Renaissance Literature Questions and Answers
Renaissance Literature
Renaissance Influence on English Literature
The Renaissance profoundly influenced English literature by introducing humanism and classical Greek and Roman themes. This era saw a shift from religious to secular themes, with writers like...
Renaissance Literature
How did the Renaissance influence the growth of the English language?
The Renaissance introduced the classical learning of Greece and Rome into England. As a result, many Latinate words entered the English language. As knowledge exploded, other words were invented to...
Renaissance Literature
What are the characteristic features of 16th and 17th century English poetry?
English poetry of the sixteenth and seventeenth century contains a great deal of development, as well as some of the greatest individual geniuses in English literature. The first sonnets were written...
Renaissance Literature
What are the main features of the Renaissance?
Main characteristics of the Renaissance include rediscovery, especially through expanded trade, which furthered access to knowledge of ancient Greece and Rome. An emphasis on secularism emerged as...
Renaissance Literature
Influence of Elizabethan Age historical trends and characteristics on its literature
The Elizabethan Age influenced literature through its emphasis on humanism, exploration, and the flourishing of the arts. This period saw a focus on individual potential and achievements, as well as...
Renaissance Literature
How did rediscovery of classical models influence Renaissance arts and literature?
The rediscovery of classical models greatly influenced Renaissance arts and literature by reviving Greek and Roman texts and ideas. This led to humanist scholars uncovering ancient manuscripts,...
Renaissance Literature
What factors contributed to the spread of the Renaissance in Europe?
The spread of the Renaissance in Europe was primarily due to the increasing wealth of the Italian city-states and the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Wealthy merchants and families, like the...
Renaissance Literature
Differences between Pre-Renaissance and Renaissance literature
Pre-Renaissance literature focused on religious themes and the collective human experience, often written in Latin and emphasizing moral instruction. In contrast, Renaissance literature celebrated...
Renaissance Literature
What are the key features of early English Renaissance poetry?
Early English Renaissance poetry, from the first half of the 16th century, was marked by adherence to specific genres such as sonnets, lyrics, and odes. Petrarchan sonnets were especially popular,...
Renaissance Literature
What are some features of post-Elizabethan literature?
Post-Elizabethan literature, spanning the Jacobean era (1603-1625), is characterized by its dark, pragmatic, philosophical, and sometimes cynical tone. This period features works that explore social,...
Renaissance Literature
How did the Renaissance influence sixteenth-century English poetry?
The Renaissance significantly influenced sixteenth-century English poetry by reviving classical styles from ancient Greece and Rome, inspiring poets with works by Livy, Virgil, Ovid, and Horace....
Renaissance Literature
What did the Renaissance revival of Greco-Roman ideals and aesthetics mean in practice?
The Renaissance revival of Greco-Roman ideals emphasized a return to classical sources, influencing religion, humanities, and the arts. In religion, it inspired the Protestant Reformation, advocating...
Renaissance Literature
Are Renaissance literary texts still relevant today?
Yes and no. Some of the major themes of Renaissance literature are no longer actively engaged culturally, because they succeeded. Other themes, like the Faustus story, are still fought today, in...
Renaissance Literature
Can we relate to Renaissance literature in our modern world?
We are not so distant from the Renaissance Age, therefore we can relate to the literature of that era.
Renaissance Literature
What does the Elizabethan Age refer to and who were its prominent writers?
The Elizabethan Age, during Queen Elizabeth I's reign (1558-1603), is renowned for its literary innovation and is considered a golden age of literature. Prominent writers included William...