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International Research and Review: Journal of Phi Beta Delta Volume 1, Issue 1 Fall 2011 Honor Society of International Scholars ISSN: pending URL: http://www.phibetadelta.org/index.php/publications/online- journalsirr/316-current-issue.html

―The Italianate Englishman:‖ The Italian Influence in

Maureen Fox, B.A. California University, Fullerton

Whether it was thought of positively or negatively, is a popular topic of discussion in Elizabethan literature. Some Elizabethan writers mimic Italian writers and incorporate Italian ideas into their own works, while other writers alter Italian literary conventions and openly attack Italian morals. This range of positive and negative sentiments towards Italy ultimately reveals the of a love-hate relationship between and the Italian that became a foundation of Elizabethan literature. My paper illustrates how various Elizabethan writers, including Sir , , and , demonstrate their awe for the by imitating Italy‘s greatest and integrating Italian ideas into their texts, reveal their feelings of inferiority and jealously towards Italy‘s literary and social progress through their efforts to improve upon , and show a genuine fear of Italy‘s negative influence on English morals and values by using their works to warn against ‘ immoral natures.

Keywords: Italy, England, Elizabethan Literature, Love-hate relationship

Whether it is described as ―'the influenced Elizabethan literature. A closer -shop of poison for all Nations'‖ look at Elizabethan literature shows that (, Pierce Penilesse, His Italian culture influenced England society by Supplication to the Divell, 1592, as cited in serving as an inspiration for creativity and as Jones 251) or ―'the fairest Lady, yea the an outlet for criticism. Elizabethan writers richest Paragon and Queene of treat Italian culture in three main ways: they Christendome‖' (Thomas Coryat, In Praise demonstrate their awe for the Italian of , 1611, as cited in Bate 160), Italy Renaissance by imitating Italy‘s greatest is a popular topic of discussion in poets and integrating Italian ideas into their Elizabethan literature. Some Elizabethan texts; they reveal their feelings of inferiority writers mimic Italian writers and incorporate and jealously towards Italian ideas into their own works, while Italy‘s literary and social progress through other writers alter Italian literary their efforts to improve upon Italian conventions and openly attack Italian literature; and they show a genuine fear of morals. The range of positive and negative Italy‘s negative influence on English morals sentiments towards Italy ultimately reveals and values by using their works to warn the existence of a love-hate relationship against Italians‘ immoral natures. between England and the Italian When England was first exposed to Renaissance, a relationship that greatly the Italian Renaissance, the country was

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The Italianate Englishman Fox impressed and inspired by Italian literature, Renaissance, which was the main medium and Elizabethan writers show their support of poetic dialogue in countries as far away for Italian culture by mimicking Italian from Italy as and the Czech literary structure and promoting Italian ‖ (Finucci, 2005, p. 457). Writers ideals, particularly those of love, in their throughout were inspired by texts. One such Elizabethan writer is Sir ‘s work and popularized his style by Thomas Wyatt, who is recognized for using his in their own love introducing Italian conventions into English . By translating Petrarch‘s poetry, literature. Wyatt greatly impacted Wyatt introduced the Italian to Elizabethan literature by the first England and started a trend of exalting the major English writer to translate Italian Italian idea of love through imitation. Wyatt poetry into English. Wyatt‘s himself honors Italian love conventions by introduced England to Italy‘s understanding imitating Petrarch; He helped popularize and conventions of love, and these Petrarchan conventions and imagery in revolutionary ideas enlightened English Elizabethan poetry by using them in his own writers. Jonathan Bate confirms this idea by poems. In his sonnet ―Farewell, Love,‖ arguing that Italy provided illumination for Wyatt incorporates Petrarchan love imagery, the English: such as references to ‘s arrows, and echoes Petrarch‘s view that in love is The Italian mirror was a strong, painful: ―Farewell Love, and all thy laws sometimes a distorting one, but forever, / Thy baited hooks shall tangle me what it reflected back to the no more‖ (as cited in Greenblatt and Abrams, Elizabethans were some of the 2006, p. 596.1-2). Wyatt began a movement supremely influential images of by inspiring numerous English poets to their age […] The English honor Italy by imitating Petrarchan . Renaissance began when sir One of the numerous English poets Thomas Wyatt and the Earl of influenced by Petrarch was Sir Philip Surrey discovered, translated and Sidney. Sidney styles his great sonnet imitated the poetry of Petrarch. sequence Astrophil and Stella on Petrarchan (p. 71) sonnets; he not only copies Italian sonnet structure but also endorses the Italian Bate credits Wyatt with initiating the concept of , a religious because he exposed based on the teachings of . England to Italian society by translating One aspect of Neoplatonism is the concept Francesco Petrarch, who was and still is that the search for love is a quest towards considered one of Italy‘s greatest poets. spiritual enlightenment: ―the final revelation Petrarch is famous for a number of different in the Greater Mysteries of Love—the vision works, but one of his most influential pieces of the Beautiful itself— be disclosed was Rime sparse, a collection of 366 lyric only to those who follow a particular path of poems revering a woman named Laura. ‖ (Ferrari, 1992, p. 256). Petrarch idolized Laura through specific Neoplatonism is illustrated in ―Sonnet 5‖ love metaphors and turned her into a symbol from Astrophil and Stella: for the ideal woman, which became the conventional when his lyrical poetry True, that true is indeed, was popularized. His poetic style ultimately Whereof this beauty can be but a shade, ―gave rise to Petrarchism in the

