1. Content
Thomas Dekker

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

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