ELIZABETHAN

POETRY

GENRES
AND
CONVENTIO
NS IN
POETRY
GENRES AND CONVENTIONS
PASTORAL CONVENTION-PASTORAL ROMANCE

MYTHOLOGICAL-EROTIC POEM

COMPLAINT POEM

SONNET
PASTORAL CONVENTION MYTHOLOGICAL-EROTIC POEM
 The poems in this tradition
represented a simple and
idealized world inhabited by
shepherds and shepherdesses.
 These poems were not about
politics or commerce.
 The topics were friendly poetic
contests among shepherds, love
and the pursuit of contentment
rather than fame or fortune.
 Pastoral lyrics expressed the joys
of life or disappointment in love.
 Example:
The Shepheardes Calender by
Edmund Spenser
 Such poems appealed to a
courtly taste; they validated the
senses and they asserted the
primacy of physical beauty and
the imagination.
 Example:
Venus and Adonis by William
Shakespeare
COMPLAINT POEM
 The complaint poem is basically
tragic and moral. In it the ghost
of someone who fell from high
place to a tragic situation
bemoans his fate and warns
others.
SONNET
Sonnet is a lyric poem written in a single stanza which
consists of 14 lines linked by an intricate rhyme scheme.
The sonnet type developed in Italy in the early 13th
century, and it was one of the favourite forms of Dante and of
Petrarch (14th century). The sonnet was introduced to
English in the 16th century by Sir Thomas Wyatt. It was
later practiced by important names such as William
Shakespeare and Edmund Spenser.
In this tradition, the poet complains of his lady’s coldness,
describes the contrary states of feeling the lover experiences,
and he writes on the conventional themes such as death, love,
absence of lover, etc.
THE ITALIAN SONNET THE ENGLISH SONNET
The Italian Sonnet The English Sonnet
(also known as (also known as The
Petrarchan Sonnet) Shakespearean
has 14 lines and consists Sonnet) has also
of two parts: fourteen lines divided
the octave (8 lines with into
the rhyme scheme 3 quatrains
abbaabba, a couplet
the sestet, (six lines rhyming abab cdcd efef
usually rhyming cdecde gg
or cdcdcd)
ELEMENTS OF PETRARCHAN SONNET
The ladies are described
as beauties.
The lady described in
the poem is proud, and
she scorns the lover.
The lover is suffering
because of unrequited
love.
SHAKESPEAREAN SONNETS
 The imitation of Petrarchan sonnets in England resulted in the
production of poems which were full of clichés. However,
important practitioners of this genre such as Shakespeare satirizes
the stock ideas and clichés prevalent in most of Elizabethan
sonnets.
 The characteristics of Shakespeare’s sonnets:
A. Rich, vivid imagery from different areas of life
B. Artistic use of literary language which results in beautiful moving
poetry
C. Sonnets reflect a deep meditation on life, death, art and beauty
D. Sonnets have philosophical depth
E. Before Shakespeare, the subject matter was the despairing lover
who suffers from love. Shakespeare wrote about different topics
such as the theme of time and its effects on people, and human
relationships in general.
SHAKESPEARE’S SONNETS
 Shakespeare’s sonnets fall into two groups:
 A. The first group of sonnets addresses a
blond young aristocrat. He is of noble birth,
and his identity is unknown. This young man
has a life enhancing beauty. He represents
beauty and truth. In his poems, Shakespeare
urges this man to marry and have children so
that truth and beauty will be passed to the next
generation.
 The major themes in these poems:
Time the Destroyer (Time destroys everything
on its path and nothing remains. Nothing is
permanent. Everything is subject to time)
The idea of waste and corruption in a
meaningless world. Nothing is perfect. Even the
most perfect things are blemished (e.g. The sun
stained with clouds)
Other themes are death and friendship.
SHAKESPEARE’S SONNETS
B. The second group of
sonnets addresses a Dark
Lady. In these sonnets,
Shakespeare satirizes the
stock ideas and clichés. For
example, his Dark Lady is
not beautiful. She is very
plain.
In contrast to the proud
lady who scorns the lover,
the Dark Lady is lustful.
One of the themes of the
poems is the infidelity of
the Lady.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE - SONNET 130
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damask'd, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground:
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE - SONNET 18
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st;
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
 SIR PHILIP SIDNEY
 SIR PHILIP SIDNEY (1554-1586)
 He is a courtier, soldier, scholar, poet, and
patron so he embodies all the features of
personality which is admired by the
Elizabethans. When he was killed in battle at
the age of 32, all England mourned.
 Philip was educated at Shrewsbury
School and Christ Church, Oxford.
 In 1572 he was elected to Parliament as Member
of Parliament for Shrewsbury and in the same
year travelled to France as part of the embassy
to negotiate a marriage between Elizabeth
I and the Duc D'Alençon.
 He was a devout supporter of the Protestant
cause, so he rejected the marriage between
Duke D’alençon and Queen Elizabeth; this led
to his dismissal from court for a time.
THE WORKS OF SIDNEY-POETRY
Astrophel and Stella (means “Starlover and Star”)
It is the first of the great Elizabethan sonnet cycles (a group
of sonnets on the same subject).
In this work, Sidney attacks Petrarchan tradition which is full
of traditional and stale metaphors. In Petrarchan tradition,
for example, the poet complains that in love he both burned
and froze, or that his sighs were the winds driving his ship on
a tossing sea.
In the role of Astrophel, Sidney argues that he will use no