International Research and Review: 41 Journal of Phi Beta Delta Honor Society of Fall 2011 International Scholars

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Which elements with mortal mixture As Italy‘s influence grew in England, breed; many Englishmen became jealous of its True that on earth we are but pilgrims impact. The Italian Renaissance put Italy made, years ahead of England in many fields, and And should in up to our country the English began to suffer from what was move. (As cited in Greenblatt and essentially an inferiority complex, as they Abrams, 2006, p. 976.9-13) were concerned that was viewed as poor in comparison with that of In this sonnet, Sidney discusses the concept Italy by the rest of the world. This led to a of the three levels of , which is new trend in Elizabethan literature where the idea that love is a journey from the English writers built upon and directly senses (the body) to reason (the mind) and challenged Italian poetic conventions, from reason to the highest level of particularly those established by Petrarch, in understanding (the soul). By incorporating an effort to improve upon Italian literature the Italian concept of Platonic love into his and establish the greatness of their own poetry, Sidney shows a respect for Italian country‘s work. ideals. Like Wyatt, Sidney helped to praise The inclination to improve upon and spread Italian culture to England Petrarchan poetic conventions is found in through his work. Sidney‘s Astrophil and Stella. Sidney‘s Support for Italian culture and ideas imitation of Petrarch did honor Italian also made its way into Elizabethan . concepts of love, but he also deviated from The most famous example is Sir Thomas Petrarchan structure in order to break away Hoby‘s of Castiglione‘s Italian from Italy‘s control on poetry. The Norton masterpiece The into English, Anthology‘s (Greenblatt and Abrams, 2006) which introduced the concept of Platonic introduction to Astrophil and Stella love and proper courtly behavior to elaborates on this idea: Elizabethan society. In Hoby‘s time, the British admired Italy as ―the birthplace of Petrarch had deployed a series of new learning and the rediscovery of classical ingenious metaphors […] but by ‖ (Partridge, 2007, p. 772), and Sidney‘s time the metaphors – love as the English elite hoped to achieve the same a freezing fire, the beloved‘s glance level of Italian sophistication by mimicking as an arrow striking the lover‘s heart, Italy‘s courts. Hoby translated The Courtier and so forth – had through endless because he believed it ―offered an excitingly repetition become familiar and expansive vision of what a Renaissance predictable, less a revelation than a courtier could, and should, be‖ (Partridge). role. Sidney, in the role of Astrophil, The Courtier‘s influence on the English protests that he uses no standard court is best exemplified by Sidney himself, conventional phrases that his verse is as he was considered the ideal English original and comes from his heart (p. courtier by how he demonstrated the desired 975). courtly traits found in Castiglione‘s work. Thus in both poetry and prose, Elizabethan Sidney uses Petrarch as a starting point, but writers exhibit their admiration for Italian he makes a conscious effort to be unique by literature by imitating Italy‘s celebrated breaking away from Petrarchan conventions, authors and assimilating which were considered overdone during his into their texts. lifetime. Sidney was able to reduce the hold

