Name: Joshi Deepti M
Roll no: 05
Paper: Renaissance Literature
Topic: Important poets, Dramatists and Writer of
the Age
Submitted to: Dr. Dilip Barad
Department of English
M.K.University,
Bhavnagar
Important poets, dramatists and writer of the Renaissance Age
Introduction:
This period is generally regarded
as the greatest in the history of our literature. Historically, we note in this
age the tremendous impetus received from the exploration of the new world.
Such an age of
thought, feeling and vigorous action, finds its best expression in the drama
and it is the most significant characteristic of the Elizabethan period. Though
the age produced some excellent prose works, it is essentially an age of
poetry. The literature of this age often called the literature of the
Renaissance Age.
Major poets of
Renaissance Age:-
1. Edmund
Spenser:
Edmund Spenser
is rightly called the poet’s poet, because all great poet of the England have
been indebted to him.C.Rickett remarks,
“Spenser is at one the child of the
renaissance and reformation. On one side we may regard him with Milton as-the
sage and serious, on the other side he is the humanist, alive to the fingertips
with the sensuous beauty of the southern romance”
Spenser’s main
political works are: The shepherd’s calendar, two eclogues, March and December are
famous poems. Amoretti, a collection of eighty
patrachan sonnets Epithalamion, a magnificent ode written on the occasion of
his marriage with Elizabeth Boyle Prothalamion,An ode on Marriage Astrophel,An
elegy
on the Death of Philip Sidney, four Hymns written to glorify love and
humour his epic, the faerie Queen.
The introduction of Spenserian
stanza is Spenser’s most remarkable contribution to poetry. Renwick says
“Shakespeare himself might not have
achieved so much, if Spenser had not lived and labored”
2. Sir Philip Sidney:
Sidney was the
most celebrated literary figure before Spenser and Shakespeare. As a writer he
is known by three principle works, all published after his death, showing how
little importance he attached to his own writing, even while he was encouraging Spenser.
‘The
Arcadica’ is a pastoral romance, though the work was taken up idly as a
summer’s pastime, it become immensely popular and was imitated by a hundred
poets.’ The Apologia for poetrie’, generally called the
defense of posies-appeared in answer to a pamphlet by Stephen Gosson ‘Astrophel
and Stella’ is a collection of songs and sonnets addressed to Lady
Penelope Devereux.
3. George Chapman:
Chapman had
written chiefly for the stage. His plays, which were for the most part merely
poems in dialogue. His most famous works is the metrical translation of the Iliad
and of the Odyssey. Chapman is remembered also as the finisher of
Marlow’s Hero and Leander, in which, apart from the drama, the
renaissance movement is seen at perhaps its highest point in English poetry.
Sir Thomas Wyatt:
Wyatt brought
to English poetry grace, harmony and nobility. He followed the Italian models
and attempted a great variety of metrical experiment-songs, sonnets, madrigals
and elegies. Wyatt’s true ability as a poet is revealed not by the sonnets but
by a numbers of Lyrical and songs that he composed.
5. William
Shakespeare:
Shakespeare composed many
beautiful sonnets and two long poems- ‘Venus and Adonis’ and ‘the
Rape of Lucerne’. This poem is remarkable for felicity of diction and
flexibility of versification.
6. Ben Johnson:
Ben Johnson was a
pioneer in field of poetry. His poetic work consist of short piece which appeared
in three collection-Epigram’s, the forest and, the underwood.He is a first rate satirist
in Elizabethan poetry. The spirit of satire looms large in these three
collection oh his poetry. Ben Johnson was the first English poet to write Pindaric
odes. His ode to himself is a fine example of this genre; To Celia,
Echo’s song and a song are his memorable lyric.
Major Dramatist of
Renaissance Age
1. Shakespeare:
At the time of Shakespeare’s
death twenty -one plays existed in manuscript in the various theaters. A few others
had already been printed in quarto form and the latter are the only publication
that possibly have Met with the poet’s own approval. The first printed
collection of his plays, now called the ‘First Folio’, was made by two actors,
Heming and Condell, who asserted that
they had access to the papers of the poet and had made a perfect edition,,
“In
order to keep the memory of so worthy a friend and fellow
Alive”
A careful reading of the play and poems leaves
us with an impression of four different period ok works. And these are;
1. A period of early Experiment:
Typical works of this period is his early poems,
Love’s
Labor’s, two Gentlemen of Verona and Richard.
2. A period of rapid growth and
development:
Such
plays of this period are the merchant of Venice, Midsummer
Night Dream, as you like it, and Henry
4.His all this work show more careful and artistic work, better plots and
a marked increase in knowledge of human nature.
