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The Renaissance / Sonnets The Renaissance 1485-1660 The Renaissance • French word meaning “rebirth” • New interest in science, art, literature • Great advances in science and education • New social order • Interest in humanism “Vision of Ezekiel” by Raphael, 1518 Printing Press • 1430s: first mass-produced books; no longer had to be hand-copied • Used interchangeable letter block templates, oil-based inks, and high-quality paper • Made books (esp. the Bible) widely accessible for the first time Protestant Reformation--1517 • Martin Luther (German monk) • Protested sale of indulgences (and other practices) by Catholic church • Nailed 95 Theses to church door • Reformation led to Protestantism • Had a huge influence on society, politics, and the economy Renaissance Worldview • Middle Ages – people focused energy on religion and the afterlife • Renaissance – people focused energy on life on earth • Emphasis placed on individual and his/her human potential • “Renaissance Man” a well-rounded person who cultivated his talents to the fullest “Age of Exploration” • European nations “discovered” other nations for commerce • Contributed to later imperial domination and exploitation Major Scientific Advances • Alchemy, astronomy, medicine, geography, inventions. • Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543) and Galileo (1564- 1642)—theory of heliocentrism controversial with Church Medical Advances • Many medical advances—learned more about anatomy, surgery, and treatment of disease; used knowledge from earlier Islamic physicians Page from an Ottoman manuscript describing how to make medicines Leonardo da Vinci, “Fetus in the Womb” Rulers of Note: Tudors and Stuarts King Henry VIII • 17 when crowned • 6 marriages • 1530—broke with the Catholic church and created Church of England (a.k.a. Anglican Church) Sumptuary Laws • King Henry VIII wanted to be able to tell upon first glance what social class someone belonged to • Laws specified the kinds of cloth, colors, and accessories that were forbidden to people beneath a certain rank • Breaking sumptuary laws punishable by loss of possessions, title, or even life. Social Classes • Middle class continued to grow with emergence of global trade—especially merchants • Four main classes: royalty, nobles, merchants, and peasants • First three classes often patronized the arts “The Peasant Dance” by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1569. Social Classes: Merchants Pieter Aertsen, “A Cook with Poultry,” 16th c. Quentin Metsys, “Money Changer and His Wife,” 1514 Social Classes: Nobles Jan Gossaert, “A Noble Man,” 1530. Jan Mostaert, “Portrait of an African Noble,” 1520-30 Elizabeth I (1558-1603) • Supported the arts • Turned England into a world power • Last of the Tudor Line • Considered the epitome of beauty: white skin, fair hair, red lips Stuarts • James I (1603-1625) Anglican Church supporter • Charles I (1625-1649)- harsh leadership led to Puritan exodus and civil war • Cromwells and commonwealth took over until 1660, ending the Renaissance Charles I Rise of Humanism • Literature reflected “humanism” – new ideas about the worth and importance of the individual • Humanists were often devout Christians • Sir Thomas More – Wrote Utopia about a perfect society Renaissance Literature • Writers, like artists, gained patronage from wealthy people • Popular poets and playwrights: Edmund Spenser, Sir Walter Raleigh, Christopher Marlowe, William Shakespeare • The creative energy of the English people burst forth into the greatest literature the Western world had yet known Depiction of a scene from Spenser’s Faerie Queene Types of Renaissance Poetry • Sonnets – a 14-line lyric poem, complicated rhyme scheme, and defined structure • Pastoral Poems – present shepherds in idealized rural settings • Cavalier Poets – Philosophy of carpe diem • Metaphysical – Poets experimented with language as a means of explaining and reflecting the complexities of life imaginatively. – Metaphysical Conceit – a metaphor that is particularly original and elaborate Sonnets • 14-line poems • Petrarchan (1300s) and Shakespearean (1500s- 1600s) • Iambic pentameter – 5 feet = 10 syllables – 1 foot = 1 unstressed syllable, 1 stressed syllable William Shakespeare Pastoral Poems • Poems that portray shepherds and rustic life in an idealized manner. • Poems not written in the voice of the common shepherd • Speakers used courtly language rather than common speech • Poets – Christopher Marlowe, Sir Walter Raleigh Metaphysical Poets • Broke with convention • Employed unusual imagery • Attempted to encompass the vastness of the universe and explore life’s complexities and contradictions • Developed the metaphysical conceit, an elaborate metaphor • Most famous poet - John Donne Metaphysical Poems Poems had • Irregular meter • elaborate metaphors – metaphysical conceit • Themes of death, physical love, religious devotion • Dealt with vastness of the universe Cavalier Poets • Known for their themes related to love, war, honor, and courtly behavior • Utilized figurative language and hyperbole • Poets – Andrew Marvel, Robert Herrick, and Richard Lovelace.
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