ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – ELIZABETHAN AGE IN PAINTINGS AND PICTURES

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – ELIZABETHAN AGE IN PAINTINGS AND PICTURES

The Elizabethan Age in Paintings and Pictures (1558-1603)

The Elizabethan era (1558-1603) marked a golden age of English culture, not only in literature and drama but also in the visual arts. While England lagged behind the Italian Renaissance in painting, portraiture flourished under Queen Elizabeth I, serving as a powerful tool of propaganda and personal legacy.

1. Portraiture and the Cult of Elizabeth

Elizabethan painting was dominated by portraits, especially of the queen, which were designed to project power, divinity, and political stability. Key features include:

Symbolic Imagery: Paintings like the Armada Portrait (c. 1588) show Elizabeth with her hand on a globe, symbolizing imperial ambition, while storms in the background depict the defeated Spanish fleet.

Allegorical Elements: The Rainbow Portrait (c. 1600) presents her as ageless, wearing a cloak embroidered with eyes and ears, suggesting omniscience.

The "Mask of Youth": Later portraits deliberately idealized Elizabeth, avoiding realistic aging to maintain her mythic status.

2. Key Artists and Works

Nicholas Hilliard (1547-1619): The foremost miniaturist, known for delicate portraits like Young Man Among Roses (c. 1587), embodying courtly romance.

George Gower (1540-1596): Portraitist of the Armada Portrait and other grand depictions of nobility.

Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger (1561-1636): Introduced Flemish influences, painting the famous Ditchley Portrait (c. 1592), showing Elizabeth standing on a map of England.

3. Religious and Political Context

Post-Reformation Art: With Catholic iconography banned, secular portraits replaced religious art.

Patronage System: Nobles commissioned portraits to display loyalty to the crown.

Influence of the Continent: Dutch and Flemish artists brought Renaissance techniques, though England remained conservative compared to Italy.

4. Legacy

Elizabethan portraiture set the stage for later English art, blending symbolism with emerging realism. Its emphasis on propaganda, status, and allegory influenced Stuart-era painting and even modern political imagery.

 

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – WILLIAM LANGLAND

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – WILLIAM LANGLAND

William Langland and Piers Plowman: The Voice of Medieval England's Conscience

William Langland (c. 1332–1386) stands as one of the most profound and enigmatic figures of Middle English literature. His monumental allegorical poem, The Vision of Piers Plowman (written in three versions between 1360–1387), offers a searing critique of 14th-century English society while articulating a powerful spiritual vision.

1. Structure and Form

Written in unrhymed alliterative verse, continuing Old English poetic traditions

Features a series of dream visions where the narrator, Will, encounters allegorical figures

Survives in three distinct versions (A, B, and C texts) showing Langland's evolving thought

2. Major Themes

a) Social Justice

Attacks clerical corruption, greedy merchants, and idle nobility

Elevates the idealized plowman (Piers) as Christ-like figure

Reflects tensions leading to the 1381 Peasants' Revolt

b) Spiritual Quest

Explores the nature of Truth, Do-Well, Do-Bet, and Do-Best

Balances medieval scholasticism with mystical yearning

c) Personal Salvation

Emphasizes penitence and grace over institutional religion

Presents a complex, flawed narrator (Will) seeking understanding

3. Key Innovations

Allegorical Depth: Characters like Lady Holy Church and False represent abstract concepts

Realistic Detail: Vivid depictions of London life and rural poverty

Theological Complexity: Engages with predestination vs. free will debates

4. Historical Context

Written during the Black Death's aftermath and Church schism

Influenced John Ball's revolutionary sermons ("When Adam delved...")

Survives in 50+ manuscripts, testifying to its popularity

5. Literary Significance

Contrasts with Chaucer's worldly realism, offering prophetic intensity

Influences Reformation thought and Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress

Modern scholars debate whether one or multiple authors wrote the versions

Langland's masterpiece captures medieval England's spiritual crisis while speaking timeless truths about social responsibility and the search for meaning.

 

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – THE CANTERBURY TALES

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – THE CANTERBURY TALES

The Canterbury Tales (c. 1387-1400): Chaucer's Unfinished Masterpiece

Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales revolutionized English literature by combining poetic brilliance with unprecedented social realism. This unfinished collection of 24 tales, framed by a pilgrimage to Thomas Becket’s shrine, captures the full spectrum of medieval English society with wit, irony, and profound humanity.

1. Structure & Narrative Technique

Frame Narrative: Thirty pilgrims (from all social classes) agree to tell stories to pass the journey, creating a dynamic interplay of voices.

Genres & Styles: Each tale matches its teller’s character, ranging from bawdy fabliaux (The Miller’s Tale) to courtly romance (The Knight’s Tale) and moral allegory (The Parson’s Tale).

Unprecedented Realism: The General Prologue’s vivid portraits (e.g., the worldly Wife of Bath, the corrupt Pardoner) reveal Chaucer’s sharp eye for hypocrisy and individuality.