3. A period of gloom and depression:
This
period marks the full maturity of his pewers.what caused this evident sadness
is unknown but it is generally attributed to some personal experience. The sonnet
Twelfth night and his great tragedies, Hamlet, KingLear, Mackbath,
Othelo, and Julius Seaser, belong to this period.
4. a period of restored serenity,
of calm after storm:
The winter’s tale and The Tempest are the best of
his later plays. But they all show a falling off from his previous work and
indicate a second period of experimentation.
2. Christopher
Marlowe:
Marlowe
is one of the most suggestive figures of the English Renaissance. The glory of
the Elizabethan drama dates from his Tamburlaine;
it is the story of Timur the Tartar.
Tamburlaine is an epic rather than a drama.Faustus,
the second play is in of his best work. It is the story of a scholar who longs
for infinite knowledge and in order to learn magic he sells himself to
devil.Maelowe’s third play is The Jew of Malta, a study of the lust
for wealth. Marlowe’s last play is Edward II, a tragic study of a king’s
weakness and misery.
Marlowe
is the only dramatist of the time who is ever compared with shakespeare.it is
rightly said than-
“In
all that makes a dramatist genius, Shakespeare stands alone, Marlowe simply
prepared the way for the master who was to follow”
3. Ben Johnson:
Johnson’s
work is in strong contrast with that of Shakespeare and of the later
Elizabethan dramatists.
He alone
fought against romantic tendency and restored the classic tendency. Johnson’s
first comedy, every man in his humour is a key to all his dramas. The best
known of his comedies are Volpone, or the fox, The
Alchemist and Epicane or the silent woman.
4. Beaumont and
Fletcher:
The work of
these two men is so closely interwoven that, though Fletcher outlived Beaumont
by nine years and the letter had no hand in some forty oh the plays they bear
their joint names, unlike most of the Elizabethan dramatist, they both come
from noble and cultured families. Their work is totally contrasted with Johnson’s.
Their join plays.
The two best known are Philaster and
The maid’s
tragedy.
5. Thomas Middleton:
Middleton is best
known by two plays, the changeling and women
beware women. And two earlier plays a trick to catch the old
one and a fair Quarre are his best comedy drama.
Major Writer of the
Renaissance Age:
1. Prose writer-
the prose of early renaissance
consist largely of translation. The writer of this period was educationists and
reformers rather than creative writers;
1. Sir Thomas More:
He was one of the early humanists
and the first prose writer of great literary significance. his famous work Utopia
was written in Latin, but it was translated into English in 1551by
Ralph Robinson. It is the true prologue of Renaissance. Utopia has been called
the first monument of modern socialism. Thomas more extols democratic communism-people’s
state, elected government, equal distribution of wealth and nine hours work a day.
In English literary Thomas more is not remembered for his contribution to style
but for the originality oh his ideas.
2. Roger Ascham:
Roger Ascham’s first work the school of shooting
was written in English. Commenting on the state of English language he writes-
“Everything has been done
excellently well in Greek and Latin, but in the English tongue so meanly no man
can do worse. But I have written this English matter, in the English tongue for
Englishmen”
His second work,
the
school master contains intellectual instructions for the young. He was
the first writer who wrote the English speech for the English men.
3. Sir Thomas Elyot
and Sir John Chake:
Elyot’s the
Governor is a treatise on moral philosophy and education. His prose
does not concern with common man but it is restrained and classical.Cheke was a teacher of Greek art at Cambridge.
He wrote the heart of sedition which shows the influence of classicism
and antiquity. To him both form and matter were equally important. His prose is
vigorous.argumentativ, eloquent and humours.
2. Essay writers:
the year 1597, when Bacon published
his ten essays, marks the beginning of essay writing in English literature.
1. Sir Francis Bacon:
Bacon occupies a dominant place in English prose.
He wrote varied type of prose. he is philosophical in the Advancement of learning,
historical in the History of Henry and speculative in New Atlantis.Becon occupies a permanent place
in English prose due to his first edition
of 10 essays which appeared in 1597.the second and third edition raised the
number to 38 and 58 respectively.Becon.s essay introduced a new form of
literature into English. He was he first English writer who employed a style
that is conspicuous for licidity.clarity, economy, and directnness.His image
and figures of speech are simple and clearly illustrate the ideas that he
wishes to communicate.
2. Sidney and Raleigh:
Sir Philip Sidney, who has already been
considered as a poet. Is quite as well known by his prose works,
Arcadica, a pastrol romance and The Defense of Poesie.While Raleigh’s
chief prose works are the Discoverie of Guiana and the history of the world. The
history of the world I interesting chiefly for its style, which is
simple and dignified, and for the flashes of wit and poetry.
3. Ben Johnson:
4. John Selden:
