Topics: Family › Relationships
Type: Satire Essays
Sample donated: Yvonne Carlson
Last updated: December 12, 2019
Elizabeth I
1558 – 1603
Renaissance love poetry
– love = one of the most common subjects for R poetry (summit of human happiness, reward for the poet)- frankness in terms of having sex- carpe diem attitude (love is for the young)- neverending suffering in love- sonnet: given lines, structure anf form: artificial, limited
love poetry paradox
poetry is written in order to persuade women to have relationship, morals of the day valued virginity, chastity and faithfulness –> unrequited love- all sonnets extra-marital –> complaint of a fallen woman- an intellectual and artistic exercise (men ruled the world)
pastoral poetry
– set in idealised place, lovely calm countryside- optimistic tone- idealism, youth, innocence, naivety- carpe diem
metaphysical poetry
– strange and unusual metaphors (unalike objects put together)- intimate human relationships or physical erotic actions (from many perspectives)- transcedental aspect plus noble and ordinary (the same in language)- wit, satire, religious contemplations- unusual love poetry- full of innovativly provoking imagination- trying to be realistic about life- sense of cynism about the conventions of love
conceit
metaphor, similetwo uncomparable different things are compared
John Donne
-Love’s Alchemy, The Bait, The Flea- 1572 – 1631- provoking imagination, woman-lover, theatregoer- Catholic family –> Anglicanism –> priest of St.
Paul’s –> religious poetry- most famous for metaphysical poetry
Neo-platonists
try endlessly to discover spiritual love
Petrarchan sonnet
abbabbabcdcdcdSidney – platonic concept of unrequited love, martyr of love
Spenserian sonnet
ababbcbccdcdeeSpenser- courtship of an inaccessible lady
blazon
genre, celebration of lady’s body part by part
sonnet
higly formal genre, given number of lines and structure- show one’s poetic gift not feelings
Sir Philip Sidney
– soldier- sonnet sequence: Astropil and Stella – emotional, philosophical trappings- The Defense of poetry: defended poetry against puritan extremists
Sir Walter Ralegh
– favourite of queen-secretly married – imprisoned- falsely accused of conspiracy –> imprisoned (first volume of The Historie of the World)- Orinoco River – failure – beheaded- friendly criticism: experience, rationality, skepticism, cynicism
Edmund Spenser
– courtly poet, Ireland uprising, poverty- collection of Pastorals: The Shepheardes Calendar- Amoretti – 88 sonnets- The Faerie Queene (6 books) – allegorical epic, unfinished – virtues, chivalrous moral code (Spenserian stanza: 9iambic verses ababbcbcc
Shakespeare
– sonnets: challenge the traditional through their form, subject matter, imagery and tone- Dark lady- died 1616