Renaissance Poetry

Renaissance PoetryRenaissance Poetry

Created for:Created for:Mrs. Egly’s English ClassesMrs. Egly’s English ClassesRevised by Ms. RichardsonRevised by Ms. Richardson


Three main forms of Three main forms of poetry evolved during poetry evolved during

the Renaissance: the Renaissance:

I.I. SonnetsSonnets

II.II. Cavalier poetryCavalier poetry

III.III. Metaphysical poetryMetaphysical poetry


The first form, the sonnet, you The first form, the sonnet, you should already have in your should already have in your

literature notes:literature notes:

Two types of sonnets: Two types of sonnets: Italian/Petrarchan Italian/Petrarchan English/ShakespeareanEnglish/Shakespearean

(We didn’t study the third type: the (We didn’t study the third type: the Spenserian sonnet.)Spenserian sonnet.)


A new literary device, A new literary device,

the the PetrarchanPetrarchan conceitconceit, ,

evolved during the early evolved during the early Renaissance.Renaissance.

A A conceitconceit is a fanciful or is a fanciful or unusual unusual

image in which apparently image in which apparently dissimilar things are shown dissimilar things are shown

to have a relationshipto have a relationship

The Petrarchan conceit is a type of The Petrarchan conceit is a type of metaphor used in love poems written by metaphor used in love poems written by the 14th-century Italian poet Petrarch, the 14th-century Italian poet Petrarch, but became clichéd in some of his later but became clichéd in some of his later Elizabethan imitators. A typical Elizabethan imitators. A typical Petrarchan conceit involves a cold, Petrarchan conceit involves a cold, imperious beauty and her distressed imperious beauty and her distressed male lover, who suffers from the lady's male lover, who suffers from the lady's rejection and cruelty, while he praises rejection and cruelty, while he praises her beauty and exaggerates his own her beauty and exaggerates his own misery. For example, the despairing misery. For example, the despairing lover is a ship on a stormy sea, or a lover is a ship on a stormy sea, or a lady's eyes shine like stars, her lips are lady's eyes shine like stars, her lips are as red as coral, her breasts and her as red as coral, her breasts and her forehead are as white as snow, and so forehead are as white as snow, and so forth. forth.


Elizabethan poets were Elizabethan poets were

fond of fond of Petrarchan Petrarchan

conceitsconceits, conventional , conventional

comparisons, in whichcomparisons, in which

the beloved was compared the beloved was compared

to a flower, a garden, to a flower, a garden,

various celestial bodies.various celestial bodies.


With much overuse, Petrarchan With much overuse, Petrarchan conceitsconceits

became trite and stale.became trite and stale.

Shakespeare mocks such Shakespeare mocks such conceits in his “Sonnet 130” conceits in his “Sonnet 130”

which opens with:which opens with:

““My mistress’ eyes are nothing My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun.”like the sun.”

Cavalier PoetryCavalier Poetry

Cavalier poetry refers to the Cavalier poetry refers to the trend of a group of late trend of a group of late

Renaissance writers Renaissance writers (Cavaliers, supporters of (Cavaliers, supporters of King Charles) to take the King Charles) to take the

courtly language of courtly language of Elizabethan poets to even Elizabethan poets to even

further extremes of further extremes of ornamentation and ornamentation and

deliberate artificiality.deliberate artificiality.

Characteristics of Characteristics of Cavalier PoetryCavalier Poetry

I.I. Balanced, parallel, and Balanced, parallel, and symmetrical in style and symmetrical in style and structure.structure.

II.II. Careful in organization and Careful in organization and progression.progression.

III. Formal, polite, courtly in III. Formal, polite, courtly in

diction and tone.diction and tone.

IV. Showing a restraint of IV. Showing a restraint of

emotion.emotion.

Characteristics of Cavalier PoetryCharacteristics of Cavalier Poetry

Cavalier poets wrote polished Cavalier poets wrote polished

and and

elegant lyrics, typically on elegant lyrics, typically on

love --love --

sometimes on war, honor, sometimes on war, honor,

and duty to the king. and duty to the king.

They sometimes used a They sometimes used a carpe carpe

diemdiem theme. theme.

