Examine the relationship between literary innovation and classical imitation inElizabethan literature, with reference to Spenser's The Faerie Queene
"Although the Renaissance was an age of impressive experiment in literary practice, it was also an age that yearned to coordinate its activities with classical tenets and procedures" Examine the relationship between literary innovation and classical imitation in Elizabethan literature, with reference to Spenser's The Faerie Queene During the Renaissance period there was a flourish of classical imitation in new texts, whereby authors would use characters or allusions from classical literature to give their work more depth and meaning. The Italian Renaissance led to a revival of classical texts such as Ovid's Metamorphoses, which Edmund Spenser uses in The Faerie Queene. The humanist movement viewed the ancient Roman and Greek empires as the peak of human achievement, specifically intellectual achievement. As a result, Latin and Greek texts were almost 'rediscovered' and translated into the vernacular so that they could be more widely read. The translations were also a result of English patriotism and pride in the English language at this time. Initially, humanism had concentrated on learning Greek and Latin, the languages of diplomacy, but the translations allowed texts to be studied in universities and added to the curriculum of schools throughout England (Greenblatt : 505). This was a time of great curriculum reform, or 'self fashioning' (505) , which saw a move
The muses garden with pedantic weeds o'erspread, was purged by thee....." Write an apppreciation of
The muses garden with pedantic weeds o'erspread, was purged by thee....." Write an apppreciation of Ben Jonson is reputed to have said that "John Donne was the first poet in the world in some things" That he was radically different from his predecessors is unmistakable and in this essay I will explore the probable reasons for this singularity and look at how it is chiefly manifested in his poetry. Probably the single most significant factor that differentiated Donne from his fellow poets and undoubtedly had a profound effect on his work was his Catholicism. Belonging to this faith in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries meant at best that one could not attend university, hold public office or attend Court. At worst it meant persecution, imprisonment, torture and execution. Donne was educated at home by Catholic tutors, reputedly anxious for a martyr's death themselves and he was often taken to see the public hanging, emasculation and disembowelling of priests supposedly in the hope that it would instil in him some sense of the heroicism of martyrdom. He was in his own words "ever kept awake in the meditation of martyrdom" and had "(his) first breeding and conversation with men of suppressed and afflicted religion, accustomed to the despite of death and hungry of an imagined martyrdom" There appears, however, to have been little of the martyr in Donne
Essay on "The Broken Heart" - The imagery in John Donne's poetry is not just a vital part in his works,
Essay on "The Broken Heart" Mrs. Jauregui 09-22-02 Essay on "The Broken Heart" The imagery in John Donne´s poetry is not just a vital part in his works, it's essential in combining his feelings and emotions so that he is able to write them down and create poems like this one. ´The Broken Heart´ is an example of how John Donne uses wordplay to construct images in the reader's mind, enveloping them in every word which was meticulously put to make his poem perfect. The tone he uses also gives the impression he was almost desperate to be understood. He makes the poem personal to him by asking rhetorical questions like "Who will believe me, if I swear, That I have had the plague a year?" and "Who would not laugh at me, if I should say, I saw a flask of powder burn a day?" When revised carefully, these questions have a feeling of extreme anxiety and grief. The images and the tone of all of Donne´s poetry is what gives him his own classic, artistic approach. When Donne wrote this poem, evidently he was heartbroken. Otherwise, he would have never had such antagonistic feelings towards love and never would have described it as being something like a monster. He writes "but us Love draws, He swallows us, and never chaws." This makes one imagine a viscous beast enticing you to come forth, but then when his grasp is fixed, he swallows you whole, with no mercy, and ´takes no
Characteristics of metaphysical poetry.
