Do you know about Elizabethan era in literature ? Elizabethan era | literature | A level | A/L

Elizabethan era in literature

Introduction

            Body of works written during the reign of Elizabeth I of England(1558-1603), probably the most splendid age in the history of English literature, during which such writers as Sir Philip Sidney, Edmund Spenser, Roger Ascham, Richard Hooker and William Shakespeare flourished. The epithet Elizabethan is merely a chronological reference and does not describe any special characteristic of the writing. 

  • The Elizabethan age saw the flowering of poetry. (The sonnet / The Spenserian stanza / Dramatic blank verse )
  • Golden age of drama. (Specially for the plays of Shakespeare)
  • Inspired a wide variety of splendid prose. (From historical chronicles, versions of the holy scriptures, pamphlets and literary criticism to the firs English novels)

            From about the beginning of the 17th century a sudden darken of tone became noticeable in most forms of literary expression, especially in drama and the change more or less coincided with the death of Elizabeth.






Characteristics of Elizabethan era


  • The most popular bard in the era is William Shakespeare.
  • Literature was meant for upper class minority.
  • Themes are limited and not unique. (to please the king)
  • Love is basically platonic love. 
  • Structures are regit.
  • Highly elevated language.
  • Clichétic references are salience.
  • The most popular structure was "Sonnet"




I will talk about Sonnets in my next articles. Thank you !

Location: Galle, Sri Lanka

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