The Renaissance

1485-1660

Humanism: A New Intellectual Movement

During the 1500s educational philosophy known as humanismtoday we know this field as humanities (philosophy, history, languages, and the arts) became very popular. Humanism combines classical ideals with traditional Christian thought in order to teach people how to live and rule.

Hans Holbein, the Younger, The Ambassadors, 1533 Represents astronomy, math and music disciplines mastered during this period-the slanted skull represents death as the great equalizer

Henry VIII Breaks with the Catholic Church, 1534

Henry VIII inherited his brothers crown and his wife. Why let a good marriage dowry go to waste? Not pleased by the lack of boys provided by his wife, Catherine of Aragon, Henry petitioned the pope to dissolve his marriage and allow a divorce. The pope refuses at the insistence of his mistress, Anne Boleyn he pursued destroying the Catholic church. This is the start of Protestant Reformation. In November of 1534 Henry gained the title Supreme Head of the Church of England, this meant all church matters became the responsibility of the English King.

Break with the Catholic church continues

Henry regarded himself, not the pope, as Gods deputy on earth. Between 1535 and 1539, Henry closed all Roman Catholic monasteries and convents in England; he sold or gave their lands to members of the middle and upper classes. The dissolution of church property filled Henrys coffers and gave the gentry much desired land.
On a side note, towards the end of Henrys life he considered himself a devout Catholic and worshipped in the traditional fashion. He hated Martin Luther and did all he could to block religious reforms.

The English Navy Defeats the Spanish Armada, 1588

In religious conflicts the Spaniard's saw themselves as defenders of the Catholic faith due to the protestant reformation in England, Germany and Holland. Spain was wealthy and strong militarily and had colonies that supplied them with gold and silver. Sir Frances Drake and Sir John Hawkins preyed on the loaded Spanish vessels.pirates they be.

Pirates you say.

Because of English piracy (the scurvy dogs) the Spanish and English broke out in war. July 1588 the 130-ship Spanish Armada sailed in to the English channel with 30,000 men aboard. The English ships were smaller and maneuvered easily, inflicting severe damage on the Spanish fleet. The wind on England's side wrecked many of the Spanish ships on the coast of Ireland. In the end sixty-seven of the130 ships returned and 6,000 out of the 30,000 men lived to tell the tale

Now..
The Jigsaw part of the notes. Turn to your neighbor look at pages 240-242 and fill in what you consider the most important details from the following sections: Rediscovering Ancient Greece and Rome The Spirit of Rebirth It All began in Italy: A Flourish of Genius

Humanism
An intellectual movement where humanists went to the old Latin and Greek classics to discover new answers to questions such as: 1. What is a human being? 2. What is is a good life? 3. How do I lead a good life?

Humanism
The church provided answers for each of these questions and humanist didnt see conflict between the church and roman moralist Cicero. The wanted to harmonize these two great sources of wisdom: the Bible and the classics. Humanist wanted to use the classics to strengthen Christianity, not discredit it. Humanist learned that the aim of life is to attain virtue, not success or money or fame because virtue is the best possible human possession and the only source of true happiness.

New Technology
The printing press radically changed the way people received information the same way the computer or smart phone modern day man intakes information. Books were laboriously written out by handdid you read thatby hand! Johannes Guttenberg, a German was the inventor of movable printing type. He printed the first complete book---a Latin version of the bible.

New Technology Continued

By 1500 relatively inexpensive books were available throughout western Europe. In 1476 printing reached the remote island of England and William Caxton, a merchant, diplomat and writer set up a printing press in Westminster and started printing about 100 different titles.