2. Key Themes & Innovations

Social Satire: The Church (through the Summoner and Friar), nobility, and rising middle class are all scrutinized.

Human Complexity: Characters defy stereotypes—the Knight is noble but war-weary, the Prioress genteel yet vain.

Language & Meter: Chaucer popularized iambic pentameter and heroic couplets, shaping English poetic tradition.

3. Standout Tales

The Wife of Bath’s Prologue & Tale: A proto-feminist exploration of marriage and female agency.

The Pardoner’s Tale: A moralistic yet hypocritical sermon on greed, featuring the haunting refrain "Radix malorum est Cupiditas."

The Nun’s Priest’s Tale: A beast fable (Chanticleer the rooster) blending comedy and philosophical depth.

4. Legacy

First Major English Work to treat vernacular language as literary art.

Influenced Renaissance writers like Shakespeare and Spenser.

Modern Resonance: Its humor, irony, and psychological insight feel strikingly contemporary.

Though unfinished, The Canterbury Tales remains a cornerstone of English literature, offering a panoramic yet intimate portrait of medieval life.

 

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – GEOFFREY CHAUCER

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – GEOFFREY CHAUCER

Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343-1400): The Father of English Literature

Geoffrey Chaucer stands as the towering figure of medieval English literature, bridging the gap between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. His innovative use of vernacular English, mastery of diverse genres, and keen observation of human nature revolutionized English poetry and established its literary prestige.

1. Life and Influences

Chaucer's unique perspective came from his varied career as a courtier, diplomat, and civil servant, exposing him to:

French tradition (Roman de la Rose)

Italian masters (Dante, Boccaccio, Petrarch)

English alliterative poetry

This cosmopolitan background allowed him to synthesize continental innovations with native English traditions.

2. Major Works and Innovations

a) The Canterbury Tales (1387-1400)

Framework of 29 pilgrims telling stories reveals medieval society

Showcases multiple genres: romance, fabliaux, sermon, beast fable

Pioneers iambic pentameter in English with heroic couplets

Masterful characterization through prologues (e.g., Wife of Bath)

b) Troilus and Criseyde (1380s)

Sophisticated psychological romance adapting Boccaccio

Introduces rhyme royal stanza form

Explores themes of love, fortune, and moral ambiguity

c) Early Works

The Book of the Duchess (elegy blending dream vision and consolation)

The House of Fame (metapoetic exploration of storytelling)

The Parliament of Fowls (first Valentine's Day poem)

3. Literary Significance

Elevated English as a literary language equal to French/Latin

Established London dialect as standard literary English

Developed naturalistic characterization unprecedented in medieval literature

Balanced scholarly depth with popular appeal

4. Legacy

By 1590, Chaucer's influence was undeniable:

Printed by Caxton (1476, 1483)

Revered by Renaissance poets like Spenser

Paved way for dramatic monologues and novelistic techniques

Chaucer's works remain vital for their human insight, linguistic brilliance, and enduring humor, securing his place as the first great English author.

 

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – MIDDLE ENGLISH ALLITERATIVE POETRY

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – MIDDLE ENGLISH ALLITERATIVE POETRY

Middle English Alliterative Poetry (12th-15th Centuries)

The alliterative tradition represents one of the most distinctive and powerful strands of medieval English poetry, bridging the Old English heroic tradition and the Chaucerian revolution. This body of work flourished particularly in the 14th century, producing some of the most vigorous and inventive poetry of the Middle Ages.

1. Continuity and Revival

Following the Norman Conquest, alliterative verse—the dominant form of Anglo-Saxon poetry—survived in modified form:

Maintained the four-stress line with strong medial caesura

Relaxed strict alliterative patterns of Old English

Incorporated French vocabulary and themes

Flourished particularly in the West Midlands and North

2. Major Works and Characteristics

The 14th-century Alliterative Revival produced masterpieces blending traditional form with new sophistication:

a) Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (c. 1380)

Combines Arthurian romance with moral allegory

Features intricate "bob and wheel" stanzas

Explores chivalric ideals through supernatural challenge

b) Piers Plowman (multiple versions, 1370-90)

William Langland's dream vision attacking clerical corruption

Uses alliteration for satirical punch and prophetic intensity

Mixes social critique with spiritual quest

c) Pearl (same manuscript as Gawain)

Elegiac dream poem with 12-line stanzas

Combines alliteration with complex rhyme schemes

Meditates on grief and divine grace

d) The Alliterative Morte Arthure

Epic treatment of Arthur's fall

Emphasizes tragic grandeur over romance

3. Technical Innovations

Later alliterative poets developed:

Greater metrical flexibility

Incorporation of rhyme (seen in Pearl)

Blending with continental forms

4. Decline and Legacy

By the 15th century, the tradition waned due to:

Chaucer's influence establishing rhyme royal and iambic pentameter

Shift toward London-based literary culture

Yet its rhythmic power influenced later poets like Hopkins and Auden

This body of work preserves a vital English poetic identity during French cultural dominance, showing remarkable artistic ambition in its fusion of native and continental traditions.