THE ENGLISH RENAISSANCE &

SONNETS1485-1660

HISTORY OF THE TIME

World Influences EnglandDecline of feudalism Vassals gave money to lords instead of military service

Lords hired professionally trained military

Money became source of power

HISTORY OF THE TIME

Renaissance RebirthAwakened interest in science, art, literature

Great advances made in education and science

World’s finest artists and writers created masterpieces

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE SONNET

DEFINITION

Comes from Italian sonetto, “a little sound or song”

Highly structured, 14 line poem

Explores subjects of love and questions of mortality

HISTORY

1300s Italian poet Francesco Petrarch popularized the sonnet

By the end of the 16th century, poets throughout Europe wrote sonnets

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

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

SONNET FORMS

English SonnetShakespearean Sonnet Abab cdcd efef gg Split into quatrains and a couplet

Question/problem in first three quatrains, solution in couplet

SONNET FORMS

Spenserian SonnetSir Edmund Spenser3 quatrains and a couplet

Rhyme scheme: abab bcbc cdcd ee