October 05, 2017

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – CARPE DIEM


ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – CARPE DIEM


Carpe Diem in English Literature up to 1590

The carpe diem ("seize the day") motif, rooted in classical poetry, emerged in English literature before 1590 as a compelling theme that blended hedonism, mortality, and seduction. While most famously associated with 17th-century Cavalier poets like Herrick and Marvell, its foundations were laid in earlier works that combined medieval memento mori traditions with Renaissance vitality.

1. Classical Origins

Horace’s Odes (1.11): The phrase "carpe diem" originates here, urging enjoyment of life’s fleeting pleasures.

Catullus and Ovid: Roman love poets framed time’s passage as an argument for erotic fulfillment.

2. Medieval Precedents

The Wanderer (Old English elegy): Contrasts earthly transience with divine permanence.

*Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales: The Wife of Bath’s Prologue echoes carpe diem in defending marital pleasure.

3. Early Tudor Manifestations (Pre-1590)

Wyatt’s Translations: His version of Petrarch’s Rime 140 ("The long love that in my thought doth harbor") adapts Italian love poetry to a more urgent, physical sensibility.

Elizabethan Songbooks: Short lyrics in collections like Tottel’s Miscellany (1557) popularized amorous carpe diem appeals.

4. Key Themes in Development

Nature’s Cycles: Blossoms, seasons, and sunset imagery underscored life’s brevity.

The Tempus Fugit Trope: "Time flies" warnings in moralistic and erotic contexts.

Gender Dynamics: Typically male speakers urging reluctant women to yield to passion.

5. Legacy for Post-1590 Literature

These early treatments paved the way for:

Shakespeare’s Sonnets: Sonnet 73’s autumnal metaphor ("Bare ruined choirs where late the sweet birds sang") merges carpe diem with elegy.

Metaphysical Poetry: Donne’s "The Flea" (1633) would later radicalize the conceit.

By 1590, carpe diem had evolved from classical allusion to a versatile English motif, balancing moral caution with sensual invitation.

 

September 29, 2017

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – SHAKESPEAR’S SONNETS


ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – SHAKESPEAR’S SONNETS


Shakespeare’s Sonnets (Pre-1590 Context and Influences)

While William Shakespeare’s Sonnets were published in 1609, their stylistic foundations were firmly rooted in the Elizabethan sonnet tradition that flourished before 1590. Understanding their place in literary history requires examining the influences that shaped them during this formative period.

1. The Elizabethan Sonnet Vogue (1580s-1590s)

Shakespeare’s sonnets emerged from a thriving culture of sonnet-writing that dominated late 16th-century England:

Petrarchan Influence: Like Sidney and Spenser, Shakespeare adapted the Italian sonnet tradition but subverted its conventions.

Courtly Love Tropes: Early sonnets (possibly composed in the 1590s) engage with—and often parody—Petrarchan ideals of unattainable beauty.

Publication Context: Though published later, many sonnets circulated privately before 1600, suggesting earlier composition.

2. Innovations Anticipated Before 1590

Shakespeare’s eventual departures from tradition built upon pre-1590 developments:

English (Shakespearean) Sonnet Form: Perfected the ABABCDCDEFEFGG structure pioneered by Surrey.

Themes of Time and Mortality: Echoed Daniel’s and Drayton’s meditations on decay and artistic immortality.

Psychological Realism: Extended Sidney’s introspective approach in Astrophil and Stella.

3. Key Distinctions from Earlier Sonneteers

While influenced by predecessors, Shakespeare’s sonnets (even in nascent form) displayed unique traits:

Gender Dynamics: The “Dark Lady” sonnets inverted Petrarchan blond-ideal tropes.

Male Friendship Sonnets: The sequence to the “Fair Youth” (unprecedented in Elizabethan sonnets) explored complex homosocial bonds.

Metapoetic Depth: Sonnets about poetry itself (e.g., Sonnet 18: “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”) surpassed earlier self-referential verse.

4. Legacy of the Pre-1590 Foundations

The sonnet tradition Shakespeare inherited—and transformed—owed its vitality to:

Sidney’s Wit: The playful irony of Astrophil and Stella.

Spenser’s Musicality: The flowing rhymes of Amoretti.

Daniel’s Elegiac Tone: The melancholy of Delia.

Thus, while Shakespeare’s sonnets peaked after 1590, their genius was forged in the crucible of this earlier Elizabethan renaissance.

 

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – ELIZABETHAN SONNETEERS


ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – ELIZABETHAN SONNETEERS


Elizabethan Sonneteers (1580-1599): The Golden Age of the English Sonnet

The late 16th century witnessed an extraordinary flourishing of sonnet writing in England, as poets adapted the Italian Petrarchan form to create a distinctly English tradition of love poetry. By 1590, the sonnet had become the dominant lyrical form, blending courtly refinement with psychological depth.

1. Origins and Influences

Petrarchan Model: Inspired by Francesco Petrarca’s 14th-century sonnets to Laura.

Wyatt and Surrey: Sir Thomas Wyatt (1503-1542) introduced the form to England, while Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey (1517-1547) developed the English (Shakespearean) sonnet (ABABCDCDEFEFGG).

French Influence: Du Bellay and Ronsard’s Pléiade group further refined the tradition.

2. Major Sonneteers and Sequences

a) Sir Philip Sidney (1554-1586)

Astrophil and Stella (1591): The first great English sonnet cycle, mixing Petrarchan idealism with self-mockery.

Innovations: Dramatic immediacy (“Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show”) and metrical experimentation.

b) Edmund Spenser (1552-1599)

Amoretti (1595): Chronicles his courtship of Elizabeth Boyle, culminating in the marriage ode Epithalamion.

