THE ENGLISH RENAISSANCE & SONNETS 1485-1660

1. THE ENGLISH RENAISSANCE & SONNETS1485-1660

2. HISTORY OF THE TIME • World Influences England • Decline of feudalism • Vassals gave money to lords instead of military service • Lords hired professionally trained military • Money became source of power

3. HISTORY OF THE TIME • Renaissance • Rebirth • Awakened interest in science, art, literature • Great advances made in education and science • World’s finest artists and writers created masterpieces

4. HISTORY OF THE TIME • Protestant Reformation • 1517 German monk, Martin Luther protested against sale of indulgences and certain other practices of Catholic Church • Beginning of a religious movement that led to Protestantism • Had influence on the social, political, and economic structure of Europe

5. ENGLAND’S RULERS • The Tudors • Royal line began with Henry VII in 1485 • Son, Henry VIII spanned several wars and 6 marriages • 1530 Henry VIII broke with the catholic church and established the Church of England • Created a lot of conflicts • Henry’s daughter, Elizabeth I came to the throne in 1558 • Turned England into a great sea power capable of defeating the Spanish Armada • Supported cultural achievement

6. ENGLAND’S RULERS • The Stuarts • Elizabeth I dies in 1603 • Throne passed to cousin, James, King of Scotland • James son, Charles I succeeds, dies in 1649

7. ENGLAND’S RULERS • Cromwell • After Charles 1, England becomes a commonwealth ruled by Oliver Cromwell • Puritan • Created stable government and toleration of Puritans • Dies in 1658 • Monarchy restored and Charles Stuart, son of Charles I becomes King

8. LIFE • Exploration • World • Sought unknown land • Sought to convert people to Christianity • Sky • Galileo build a telescope • Conflicted with teachings of Catholic church • Human body • Contributions to medicine • Veins and arteries

9. LITERATURE • Renaissance Poetry • Metaphysical • Highly intellectual poems characterized by complex thought, paradox, natural rhythms, harsh language, conceit • A comparison between two very unlike things • Cavalier • Poems about love, war, honor • Renaissance Drama • Comedies, tragedies • All levels of society went to the theater • Shakespeare • Puritan Parliament closed theaters in 1642 due to non-religious subject matter

10. THE SONNET

11. DEFINITION • Comes from Italian sonetto, “a little sound or song” • Highly structured, 14 line poem • Explores subjects of love and questions of mortality

12. HISTORY • 1300s Italian poet Francesco Petrarch popularized the sonnet • By the end of the 16th century, poets throughout Europe wrote sonnets

13. METER/RHYME PATTERNS • 14 lines • Iambic pentameter • Unstressed followed by stressed syllables • 10 syllables • Rhyme is based on last word of each line • To find rhyme scheme, assign letters to each lines that rhyme

14. SONNET FORMS • Italian Sonnet • Petrarchian sonnet • First eight lines present a problem or situation • Last six lines provide and answer or resolution • Rhyme scheme: • First 8 lines: abba, abba • Last 6: cdecde or cdcdcd

15. SONNET FORMS • English Sonnet • Shakespearean Sonnet • Ababcdcdefefgg • Split into quatrains and a couplet • Question/problem in first three quatrains, solution in couplet

16. SONNET FORMS • Spenserian Sonnet • Sir Edmund Spenser • 3 quatrains and a couplet • Rhyme scheme: ababbcbccdcdee