Content Thomas Dekker

Thomas Dekker Circa 1570 – 1632 Dekker was born near London His family was often in debt, and was once jailed for seven years A happy man, he enjoyed his life and writing plays

His Work Dekker wrote or co-wrote about 40 plays Only 15 of his plays exist today He also wrote poetry, pamphlets, and songs He wrote an eyewitness account of the plague of 1603

Legacy Dekker has been called the “Elizabethan Dickens” because he often wrote about the poor classes in England Unlike Dickens, however, Dekker was not concerned with making their lives better; he simply wrote about the topic because it was interesting to his audiences

Literary Terms Rhythm - In language, the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables Iambic Pentameter - A poetic line of five feet written in iambic meter Refrain - One or more words, phrases, or lines that are repeated regularly in a poem, usually at the end of each stanza

Theme - The main idea expressed in a literary work; the central insight that the work gives us about human life Satire - A literary work that mocks or ridicules the stupidity or vices of individuals, groups, institutions, or society in general Repetition - The reappearance of a word, phrase, stanza, or structure in a literary work

Class Work Read the poem and discuss as necessary Literary Critique, page 247, #s 1-4 Journal Workshop, page 248