International Research and Review: 42 Journal of Phi Beta Delta Honor Society of Fall 2011 International Scholars

The Italianate Englishman Fox that Italy had over Elizabethan literature by literary influence and highlighted England‘s using new ideas – English ideas – in his creativity. work. By working to transform Italian Perhaps the most famous example of conventions, Sidney created his own original anti-Petrarchan poetry is William conventions that succeeded in highlighting Shakespeare‘s sonnets. Throughout his and encouraging Elizabethan creativity. collection of 154 sonnets, Shakespeare Another example of the movement to repeatedly breaks away from the literary break away from Italy‘s and Petrarch‘s precedent established by Italian poets and influence in order to showcase English both creates his own metaphors for love and creativity is illustrated in the poetry of twists typical love conventions popularized Edmund Spenser. Spenser strived to become by Petrarch. A prime example of how England‘s greatest epic , and like Shakespeare blatantly contradicts Petrarchan Sidney, he was inspired by but love conventions is , in which the altered Italian conventions to create works narrator cross-examines his lover‘s more unique to England. In his sonnet description to Petrarch‘s portrayal of the sequence, , Spenser borrowed ideal woman and ―mocks the standard Petrarch‘s conventional love lament but vocabulary of praise‖ (Edmondson and transformed it by giving the Wells, 2004, p. 15): a happy ending in which the lovers unite. In ―Sonnet 74,‖ Spenser writes about three My mistress‘ eyes are nothing like the revered women in his life but shows that he sun, treasures his lover the most: Coral is far more red than her lips red, If snow be white, why then her breasts The third my love, my lives last are dun, , If hairs be wires, black wires grow on By whom my spirit out of dust was her head. raysed: I have seen roses damasked, red and To speake her prayse and glory white, excellent, But no such roses see I in her cheeks, Of all alive most worthy to be And in some perfumes is there more praysed. delight Ye three Elizabeths for ever live, Than in the breath that from my That three such graces did unto me mistress reeks. give (As cited in Greenblatt and I love to hear her speak, yet well I Abrams, 2006, p. 906.9-14). know That music hath a far more pleasing The speaker says that his lover, Elizabeth, is sound. a gift from the graces, suggesting that she is I grant I never saw a go: a gift he actually possesses. This implies that My mistress when she walks treads on he and his lover are united in bliss rather the ground. than separated in misery as typically And yet, by heaven, I think my love as portrayed in Petrarchan love poetry. ―Sonnet rare 75‖ upholds this idea, as the speaker As any she belied with false compare. promises to immortalize his lover in his (As cited in Greenblatt and Abrams, work. By altering Petrarchan conventions in 2006, p. 305.1-14). his poetry, Spenser challenged Italy‘s

International Research and Review: 43 Journal of Phi Beta Delta Honor Society of Fall 2011 International Scholars