Style: Uses interlocking Spenserian sonnets (ABABBCBCCDCDEE) for musical continuity.

c) Samuel Daniel (1562-1619)

Delia (1592): Elegant, melancholic verses influencing Shakespeare’s Dark Lady sonnets.

d) Michael Drayton (1563-1631)

Idea’s Mirror (1594): Revises his sequence repeatedly, culminating in the famous “Since there’s no help, come let us kiss and part.”

3. Themes and Conventions

Petrarchan Paradoxes: Ice and fire, war and peace, freedom and captivity.

Unrequited Love: The cruel beloved (e.g., Sidney’s Stella, Spenser’s later joyful resolution).

Time and Immortality: Poetry as defense against mortality (later central to Shakespeare).

4. The Shakespearean Turn (Post-1590)

While Shakespeare’s Sonnets (1609) lie just beyond this period, the groundwork was laid by:

Psychological Complexity: Sidney’s conflicted Astrophil.

Formal Mastery: Spenser’s melodic patterns.

Themes of Art vs. Time: Daniel’s meditations on transience.

5. Legacy

These sonneteers transformed the lyric into a vehicle for both personal expression and Renaissance wit, paving the way for Donne’s metaphysical poetry and the Romantic revival of the form.

 

ENGLISH LITERATURE UP TO 1590 – THE FAERIE QUEENE


ENGLISH LITERATURE UP TO 1590 – THE FAERIE QUEENE


The Faerie Queene (1590, 1596): Spenser's Monumental Allegory

Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene stands as the crowning literary achievement of the Elizabethan age—an epic romance that fuses Arthurian legend, Renaissance humanism, and Protestant ideology into a dazzling allegory of virtue and nationhood.

1. Structure and Form

Unfinished Masterpiece: Planned as 12 books (6 completed), each representing a knightly virtue tied to Aristotle's ethics.

Spenserian Stanza: Innovative 9-line form (ABABBCBCC) with eight iambic pentameters and a final hexameter ("alexandrine").

Dual Narrative: Follows knights' quests while mirroring Elizabethan politics and religious conflicts.

2. Key Books and Allegories

Book I (Holiness): Redcrosse Knight (England) defeats the dragon (Catholicism) with Una (Truth).

Book II (Temperance): Sir Guyon destroys the Bower of Bliss (sensual temptation).

Book III (Chastity): Britomart (female warrior) embodies Elizabeth I's virgin power.

Books IV–VI: Explore Friendship, Justice, and Courtesy through interwoven adventures.

3. Central Themes

Protestant Virtue: Glorifies England as the New Jerusalem battling Catholic "falsehood."

Arcadia vs. Civilization: Contrasts pastoral idealism with courtly corruption.

Gender Fluidity: Britomart and Radigund challenge Renaissance gender norms.

4. Literary Innovations

Archaic Diction: Uses Chaucer-inspired language to create a mythic English past.

Cosmic Symbolism: Blends medieval bestiaries with Neoplatonic philosophy.

Meta-Poetry: The "Mutability Cantos" (unpublished) question cosmic order itself.

5. Historical Context

Colonial Subtext: Reflects Spenser's Irish experiences (the "salvage nation" parallels native Irish).

Courtly Praise: Gloriana (the Faerie Queene) idealizes Elizabeth I while subtly critiquing her reign.

6. Legacy

National Epic: Inspired Milton's Paradise Lost and Romantic poets.

Allegorical Blueprint: Shaped Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress and fantasy literature.

Critical Paradox: Celebrated for its artistry yet scrutinized for its imperialist ideology.

Spenser's labyrinthine masterpiece remains a cornerstone of English literature—a bridge between medieval romance and modern narrative complexity.

 

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – EDMUND SPENSER


ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – EDMUND SPENSER


Edmund Spenser (1552-1599): The Architect of Elizabethan Poetry

Edmund Spenser, the foremost poet of the Elizabethan age before Shakespeare, revolutionized English verse with his rich allegory, intricate stanzas, and nationalist vision. His works bridged medieval traditions and Renaissance humanism, creating a distinctly English poetic voice.

1. Masterpiece: The Faerie Queene (1590, 1596)

Epic Allegory: A sprawling, unfinished epic (six of twelve planned books) celebrating Elizabeth I as Gloriana, blending Arthurian legend, classical mythology, and Christian morality.

Spenserian Stanza: Invented a nine-line stanza (ABABBCBCC) with rolling iambic rhythm, influencing later poets like Keats and Byron.

Virtues Embodied: Each book champions a knight representing virtues (Holiness, Temperance, Chastity), with the Redcrosse Knight (Book I) symbolizing Protestant England.

2. Other Major Works

The Shepheardes Calender (1579): Pastoral eclogues showcasing Spenser’s versatility, using archaic language to evoke a rustic English golden age.

Amoretti (1595): Sonnet sequence chronicling his courtship of Elizabeth Boyle, culminating in the radiant Epithalamion, a wedding ode.

Prothalamion (1596): A "spousal verse" celebrating aristocratic betrothals, famed for its refrain "Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song."

3. Political & Literary Influence

Colonial Ideals: As secretary in Ireland, Spenser penned A View of the Present State of Ireland (1596), justifying English expansionism—a dark counterpoint to his poetic idealism.

Poetic Legacy: Championed by Philip Sidney, he inspired the "poet’s poet" tradition, revered by Milton, Wordsworth, and Tennyson.

4. Stylistic Innovations

Archaisms: Used Chaucer-inspired diction to create a timeless, "pure" English.

Sensuous Imagery: Luxuriant descriptions of forests, battles, and courts.

Neoplatonism: Fused Christian and Platonic ideals in depictions of love and beauty.

Spenser’s death in poverty (1599) belied his lasting impact: The Faerie Queene became England’s national epic, and his techniques shaped English poetry’s evolution.