1. The Italian Renaissance (Late 1300s-1550)
& English Renaissance
(1400-early 1600s)
Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch),
Edmund Spencer, and
William Shakespeare
Da Vinci’s groundbreaking “Vitruvian Man” ca. 1490)

2. The Renaissance Period
Renaissance literally means “rebirth” (Rebirth of classical literature and art)
A Renaissance occurs when life is good (people are not fighting for survival)
Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam” (Ceiling of Sistine Chapel ca.1512)

3. Italian Renaissance Occurred from 1300-1550 A.D.
Marked as high time in art (THINK Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles— Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael, Leonardo)
Authors: Petrarch (sonnets) and Castiglione (courtier book)
Influenced the English Renaissance Period
Michelangelo’s “The David” ca. 1504

4. Humanism
Humanism: an intellectual movement at the heart of the Italian Renaissance that focused on worldly subjects rather than on religious issues.
Humanists were usually Christians who believed that the individual in the here and now had an important role to play.
Education was important.
Emphasis on individual achievement.
Emphasis on classical Greek and Roman texts.

5. Petrarch and the Petrarchan Tradition in Renaissance Literature and Thought
Francesco Petrarca, ca.1450
by Andrea di Bartolo di Bargilla
Petrarch and Laura, 1842
by Nicaise de Keyser (Flemish)
Statue (19th century) of Petrarch, outside Uffizi Gallery, Florence

6. Francesco Petrarca (Petrach) (1304-1374)
Considered the first modern poet and the “Father of Humanism”
Most famous for his lyric poetry in the vernacular (Italian, rather than Latin, important because more people could read and understand—not just the educated, scholastic elite)
Set the standard for Renaissance lyric poetry, which is primarily characterized by a desire to interrogate and understand the self, the human—this same desire also visible in his letters and essays
“Petrarch bequeathed to later humanists the hope that scholar- poets might one day be recognized as shaping forces of the nation- state” (Pasinetti and James 2476).
--Romanticist author Percy Bysshe Shelley (19th century) describes the poet as the “unacknowledged legislator of the world,” perhaps drawing on Petrarch's example

7. Petrarch known for his Lyric Poetry
The word “lyric” comes from the word “lyre,” a musical instrument
lyric poetry is known for its musicality and particularly its poetic exploration of interiority (inner nature).
Unlike narrative or epic poetry, lyric poetry does not tell a story in the conventional sense—though there is content to the poems.
Lyric poetry tends to be more impressionistic than plot- based, focusing on states of being rather than outcomes.
Sometimes, but not always, the spiritual and the earthly (the numinal and the physical) are mingled in lyric poetry.

8. Lyric Poetry, Cont.
Important forms of lyric poetry are sonnets (which themselves come in different forms), odes, and elegies.
The sonnet tradition is perhaps most central to the development of lyric poetry in the Renaissance.
Francis Petrarch, an Italian poet often called the “Father of Humanism” (fl.1300s), popularized the sonnet form with his Rime Sparse (or “scattered rhymes), a sequence of lyric poems mingling spiritual love with earthly love in which the poetic speaker praises his beloved, Laura.
Petrarch's sonnets tried to represent human love in human terms—using spiritual themes, but in the service of explaining or examining something earthly.

9. Petrarchan (Italian) sonnet form
Look for…
Rhythm: Iambic pentameter (like almost all sonnets)
Rhyme scheme: abbaabba for the octave; the sestet varies, but often falls into cdcdcd or cdecde.
Structure: The octave (first 8 lines) and the sestet (last 6 lines)
The poem is divided into two sections by the two differing rhyme groups. In accordance with the principle a change from one rhyme group to another signifies a change in subject matter. This change occurs at the beginning of Line 9 in the Italian sonnet and is called the volta, or "turn"; the turn is an essential element of the sonnet form, perhaps the essential element.
Compare with Spenserian and Shakespearean sonnet forms.

10. Pause now to read one of Petrarch’s lyrical sonnets
Open your Diyanni to page 774.
First read through the original Italian version of “S’amor non…” Can you understand any of it?
Next read the translation: “If it’s not love…”
Notice the rhyme scheme is retained, although not as perfectly as in the original Italian.
What is the topic? The tone? Can you connect at all to his topic?

11. English Renaissance
(1400-early 1600s)

12. English Renaissance Occurred between 1400-1600 A.D.
Began with Henry VIII and ended with King James I
Highest point occurred during Queen Elizabeth I’s reign
High time in literature: Sidney, Spencer, Marlow, Shakespeare
Courtiers (professional kiss- ups) were very important
Social classes were strictly enforced
Theaters thrived but were considered low-class

13. Social Mobility
During this time period, it was nearly impossible to rise above your birth— if you were born a peasant, you died a peasant.
Family name and nobility were very important
One way to try and rise above your birth was through the practice of patronage—though how far you could rise was pre-determined by your family name.

