was no longer active on political scene, yet, the politic was present in his poems, expresses the answers for the questions dealing with the notion of liberty, choice, obedience, rule, authority and religion, politics, the life of an individual.
All this problems are described in "Paradise Lost".
Apparently, not many knows that Milton was involved in many scandals, he was expelled from Cambridge University. He supported a very universal doctrine, namely, divorce. He was married three times, with very young girls aged twenty-one up to twenty-three.
Almost all his poems were written in Elegiac Tone. Most famous are "L' Allegro"and "Il Persenoso".
In Elizabethan times Lyrical forms expressed private thoughts and emotions. In particular the subject of the Queen, the praise of Her reign.
"Faire Queen" it is a national epic poem, an apological romance, each of the six completed books deal with the adventures of the Knight. The knight comes from the court of Gloriana, the Faire Queen, beloved of Prince Arthur, she symbolizes Elizabeth I, the glory of England, the epic poem is filled with patriotic cult of the Queen. There is a return to Medieval times, all is expressed by means of allegory.
The Renaissance is a period of translation, there were many translation of Latin, Greek, of Homer and Ovid.
The role of translation in Elizabethan period was enormous, it changed the English Language for good, extended vocabulary, changed syntax and lexis. The great interest in translation was a sign of intellectual curiosity of the age, the Spirit of Adventure.
Undoubtedly, John Milton is the successor of Spencer, versatile craftsman. He wrote poetry with high moral purpose. In His youth he tried lots of various poetry such as: pastoral elegy, sonnets, Latin poems.
Milton was also a politician, a prose writer, supporter of the Puritan cause in the Civil War. The final period in his career is after 1660, it is marked by his political isolation, and the great involvement in writing of his masterpiece "Paradise Lost"
Milton was very disappointed by the Republic government, therefore he was no longer active on political scene, yet, the politic was present in his poems, expresses the answers for the questions dealing with the notion of liberty, choice, obedience, rule, authority and religion, politics, the life of an individual.
All this problems are described in "Paradise Lost".
Apparently, not many knows that Milton was involved in many scandals, he was expelled from Cambridge University. He supported a very universal doctrine, namely, divorce. He was married three times, with very young girls aged twenty-one up to twenty-three.
Almost all his poems were written in Elegiac Tone. Most famous are "L' Allegro"and "Il Persenoso".
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