Cavalier PoetryCavalier Poetry

Carpe diemCarpe diem, literally , literally ““seize the day,” is a seize the day,” is a literary theme that literary theme that urges living in the urges living in the present moment, present moment, especially in especially in pleasurable pursuits.pleasurable pursuits.

“ “Gather ye Gather ye rosebuds rosebuds

while ye while ye may,”may,”

Metaphysical PoetryMetaphysical Poetry

Metaphysical poetryMetaphysical poetry describes a describes a type of poetry that also type of poetry that also

emerged in the late emerged in the late Renaissance. Renaissance.

Metaphysical poets are Metaphysical poets are generally in rebellion generally in rebellion

against the highly conventional against the highly conventional imagery imagery

of the Elizabethan lyric.of the Elizabethan lyric.


The most widely recognized The most widely recognized metaphysical poets are metaphysical poets are

John Donne and Andrew Marvell.John Donne and Andrew Marvell.


Metaphysical poetry tends Metaphysical poetry tends to be intellectually complex, to be intellectually complex, and often sounds rough in and often sounds rough in comparison to the smooth comparison to the smooth conventions of other poets.conventions of other poets.


Metaphysical poets Metaphysical poets challenge conventional challenge conventional

imagery by using imagery by using metaphysical conceitsmetaphysical conceits

which generally use some which generally use some sort of shocking or unusual sort of shocking or unusual comparison as the basis for comparison as the basis for

the metaphor.the metaphor.


When it works, aWhen it works, a

metaphysical conceit metaphysical conceit has has

a startling appropriateness a startling appropriateness

that makes us look at that makes us look at

something in an entirely something in an entirely new way.new way.


Characteristics of Characteristics of


I.I. A desire to build an A desire to build an

extensiveextensive

comparison between two comparison between two

seemingly unrelated seemingly unrelated

things or circumstances.things or circumstances.

Characteristics of Metaphysical PoetryCharacteristics of Metaphysical Poetry

II. A witty or clever tone. II. A witty or clever tone. WitWit in the 17th century meant a in the 17th century meant a

nimbleness of thought; a sense of fancy nimbleness of thought; a sense of fancy

(imagination of a fantastic or whimsical (imagination of a fantastic or whimsical

nature); and originality in figures of nature); and originality in figures of

speech.speech.

III.III. Use of paradox and/or Use of paradox and/or

contradictioncontradiction

IV.IV. Informal or casual languageInformal or casual language

Characteristics of Metaphysical PoetryCharacteristics of Metaphysical Poetry

V.V. Abstruse Abstruse terminology drawn terminology drawn from a wide variety from a wide variety of areas of of areas of knowledge such as: knowledge such as: Science, Law, Science, Law, Medicine, Medicine, Philosophy, Philosophy, Meteorology, Meteorology, Alchemy, Alchemy, Mythology, Mythology, Government, Government, Geometry. Geometry.

VI. Rejection of overly VI. Rejection of overly

romantic or idyllic romantic or idyllic

theories in favor of theories in favor of

argumentation and argumentation and

logic.logic.

What to study…What to study…• Review the introduction and the Review the introduction and the

English Language.English Language.• Study your author notes. Know who Study your author notes. Know who

wrote what and a few other major wrote what and a few other major facts.facts.

• Know each poem we studied, what Know each poem we studied, what it’s about, what literary devices we it’s about, what literary devices we discussed. Some quotations will be discussed. Some quotations will be included.included.

• Know the sonnet form and study the Know the sonnet form and study the other literary terms we learned (like other literary terms we learned (like the ones in this PowerPoint).the ones in this PowerPoint).

Works Cited

Allen, Rosemary, A., Dr. “What is Metaphysical Poetry?” Nov. 21,

2007. <http://spider.georgetowncollege.edu/english/allen/

donne2.htm>.

Jamison, Carol, Dr. “British Literature I.” Nov. 29, 2007

<http://www.llp.armstrong.edu/5800/britno.html>.

Vallance, Richard. “Historical Evolution of the Sonnet.” Canadian

Spirit. Nov. 29, 2007. <http://www.poetrylifeandtimes.

com/valrevw30.html>.

Djinni. “The Petrarchan Conceit vs. the Metaphysical Conceit.” Literary

Collage. 5 May 2009. <http://literarycollage.blogspot.com/

2009/05/petrarchan-conceit-vs-metaphysical.html>.

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Renaissance Poetry