Introduction John Donne, whose poetic reputation languished before he was rediscovered in the early part of the twentieth century, is remembered today as the leading exponent of a style of verse known as "metaphysical poetry," which flourished in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. (Other great metaphysical poets include Andrew Marvell, Robert Herrick, and George Herbert.) Metaphysical poetry typically employs unusual verse forms, complex figures of speech applied to elaborate and surprising metaphorical conceits, and learned themes discussed according to eccentric and unexpected chains of reasoning. Donne's poetry exhibits each of these characteristics. His jarring, unusual meters; his proclivity for abstract puns and double entendres; his often bizarre metaphors (in one poem he compares love to a carnivorous fish; in another he pleads with God to make him pure by raping him); and his process of oblique reasoning are all characteristic traits of the metaphysicals, unified in Donne as in no other poet. In Donne's 'The Flea' in-between each stanza we have to imagine that an event has taken place. Normally this is the woman's part of the poem to reply to the speaker's thoughts and views. So the openings to each stanza are quite dramatic and shocking, them being
The Persuasive Tone of The Flea
The Persuasive Tone of ¡§The Flea¡¨ John Donne, a member of metaphysical school in the Seventeenth century, exhibited his brilliant talent in poetry. In ¡§The Flea,¡¨ he showed the passion to his mistress via persuasive attitude. The tone might straightforwardly create playfulness or sinfulness; yet, the poem contains none of either. What impress readers most is situation and device. The situation between the speaker and the audience is persuasion, love or marriage. As to device, the notable parts are diction and rhetoric skills. Furthermore, unique characteristics of this poem are also an important element of his persuasive tone. First of all, the situation created by Donne is remarkable. Although there is only one speaker in ¡§The Flea,¡¨ the poem itself reveals a profound interaction between speaker and audience. Here is an example: ¡§Mark but this flea, and mark in this,¡¨ (line 1) and ¡§Oh stay, three lives in one flea spare,¡¨ (line 10). In line one, the poet asked his coy mistress to notice a flea and explain that the flea symbolized the combination of their love. Whereas, when the poem goes on to the first line of the second stanza, the lady ignores Donne¡¦s enthusiasm by intending to slay the flea. From the two lines, it shows the female¡¦s emotional reaction to Donne¡¦s persuasion, which provokes his urge by applying poetic device in the
In Donne's "Holy Sonnet XIV," his piety is met by his poetic ability. As the sonnet follows the speaker's pleas to God for guidance and fortification, Donne uses a series of thoughtfully
Kaitlin Weaver English 102.029 Dr. Catherine Thomas February 2006 John Donne is known for, among many things, his captivating sermons. In Donne's "Holy Sonnet XIV," his piety is met by his poetic ability. As the sonnet follows the speaker's pleas to God for guidance and fortification, Donne uses a series of thoughtfully juxtaposed images, such as creation and destruction, peace and violence, and the righteous with the unholy. These paradoxes serve to contrast the speaker's innately sinful tendencies with God's divine characteristics and reveal the speaker's desire for spirituality. The sonnet begins commanding- "Batter my heart" (1), setting a theme of "tough love" for the remainder of the first quatrain. Here, the speakers concern for his soul is initially introduced. Indeed, it could be said that the speaker is entreating God to beat the "hell" out of him. He goes on: "for you/ as but yet knock, breathe, shine and seek to mend" (1-2). In these lines, the speaker makes several assertions about the nature of God. The first of these being that he "knocks," or strikes, "to mend," implying that this violent action- discipline, is to heal (the speaker's soul). Simultaneously, however, it is said that he "shines...to mend" connoting a much more peaceful, yet just as powerful action that, too, would heal. In line three the speaker states: "that I may rise and stand,
A Common Donne Theme, In Three of his Poems.
