The Royal Portfolio

British Lit Time Period Information

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Research for the answers to the following prompts and questions.
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standards and criteria for grading.

Literary/Historical Time Period:

Prompt

Source #1 and Information

Sou
Source:http://www.
Source: http://people.umass.edu/eng2/per/renaissance.html
ries.asp?historyid=a
Renaissance (c. 1500 c. 1688)

The Renaissance takes place at different times in

different countries. The English Renaissance (also
What are the years of the time called the Early Modern period) dates from the
period?
beginning of the Protestant Reformation and from
the height of the Quattrocento (1400's) in Italy.
Keep in mind that there is
really no exact year, as many Renaissance is a French term meaning "rebirth."
historians have varying ideas The period is characterized by a rebirth among
of when a period may begin or English elite of classical learning, a rediscovery of
ancient Greek and Roman authors, and a recovery
finish.
of the ancient Greek spirit of scientific inquiry.
(Compare the Renaissance of the Twelfth Century
and the rediscovery then of Aristotle.) The period is
also characterized by widespread religious wars,
geographical discovery and colonization, and major
reforms of state.

The word is Fr
use it (from ab
14th to the 16
of rational civ
and Rome)

Read more:
http://www.his
ories.asp?hist

Who are the major ethnic or Source:

cultural groups within the time http://www.asd20.org/Schools/dcc/high/Teachers/Charles_Liddle/ Source: http://www.e
AP%20Euro/Unit%202%20Renaissance/Renaissance
3426300029/northern
period?
%20Condensed%20Reading.pdf
Where did they come from
The Renaissance began in Italy in the mid 1300s
During the no
What traditions did they
and spread to other parts of Europe in the 1400s
place in litera
bring with them?
and 1500s. Let's look more closely at this "great
architecture, a
What is their religious
rebirth" of interest in classical art and learning.
European artis
focus? (could be more than
Then we'll use art to explore the link between
reputations, e
one)
the Renaissance and the classical world.
Countries, wh

Renaissance began with the rediscovery of the

classical world of ancient Greece and Rome.
After the fall of Rome in the fifth century c.e.,
classical culture was never entirely forgotten.
The Roman Catholic Church helped keep
knowledge of ancient times alive by copying
documents that survived from the classical
period. Still, this knowledge reached relatively
few people during most of the Middle Ages. In
the Late Middle Ages, merchants and crusaders
brought back goods and ideas from the East,
including classical learning that had been
preserved in the Byzantine Empire. Europeans
also read classical
works that came to them by way of Muslim
scholars.
This flow of ideas led to a rediscovery of Greek
and Roman culture. Scholars started collecting
and reading ancient manuscripts from
monasteries. Artists and architects studied
classical statues and buildings.
The renewed interest in classical culture led to
the great flowering of art and learning that we
call the Renaissance.

humanism in
was religious,
religious imag
(religious devo
earthly aspira
press greatly
latest scholarl
plays, artwork
Protestant Ref
the Roman Ca
to the Renaiss
Countries. Pro
of most Renai
display of pain
and they frow
during worshi
that art and m
glorification o
Countries wer
but the impac
and Spain.

Source:
Who is the most powerful
Source: http://www.pbs.org/empires/medici/medici/families.html
http://www.learner.or
single person who influences
Albizzi
Because Flore
the time period?
The
Albizzi
were
one
of
the
oldest
families
in
sea trade was
What actions did he do to
Florence
and
led
the
republican
government
for
income. Bank
impact the time period?
two generations. By 1427, they were the most
Florence, begi
What contribution did he
powerful family in the city, and far richer than
were successf
make to the development
the Medici. They had been the patrons of genius
coin known as
of Great Britain
and cultural icons, but the family was more
purity that it w
interested in waging war than sustaining
throughout Eu
commercial viability. By 1430, their military
known throug
policy had cost the Florentine taxpayer a fortune
established ba
and much of their support. Pragmatic pacifists
cities such as
marshaled around Cosimo de'Medici.
(Belgium).
Maso degli Albizzi, patriach of his family, had
two sons, Luca and Rinaldo. From a young age,
Luca was friends with Cosimo de'Medici. They
shared a passion for classical learning and good
conversation. During the 1420s, Luca declared
his public allegiance to the Medici family, even
marrying Cosimo's cousin. For his hot-headed
brother Rinaldo, this was a humiliation too far.
The bitter family rivalry had just got personal.
Rinaldo's impatience got the better of him.

Eager to flush Cosimo out of Florence, he

allowed the head of the Medici family to stay
alive, gathering support whilst in exile. And
Rinaldo's rash decision to besiege the Palazzo
Vecchio when he didn't get his way allowed
Cosimo to return triumphant. The Albizzi were
banished, never to return to power in Florence.