The Italianate Englishman Fox

Shakespeare uses this sonnet to directly Spenser, and Shakespeare, express a desire attack Petrarchan conventions. Shakespeare to rise above the Italian influence and reverses the Petrarchan image of the establish the English Renaissance as a idealized and unattainable blond, -eyed worthy period in literature. goddess (conventions established through Over time, a general envy of Italy Petrarch‘s description of Laura) and evolved into open condemnation and a describes his mistress as being the opposite genuine fear of Italy‘s negative influence. of Petrarchan imagery; she has dark-colored England grew to fear Italy‘s corrupting hair, skin tone, and eyes; her voice is not influence (particularly Italy‘s support for musical; her step is not light; her breath is violent revenge and Catholicism) on English not sweet. At first reading, it appears as morals and values, and Elizabethan writers though the speaker is insulting his mistress, began using their works to caution England as he repeatedly concludes that she falls against Italy‘s immoral nature. short of the Petrarchan ideal; but by An example of how Englishmen are comparing his mistress to ―the litany of cautioned against the vices of Italy is Roger Petrarchan metaphors, the poet declares his Ascham‘s The Schoolmaster. Ascham love as beautiful as any woman ever devotes a section of The Schoolmaster to described with such hyperbole” (Callaghan, explain in detail the negative consequences 2007, p. 145). The speaker makes it clear of Italy‘s influence on a typical Englishman: that his mistress is better than Petrarch‘s superhuman lover because his mistress is He that by living and traveling in Italy real and not an unrealistic fantasy. The poet bringeth home into England out of suggests that Petrarch‘s perfect woman Italy the religion, the learning, the doesn‘t exist; therefore, his love is greater policy, the , the manners of and more extraordinary because he loves his Italy. That is to say, for religion, mistress for exactly who she is, flaws papistry or worse; for learning, less, included. commonly, than they carried out with Shakespeare also directly opposes them; for policy, a factious heart, a Petrarchan poetic conventions by dedicating discoursing head, a mind to meddle in a majority of his sonnets to the adoration of all men‘s matters; for experience, a fair young man rather than a fair young plenty of new mischiefs never known lady as typically idolized in Italian love in England before; for manners, poetry. Petrarch‘s poetry is known for its variety of vanities and change of filthy adoration of women, but in Shakespeare‘s living (As cited in Greenblatt and first 126 sonnets, ―the Petrarchan poet-lover Abrams, 2006, p. 644). is ostensibly in love with a member of ‗the opposite sex‘‖ (Hedley, 1994, p. 2), thereby Ascham openly criticizes Italy for being a contradicting a major Petrarchan blasphemous, ignorant, conflicting, construction. Shakespeare defied mischievous, and vain society that hides Petrarchism by ignoring or directly opposing behind an enchanting façade and bewitching Italian love constructs in his work, and the words. Ascham voices England‘s concern popularity of his poetry helped establish that Italy attracts good Englishmen with the both himself and England as literary greats. intent to destroy their values; he hoped to By altering and building upon Italian literary expose Protestant students to Italy‘s vices conventions, Petrarchan conventions in and power of corruption so that they ―might particular, Elizabethan writers, like Sidney, defend themselves against the Devil‘s and

International Research and Review: 44 Journal of Phi Beta Delta Honor Society of Fall 2011 International Scholars

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Rome‘s before the world ends, for young offspring and whose vomit consists of the sake of their own salvation as well as books and papers. She is a direct symbol for England‘s‖ (Stark, 2008, p. 518). Ascham‘s the evil monster that is Catholicism and how essay serves as a warning to prevent Catholicism breeds and supports a multitude Englishmen from becoming Inglese of wicked followers with its poisonous italianato è un diavolo incarnato (as cited in message of false . Error‘s vomit is also Greenblatt and Abrams, 2006, p. 643) and a for the literal propaganda that going astray. Catholicism creates to share its wicked One English author who was message; like actual vomit, the Catholic particularly outspoken against Italy‘s word is disgusting and spreads like a negative influence was Spenser. In his great sickness. Spenser further reiterates Error as epic , Spenser reshaped a symbol for false religion through his the Italian canto format to create his own account of how the offspring feast on their unique English poetic structure. Spenser‘s mother‘s corpse until they burst: The Faerie Queene was partially inspired by Italian works, as he was ―the first English To see th‘ unkindly Impes of heaven poet to divide his poem by the canto, like accurst, the Italians, and to use that term‖ (Giamatti, Devoure their dam; on whom while so 1975, p. 33); yet like his contemporaries, he gazd, Spenser altered traditional Italian poetry in Having all satisfide their bloudy thurst, an effort to demonstrate England‘s literary Their bellies swolne he saw with prowess. Spenser took the octave format fulnesse burst (as cited in Greenblatt found in Italian and and Abrams, 2006, Bk. I.i. p. 726.227- fashioned his own stanza format that 30). included a ninth line, known as an line. By altering Italian poetic Once again, the offspring represent Catholic structure, Spenser reflected England‘s followers who feed on false faith, but negative mentality towards Italian literature Spenser also suggests that Catholics are so and made an effort to overpower Italian dependent on false doctrine that they will poetic authority by replacing it with his own. continue to feast on Catholicism until it kills Spenser also revealed a negative them, without ever satisfying their thirst for disposition towards Italy by turning Book I holiness and redemption. By repeatedly of The Faerie Queene into anti-Catholic referencing false faith and Catholic imagery propaganda. One of the for in his description of Error and its offspring, Redcrosse‘s journey ―from faith to unfaith Spenser uses Error to represent Italian and back again” (Evans, 1970, p. 109) in Catholicism as a dangerous false religion Book I is of England‘s real-life conflict that will cause significant harm to England. between and Catholicism, and Spenser uses negative religious imagery Spenser reveals an almost hateful in other descriptions to reveal and denunciation of the Catholic faith through reject Catholicism‘s wickedness as well. He his treatment of Catholic and biblical associates the villain with imagery. One example is Spenser‘s Catholic priests through Archimago‘s use of description of the beast Error, who functions Ave Maria prayers and sermons, and he uses as a direct metaphor for Catholicism‘s own Archimago‘s deception of Redcrosse as a evil propaganda. Error is a foul beast – half parable to criticize how Catholic priests trick serpent, half woman – who feeds a thousand followers into believing in a false faith, a