Jigsaw Time
The Jigsaw part of the notes. Turn to your neighbor look at pages 244-47 and fill in what you consider the most important details from the following sections: 1. Two Friends 2. The Reformation: Breaking with the Church 3. King Versus Pope: All for an Heir

The Protestant Reformation

Henry closed the monasteries and sold their rich lands and buildings to his subjects (mostly those in the gentry class)many of his subjects agreed that the church was corrupt and was glad to see the changes he made. Henrys very close friend, Sir Thomas More, also Henrys Lord Chancellor of Englandcould not approve of Henrys leaving the church and declare himself the supreme head of the church; being a devout Catholic. Henry saw Mores behavior as betrayal and had him beheaded

Protestant Reformation Continued

Staunch Catholics believers saw Henrys changes as blasphemy, supporters saw it as a change to change the corruption within the church, but some did think Henry went far enough with his reformation. These people later became known as Puritans, Baptists, Presbyterians, Dissenters, and Nonconformists.

Henry VIII: Renaissance Man and Executioner

Had a total of six wivesCatherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleaves, Catherine Howard, and Catherine Parr. There is jingle that will help you remember what happened to each: Divorced, beheaded, died, Divorced, beheaded, survived.

Henry VIII: Renaissance Man and Executioner

Despite troubles at homeHenry was an important figure in history. He created the royal navy which puts a stop to foreign invasions and provides means for political power, language, and literature of England to spread all over the globe. Henry was the ultimate renaissance manhe wrote poetry, played musical instruments well, was a champion athlete, hunter and supported humanistic learning. Unfortunately in the latter part of his life he was coarse, womanizer and ignored the one child that would become one of the greatest monarchs England has ever knownQueen Elizabeth, I.

The Boy King and Bloody Mary

King Henry VIII had three children: Mary, Elizabeth and Edward. Law dictated that the boy be crowned first. Edward was crowned at the age of nine, but ruled in name only. He ruled from 1547-53; dying from tuberculosis. Mary, the daughter of Henry and Catherine of Aragon, a devout catholic ruled from 1553-58 and tried to avenge any wrong done to her mother. She dies unloved by her people for burning many protestants at the stake and marrying Prince Phillip of Spaina country England both feared and hated.

Jigsaw Time
With the people nearest to you look at pages 250-top of 253 and fill in what you consider the most important details from the following sections: Elizabeth: The Virgin Queen A True Daughter The Spanish Armada Sinks: A Turning Point in History

A Flood of Literature
Now with the security of the realm, English authors began writing like never before and Elizabeth became their muse. Elizabeth was represented in poetry, drama and fiction as a mythological figure. Anything not depicting Elizabeth was usually dedicated to her because it was known that she was a lover of literature, widely learned, and something of a writer herself.

A Dull Man Succeeds a Witty Woman

Elizabeth dies childless and is succeeded by her second cousin, James VI of Scotland (son of the Mary Queen of the Scots who Elizabeth had beheadedsounds just like her dear ol da right?) He took the moniker James I of England only reigning 23 years. He lacked Elizabeths ability to resolve critical issues. James I was the opposite of Elizabeth in almost every way. He was a spendthrift where she was thrifty, he was thick-tongued and goggle-eyed where she was glamorous and witty. She was all English were he was viewed as a foreigner. James does accomplish great things while kinghe writes books, patronized Shakespeare, sponsored a new translation of the bible--you know the King James Bible and was a peaceful and benevolent ruler.

Jigsaw Time
With the people nearest to you look at pages 253-255 and fill in what you consider the most important details from the following section:

The Decline of the Renaissance The Glass of Fashion

The Pastoral (p 257)

The pastoral poem shows country life in an idyllic, idealized terms Pastoral poems usually have handsome shepherds and beautiful women (nymphs) living in harmony with nature. The characters are highly sophisticated despite their naivets.

Christopher Marlowe
Belonged to the first generation of Elizabethan dramatists. Son of a shoemaker (no, thats not a euphemism), won scholarships to attend the Kings school and then to Cambridge While he was a student he translated love poems by the roman poet Ovidthey were burned because they were thought to erotic. His career was ending just as Shakespeares was starting even though he was only two months older.
Continued.