Source:
http://westernreservep
The Renaissance in Europe was in one sense an
Renaissance l
awakening from the long slumber of the Dark
interest in the
Ages. What had been a stagnant, even
learning. The
backsliding kind of society re-invested in the
the weakening
promise of material and spiritual gain. There was
on the daily liv
the sincerely held belief that humanity was
things, enable
making progress towards a noble summit of
their beliefs in
perfect existence. How this rebirth for
There was an
Renaissance literally means rebirth came to
is deemed the
fruition is a matter of debate among historians.
authors and m
What cannot be debated is that humanity took
an astounding leap forward after hundreds of
years of drift. The fourteenth through the
sixteenth centuries in Europe witnessed a
deliberate break with feudal modes of living.
Aristocratic landowners lost their hegemony
over the lower classes, as opportunities for
growth and enrichment beckoned from the
swelling urban centers. In Italy, for example,
educated citizens rediscovered the grace and
power of their classical, pagan traditions. Greek
and Roman mythologies and philosophies served
as the inspirational material for a new wave of
artistic creation. Intellectuals adopted a line of
thought known as humanism, in which
mankind was believed capable of earthly
perfection beyond what had ever been imagined
before. The overwhelming spirit of the times was
optimism, an unquenchable belief that life was
improving for the first time in anyones memory.
Indeed, the specter of the Dark Ages and the
Black Death were still very fresh in peoples
minds, and the promise of moving forward and
away from such horrors was wholeheartedly
welcome.

Source: http://www.online-literature.com/periods/renaissance.php

What influence did the history

or cultural events have on the
literature of the time? Describe
in at least three statements.

What are the traits/conventions Source: http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-renaissancepoetry.htm#didyouknowout

Source: http://www.o

Renaissance poetry includes a variety of artistic

writings completed during the Renaissance in
Europe. This period, which lasted from the 14th
century to the start of the 17th century, was
characterized by a focus on the arts. Some
people consider poetry from this time period to
be among the greatest ever created, while
others celebrate it as a transition between
poetic styles of the Middle Ages and modern
times. This poetry was heavily influenced by the
classical style of the ancient Romans and
Greeks, but also invoked the issues and beliefs
of the European people during this time period.
of the poetry of the period?
(i.e. extended metaphors,
imagery, etc.)
What are the messages
and/or themes of the poetic
writing?
Name the titles and authors
of three pieces of poetry.

Poetry from the Renaissance could be written

about almost any topic, but generally focused on
a few select topics that were of high interest at
the time. For example, many poets wrote about
human development and education, which was
inspired by the humanist movement. These
poems focused on human emotions and feelings
in the present time, and were a departure from
earlier styles that emphasized changes in
emotion over time. A great deal of Renaissance
poetry is inspired by love or passion, with many
poets dedicating works to their love interests.

The Renaissan
awakening fro
Ages. What ha
backsliding kin
promise of ma
the sincerely h
making progre
perfect existe
Renaissance l
fruition is a m
What cannot b
an astounding
years of drift.
sixteenth cent
deliberate bre
Aristocratic la
the lower clas
and enrichme
urban centers
citizens redisc
their classical
Roman mytho
the inspiration
artistic creatio
thought know
mankind was
perfection bey
before. The ov
optimism, an
improving for
Indeed, the sp
Black Death w
minds, and th
away from suc
welcome.

Source: http://www.b
What are the traits/conventions Source: http://www.essential-humanities.net/westernart/literature/renaissance-reformation/
Renaissance-period-1
of the prose writing of the
During
the
Renaissance/Reformation
period,
In a tradition o
period? (i.e. extended
literature
flourished
primarily
in
Italy,
France,
exacting and
metaphors, imagery, etc.)
Spain,
and
England.
Thanks
to
the
invention
of
Elizabethan an
What are the messages
printing
(in
15th-century
Germany)
and
the
Early
said to repres
and/or themes of the prose
Modern rise of the middle class (which
(The reign of E
writing?
possessed the time and wealth to partake in
ended with he
Name the titles and authors
literacy), literature spread more quickly and to a
succeeded by
of three pieces of prose.
wider audience than ever before. This article
Scotland, who
focuses on creative literature (as opposed to
scholarly literature); key scholarly developments
of this period are covered elsewhere (see History
of Western Philosophy, History of Science).

as well. Englis
from 1603 to
These years p
genius, some

surpassed, an
talents the en
imagination, a
this sudden re
heroicand b
for its belated
view, this was
strain, in whic
massive disru
front and deci
individual. In t
England assim
the circumsta
possible were
into question
as the older tr
This doublene
doubts simult
literature its u

Combine the information into a logical, coherent paragraph that tells the story
of the historical and literary time period.

Remember that a solid, comprehensive, senior-level paragraph is at least 8-10

sentences.
Remember that it has a topic sentence and a concluding sentence.
Remember that you may include information that you recall from research but may
not necessarily be part of the graphic organizer above.
You should create a piece of writing that show how seniors take task, purpose, and audience
into careful consideration, choosing words, information, structures, and formats deliberately
during the writing process. Merely copying and pasting information will not meet the
Common Core literacy standards.