standard conventional phrases and metaphors.
Sidney’s freshness is acquired by his ability to dramatize. He
uses dialogues to heighten the situation within 14 lines.
THE WORKS OF SIDNEY-PROSE
 “An Apology for Poetry” is a major critical essay which was published
after his death.
In this long essay:
 Sidney defends poetry against its attackers.
 He points out the antiquity of poetry and its prestige in the ancient world.
He cites the names given to the poets by the Romans and the Greeks in
order to utter their dignity. The Romans called the poets as “prophets” and
the Greeks called them as “makers.”
 According to Sidney, the poet is superior to the philosopher and historian
because a philosopher is abstract while the poet is concrete. A historian
talks about individual periods and nations so he is not universal.
 According to Sidney, art is superior to nature because the poet presents
virtues and vices more vividly than nature does. The poet does not only
imitate nature as it is but also shows how it should be.
SONNET 31 (by Sir Philip Sidney from the
sonnet cycle Astrophel and Stella)
With how sad steps, O Moon, thou climb'st the skies !
How silently, and with how wan a face !
What, may it be that even in heavenly place
That busy archer his sharp arrows tries?
Sure, if that long with love-acquainted eyes
Can judge of love, thou feel'st a lover's case;
I read it in thy looks; thy languisht grace
To me that feel the like, thy state descries.
Then, even of fellowship, O Moon, tell me,
Is constant love deemed there but want of wit?
Are beauties there as proud as here they be?
Do they above love to be loved, and yet
Those lovers scorn whom that love doth possess?
Do they call virtue there, ungratefulness?
 DEATH OF SIR PHILIP SIDNEY
 He joined Sir John Norris in
the Battle of Zutphen, fighting for
the Protestant cause against the
Spanish. During the battle, he
was shot in the thigh and died
of gangrene 26 days later, at the
age of 31. According to the story,
while lying wounded he gave his
water to another wounded
soldier, saying, "Thy necessity is
yet greater than mine". As he lay
dying, Sidney composed a song to
be sung by his deathbed.This
became possibly the most famous
story about Sir Phillip, intended
to illustrate his noble and gallant
character
EDMUND SPENSER (1552-1599)-POETRY
 One of his important poetic works is The Shepheardes Calender. It
consists of 12 pastoral eclogues, one for each month of the year. The
poems are basically about pastoral life. They tell the dialogues among
shepherds, and they reflect feelings and attitudes of the simple life.
However, there is also a criticism of the actual world. They are at times
satirical or didactic.
 Another important work is the epic poem, The Faerie Queene. It is
about King Arthur and his knights. It tells of the human virtues such as
love, friendship, and faith. Spenser gives each virtue a special knight or
protector. The poem appeals to the aristocratic taste and deals with noble
ideals, patriotism, and chivalry. The fairy queen in this text is Queen
Elizabeth. Spenser praises her throughout the work.
 He also wrote two marriage poems Epithalamion and Prothalamion.
Epithalamion is an ode written to his bride, Elizabeth Boyle. Spenser
records the hours of the day from before dawn to late into the wedding
night. The Epithalamion is also 365 long lines, corresponding to the days
in a year. The ode's content progresses from the enthusiasm of youth to
the concerns of middle age by beginning with high hopes for a joyful day
and ending with an eye toward the speaker's legacy to future generations
SONNET 75 (by Edmund Spenser from the
sonnet cycle Amoretti
One day I wrote her name upon the strand,
But came the waves and washed it away:
Agayne I wrote it with a second hand,
But came the tyde, and made my paynes his pray.
"Vayne man," sayd she, "that doest in vaine assay.
A mortall thing so to immortalize,
For I my selve shall lyke to this decay,
and eek my name bee wyped out lykewize."
"Not so," quod I, "let baser things devize,
To dy in dust, but you shall live by fame:
My verse your vertues rare shall eternize,
And in the heavens wryte your glorious name.
Where whenas death shall all the world subdew,
Our love shall live, and later life renew.
THOMAS MORE
 Sir Thomas More was an English lawyer, social
(1478-1535) philosopher, author, statesman and
noted Renaissance humanist. He was also a
councillor to Henry VIII, and Lord High
Chancellor of England from 1529 to 1532.
 More opposed the Protestant Reformation, in
particular the theology of Martin
Luther and William Tyndale. More opposed the
King's separation from the Catholic Church,
refusing to acknowledge him as Supreme Head of
the Church of England and refusing to
acknowledge Henry's annulment from Catherine
of Aragon. After refusing to take the Oath of
Supremacy, he was convicted of treason and
beheaded.
 (The Oath of Supremacy required any person
taking public or church office in England to swear
allegiance to the monarch as Supreme Governor of
the Church of England. Failure to do so was to be
treated as treasonable. The Oath of Supremacy
was originally imposed by King Henry VIII of
England)
THOMAS MORE- Sir Thomas Moore’s work
Utopia was published in 1516
UTOPIA in Latin.
Utopia represents itself as a
traveler’s tale. On the surface,
a traveler relates his
adventures to a group of
people but actually the book
as a whole reflects More’s
serious thoughts and ideas
concerning the great social
problems of his time.
Utopia has two meanings:
“nowhere” and “a good ideal
place.” So, the name implies
that an ideal place does not
really exist.