14. The Tudors
English Reformation and Renaissance

15. Henry Viii From the Tudor line
Had SIX wives: Catherine of Aragon(divorced), Anne Boleyn(beheaded), Jane Seymore (died), Ann of Cleves(divorced), Kathryn Howard (beheaded), Katherine Parr (survived)
Divorced the Catholic Church in order to marry his mistress
Wanted a male heir
Fathered two daughters (Mary and Elizabeth) and one son (Edward)
Was Catholic, Protestant, Catholic, Protestant

16. Prince Edward The sole male heir to Henry’s throne
He was Protestant and upheld this faith in the country once in power
Was ill and died shortly after gaining the throne
Left behind no heir (too young to do so)

17. Bloody Mary
After Edward’s short reign and early death, Mary took the English throne.
Devoutly Catholic and looking to vindicate her mother (Henry’s first wife), Mary vowed to wipe out Protestantism.
Ordered the mass execution of Protestants to restore the Catholic faith.
Died of cancer

18. Queen Elizabeth I
“Bastard” Queen, daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn
Was both acknowledged and disowned by her father when he was alive
Devoutly Protestant
“Virgin Queen”—never married, used her feminine wiles to gain and maintain power
The art of flirtation became a lucrative enterprise during her reign
Encouraged poetry and theater
Powerful, wise, and important monarch
Sustained many plots against her life

19. King James I Was Queen Elizabeth’s Godson, inherited her throne.
Patron of theater— Shakespeare’s King’s Men were his favorite acting troupe.
Solidified the Protestant faith with the creation of the King James Bible

20. Edmund Spencer (1552/1553 –1599)
English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem and allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I.
His sonnet themes range from love as a battlefield to pride and humility to detailed depictions of his beloved’s features, to name just a few.
He is recognized as one of the greatest poets in the English language.

21. Edmund Spenser is buried in “Poets’ Corner” in Westminster Abbey, London, England next to his beloved Chaucer.

22. Spenserian sonnet form
Look for…
Rhythm: Iambic pentameter
Rhyme scheme: abab, bcbc, cdcd, ee
Structure: The three quatrains often develop three distinct but closely related ideas, with a different idea (or commentary) in the couplet.
Interestingly, Spenser often begins Line 9 of his sonnets with "But" or "Yet," indicating a volta exactly where it would occur in the Petrarchan (Italian) sonnet; however, if one looks closely, one often finds that the "turn" here really isn't one at all, that the actual turn occurs where the rhyme pattern changes, with the couplet.
Compare with Petrarchan and Shakespearean sonnet forms.

23. Enjoy a Spenserian Sonnet
Turn to page 985 in your Diyanni to read Spenser’s “One Day…” sonnet.
Spenser’s speaker tells about a woman that he loves, as he tries to eternalize her in verse, so that she will live on forever.
Keep this poem in mind when you later read Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 130.

24. What does this have to do with Shakespeare????

25. The Italian Renaissance (and poets like Petrarch) influenced the English Renaissance
Henry VIII is the King at the start of the English Renaissance, his children ruled during most of this period, the era ended soon after all of his children were dead. Spenser wrote his highly influential epic and sonnets during this period
William Shakespeare was born while Elizabeth was Queen and became wealthy through King James I

26. Ben Johnson on William Shakespeare
“He was not
of an age,
but for
all time”
Ben Johnson on William Shakespeare

27. William Shakespeare circa 1609
The most famous writer in history was just as influenced by the culture he was born into as he influences modern culture. In learning about his life and reading his works, we learn about ourselves and about human nature.
William Shakespeare circa 1609

28. Brief Biography of William Shakespeare
April 23, 1564-April 23, 1616

29. The Five Provable Facts About Shakespeare
He was baptized on April 26, 1564
There were no such things as birth certificates at this time. However, babies were usually baptized three days after their birth—hence Shakespeare’s birth date of April 23, 1564
He was married at the age of 18 to 26 year old Anne Hathaway (she was pregnant)
He fathered three children (two girls, one boy)
His son died young
He was part owner of the Globe Theater
He died on April 23, 1616

30. It is a Mystery . . .
Everything else that is “known” about the world’s greatest writer is speculation, best guesses, and agreed upon facts.
Due to the lack of actual evidence of Shakespeare’s life, many people have questioned whether he really existed or not.
The collection of works credited to him are all too similar to be the works of more than one person.
Others argue that Shakespeare could not have been smart enough to write such important literature.
Pure genius is often misunderstood

31. Educated Guesses On The Rest of Shakespeare’s Biography
William Shakespeare was one of seven children born to John Shakespeare and Mary Arden
He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon
His family was respected and wealthy—but not noble
He attended grammar school and learned Latin
There is no evidence of further education beyond this
By the early 1590’s Shakespeare had left his wife and three children in Stratford-upon-Avon and traveled over 100 miles away to London to pursue his acting and writing career. He lived there for most of his adult life.
His marriage was not great—he rarely went home to visit his wife and upon his death, he willed Anne his SECOND-BEST bed. Everything else went to his daughters.
He became VERY wealthy in his life time which afforded him the chance to buy his family’s coat of arms (a sign of nobility) and the largest estate in Stratford.
His patrons included Sir Henry Wriothesley and King James I

32. Shakespeare’s Career Wrote 37 plays
Wrote comedies, tragedies, histories, and romances
Also wrote 154 sonnets:
Sonnets dedicated to the “Fair Youth” (The unknown Mr. W.H.)
Sonnets dedicated to the “Dark Lady” (more overtly sexual/sensual in nature)
Known for his imaginative use of language and timelessness

33. Shakespearean (English) sonnet form
Look for…
Rhythm: Iambic pentameter
Rhyme: abab cdcd efef gg
Structure: As in the Spenserian, each quatrain develops a specific idea, but one closely related to the ideas in the other quatrains. The couplet is typically
The English sonnet is the most flexible in terms of the placement of the volta. Shakespeare often places the "turn,” as in the Italian, at line 9.
Compare with Petrarchan and Spenserian sonnet forms.

34. Let’s read some Shakespearean Sonnets
Start with Sonnet 18, one of Shakespeare's most beloved poems on page 769 of your Diyanni. This is also known as “Shall I Compare thee to a Summer’s Day.”
Create a double- bubble map to compare “Sonnet 18” with Spenser’s “One Day” sonnet from page 985.
Be sure to include a comparison of their topics, tones, diction, rhyme scheme, along with anything else you note.

35. See the “Sonnet” PPT for more information comparing and contrasting sonnet forms