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The Italianate Englishman Fox faith that takes them further away from the English from traveling there. Like Ascham, true holiness of ―godly Protestantism‖ Lyly contributes to the widespread fear of (Heale, 1987, p. 4). Spenser also compares Italy‘s influence by vilifying Italy in his the evil Duessa to the Whore of Babylon work. Motivated by a fear of Italy‘s from the Book of Revelations in the , powerful and corruptive control over which was interpreted by Protestants as the England, Elizabethan writers, including (Heale), to make her a Ascham, Spenser, and Lyly, use their works metaphor for how Catholicism sells itself in as cautionary tales against Italy‘s wicked an attempt to entice followers and defeat society. Protestantism. He also uses Duessa‘s Through the poetry and prose of downfall to foreshadow the ultimate defeat Elizabethan writers, Italy and Italian culture of Catholicism at the hand of Protestantism. are treated both positively and negatively in Spenser‘s negative spin on Catholic imagery Elizabethan works, revealing England‘s in his character descriptions in The Faerie love-hate relationship with the Italian Queene makes Book I anti-Catholic Renaissance. English writers were inspired propaganda that exposes Catholicism‘s and by Italy and its progressive thoughts, Italy‘s evil nature and potential negative particularly the country‘s ideas and impact on Protestant English society. treatment of love; but Englishmen were also Another text that portrays Italy in a jealous and fearful of Italy‘s growth and negative light is ‘s Euphues: The impact on the world, and thus made efforts of Wit. Lyly describes the Italian to improve upon Italian literature and city of as ―(a place of more pleasure denounce Italian religion and culture in than profit, and yet of more profit than order to promote and demonstrate England‘s piety), the very walls and windows whereof prowess in the world. Regardless of whether shewed it rather to be the Tabernacle of it was thought of positively or negatively, Venus than the Temple of Vesta‖ (as cited in the Italian Renaissance had a powerful and Greenblatt and Abrams, 2006, p. 945). By lasting effect on Elizabethan England that associating Naples with Venus‘ passion and became a foundation of Elizabethan sexuality and not Vesta‘s chastity, Lyly literature. portrays Naples as a lustful, immoral, and impious city and in turn discourages the

International Research and Review: 46 Journal of Phi Beta Delta Honor Society of Fall 2011 International Scholars

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English Literature: The Sixteenth and the Early Seventeenth Century (8th ed.) (719-856). New York, NY: Norton. Stark, R. J. (2008). Protestant and Apocalyptic Rhetoric in Roger Ascham‘s The Schoolmaster. Journal of the of Ideas 69(4), 517-532. Wyatt, T. (2006). ―Farewell Love.‖ In S. Greenblatt & M. H. Abrams (Eds.), The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Sixteenth and the Early Seventeenth Century (8th ed.) (596). New York, NY: Norton.

Author Bio: Maureen Fox received of Arts degrees in English and communications- journalism from California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) in spring 2010 and is currently a graduate student in English at CSUF, specializing in . Along with her academic work, Maureen is a freelance writer for various organizations and works in both university administration and as a writing center tutor at Santa Ana College. She ultimately plans to earn her doctorate degree in English to pursue careers in publishing and teaching.

International Research and Review: 48 Journal of Phi Beta Delta Honor Society of Fall 2011 International Scholars