UTOPIA
 Utopia consists of two books.
In the first book, there is a
deeply felt consideration for
the corruption of the rich and
the suffering of the poor. The
whole system of law is
criticized since it makes people
poorer. For example, More does
not approve of death penalty
for the prevention of theft.
According to More, the reason
that lies beneath the instances
of theft is the increasing
starvation in England. If each
member of society is provided
with better living conditions,
then the problem of theft can
be solved.
 The second book describes a happy
imaginary island where people live
communally. There is no private
ownership on the island and
everything is shared by the folk.
 On the island, money is not used
and gold is despised and even seen
as a badge of shame.
 Institutions on this island are
based on reason. Everything is
organized rationally. Religious
freedom, equal distribution of
wealth and equal representation
are some important aspects of such
a rational society.
 It is a democratic place where there
is tolerance for other people’s
beliefs.
 More suggests that such a place
does not exist but yet it is an ideal
society against which we can
measure the errors and drawbacks
of our own society.
UTOPIA- BOOK II
 The island contains 54 cities. Each city is divided into four equal parts.
The capital city, Amaurot, is located directly in the middle of the
crescent island.
 There is no private property on Utopia, with goods being stored
in warehouses and people requesting what they need. There are also no
locks on the doors of the houses, which are rotated between the
citizens every ten years. Agriculture is the most important job on the
island. Every person is taught it and must live in the countryside,
farming for two years at a time, with women doing the same work as
men. Parallel to this, every citizen must learn at least one of the other
essential trades: weaving (mainly done by the women),
carpentry, metalsmithing and masonry. There is deliberate simplicity
about these trades; for instance, all people wear the same types of
simple clothes and there are no dressmakers making fine apparel. All
able-bodied citizens must work; thus unemployment is eradicated,
and the length of the working day can be minimised: the people only
have to work six hours a day (although many willingly work for longer).
UTOPIA – BOOK II
Slavery is a feature of Utopian life and it is reported that every
household has two slaves. The slaves are either from other
countries or are the Utopian criminals. These criminals are
weighed down with chains made out of gold. The gold is part of
the community wealth of the country, and fettering criminals
with it or using it for shameful things like chamber pots gives
the citizens a healthy dislike of it. It also makes it difficult to
steal as it is in plain view. The wealth, though, is of little
importance and is only good for buying commodities from
foreign nations or bribing these nations to fight each
other. Slaves are periodically released for good behaviour.
Jewels are worn by children, who finally give them up as
they mature.
UTOPIA – BOOK II
There are several religions on the island: moon-
worshipers, sun-worshipers, planet-worshipers, ancestor-
worshipers and monotheists, but each is tolerant of the
others. Only atheists are despised (but allowed) in
Utopia, as they are seen as representing a danger to the
state: since they do not believe in any punishment or
reward after this life, they have no reason to share the
communistic life of Utopia, and will break the laws for
their own gain. They are not banished, but are
encouraged to talk out their erroneous beliefs with
the priests until they are convinced of their error.