Essay #3 Rakesh Penumalli A Common Donne Theme, In Three of his Poems. In the poems "The Sun Rising," "The Good Morrow," and "The Canonization," John Donne emphasizes on the power of the lovers' unity, which is identified through his idiosyncratic style. Donne accomplishes this through his diction, and the effective use of imagery and structure throughout these poems. In "The Sun Rising," Donne conveys to the reader that this unity, attained by these lovers, is all encompassing; including the whole world which the speaker says is in the lovers' room, with their bed and unity at the core of this world (lines 28-30). Similarly, in "The Good Morrow," Donne informs his audience of how the world of the speaker in this poem, is in his "little room" (line 11), unlike the all encompassing one in the other poem, is perfect, without the imperfectness of the real world like "sharp north" (line 18). Then there is "The Canonization," where Donne includes the point of unity among the lovers, but uses it rather to argue for the point that they deserve to be sanctified for this incredible unity. In all three of these poems, Donne creates a progression from "bad" to "good." In "The Sun Rising," as the title suggests, Donne starts out using early dawn, which is bad for the speaker because he has to wakeup since the sun is bugging the lovers with his overwhelming
Discuss Poet Mathew Arnold as a poet of Melancholy? As a representative poet?Introduction:- Victorian age was an age of industrial revolution. The first railway train was introduced
Discuss Poet Mathew Arnold as a poet of Melancholy? As a representative poet? Introduction:- Victorian age was an age of industrial revolution. The first railway train was introduced. Science, industry, materialism had progressed. Industries were multiplying and expending. There was more or less general prosperity and the entire society was running after materialistic life. People were just enjoying a life of luxury and material pleasure. Cause of Melancholy in his poem:- But despite materialistic progress, Victorian people were becoming mundane and atheist. The religious faith was declining. People could not believe on anybody even on their own relatives and near and dear ones. Religious belief was not increasing on people's mind. People always see each other with the suspicious eyes. The materialism and scientific ideas of his age shook Arnold's faith. He found himself wandering between two worlds one dead, and the other powerless to be born. Dover Beach expresses his religious uncertainty and his spiritual distress as well as religious uncertainty and skepticism (Skepticism). He wants that his beloved wife would not go after materialistic life and urges:- " Ah, love let us be true to one another." An Elegiac poet:- The distinctive quality of Arnold's poetry is feeling of regret, sorrow, despair, resignation. Arnold defined poetry as a criticism of life. In plain
Although Donne seemingly flatters his lover in"The Sun Rising," nevertheless she is effectively silenced.
"Although Donne seemingly flatters his lover in "The Sun Rising," nevertheless she is effectively silenced." In the light of this critical comment, explore the ways in which women are presented and addressed. In this Anthology, using, as your starting point an examination of "The Sun Rising" and including references to at least two other poems covering at least two groups. I disagree with the statement that Donne's lover is "effectively silenced." Donne's lover isn't even mentioned to have said anything so how could she have been effectively silenced? I think that at the time the poem was written society oppressed women. It was believed that women shouldn't talk unless they were spoken to. Therefore I think it would be more accurate to say that society "effectively silenced" women not Donne. In "The Sun Rising" Donne believes that him and his lover become the world and occupy the same position as the sun. They create an almost minature world which is more important than the larger universe within their bedroom, and everything revolves around them. "The Sun Rising" Donne objects of the Sun's intrusion "through windows" and "through curtains." Windows and curtains are what separate the two lovers from the physical world. "Love, all alike, no season knows nor clime, Nor hours, days, months, which are the rags of time" "The Sun Rising" reveals the motive to engage
"Explore how Donne's poetry was influenced by developments in scientific progressions, exploration and religion." Before becoming a Protestant, John Donne was a Catholic priest and
"Explore how Donne's poetry was influenced by developments in scientific progressions, exploration and religion." Before becoming a Protestant, John Donne was a Catholic priest and therefore had studied Latin. He also lived around the time of Shakespeare, a period of time when literature and writing was extremely popular. It was also a time of discovery, when new places were being found and humans were for the first time beginning to understand and believe in science. John Donne was an egocentric, a very self-centred man. He was also exceptionally sharp and witty, an intellectual. His ability to create seemingly pointless images and weave them into his arguments (as well as making them valid) is unrivalled. One brilliant pun in "A Hymn to God my Father" where he seeks forgiveness for his sins says, "When thou hast done, thou hast not done" (a play on his own name) followed by "For, I have more" [a pun on his wife's name (Anne More), he felt guilty about keeping his wife in a poor condition, both financially and physically. She bore twelve children and died in childbirth]. There is no doubt at all that he was clever. Donne wrote this poem when he was deem of St. Paul's and fearing he was at the end of his life, he was exploring his relationship with God and trying to come to terms with his previous sins "Wilt thou forgive that sin by which I have won others to sin? And made