Marlowe
Became a spy before completing his studies for England--he spied on those who were Roman Catholics. Moved to London and hung out with other recent theatre graduates earning their living by writing play. Marlowes company was nefarious at best and would eventually lead him to his death. The story goes: Marlowe and friends go to the bad side of town get into a violent fight. He was stabbed above his eye. The conspiracy theory: Marlowe never dies, in fact he goes on to live and write Shakespeares plays for him. Perhaps he was Shakespeare

Passionate Shepherd to His Love p. 259

Most famous pastoral poemmany authors have written a reply to his shepherd. Follows the carpe diem traditionin other words one should live life to the fullest at all times. (your generation calls it yolo) Marlowes poems were often set to musiche was the rock star of his dayor perhaps more like the Justin Bieber of his time.

Sir Walter Raleigh

Handsome, expensive taste in clothes, probably very arrogantat the height of his success. Queen Elizabeths I secretary, captain of her guard, and a brilliant solider defending England against Spain, France, Ireland and even those pesky Americans. After Elizabeths death Raleighs enemies poisoned the new King against Raleigh.
Continued

 Enemies create trumped up charges against Raleigh where he would be convicted of treason. He was imprisoned for 15 years with the exception of one year he was allowed to travel to Guiana. He promised treasure for the Englishwhat he gave them was men to feed (including his son) to the Spanish army and who demanded his life. While imprisoned he wrote the History of the World and many poems.

The Nymphs Reply to the Shepherd p261

Sir Walter Raleigh replied to Marlowes poem with a tainted view of love asserting that some shepherds lie and that one must look to the future and not the fleeting joy that summer brings.

The Italian Sonnet

Francesco Petrarch developed the Italian sonnet oddly it is called the Petrarchan form. Fourteen line lyrical poem Two parts: an eight line octave followed by a six line section called a sestet. This form allows the poem to set up this form: statement: question-answer, problem solution or theme comment. The volta, or the turn usually occurs at the ninth line or the start of the sestet.

 When I consider how my light is spent, Ere half my days in this dark world and wide, And that one talent which is death to hide

Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent

To serve therewith my Maker, and present

My true account, lest He returning chide; "Doth God exact day-labor, light denied?"

I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent That murmur, soon replies, "God doth not need Either man's work or His own gifts. Who best Bear His mild yoke, they serve Him best. His state

Is kingly: thousands at His bidding speed, And post o'er land and ocean without rest; They also serve who only stand and wait."

Shakespearean Sonnet
Follows the fourteen line rule, but Shakespeare changed the format. Shakespeare wrote his poems in iambic pentameter divided into three quatrains and a rhyming couplet at the end The rhyme scheme looks like this: abab cdcd efef gg The first and second quatrains typically deal with a questions and tentative answers while the third the turn and rhyming couplet the final answer. See page 277 for an example of Shakespeare'sSonnet 18

RHYTHM IN POEMS
Rhythm in poems is best described as a pattern of recurrence, something that happens with regularity. Poets use the following to create rhythm: Repetition - the repeating of words creates rhythm. Examples: Walt Whitman's "O Captain! My Captain!"and "Beat! Beat! Drums!" are two examples of repetition creating rhythm in poems. Line Length - Standard line lengths allow a poem to flow smoothly; breaking up the flow with shorter lines or longer lines interrupts the flow and creates a rhythm of its own. For example, Matthew Arnold's "Dover Beach" varies line lengths to enhance the mood of sadness.

 Meter and Line Length - Poets don't have to vary line length to create a specific rhythm. Pentameter, five sets of two syllables following a stressed unstressed pattern (called an iamb), is the most common meter, followed by tetrameter, four sets of the aforementioned iambs. Compare the rhythm in a Shakespearean sonnet, written in iambic pentameter, to that of Andrew Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress." If this stuff really excites you, rewrite each poem in the other's form and note the differences. When you get to the point where you think nothing about rhythm and meter in poetry will amaze you, check out Theodore Roethke's "My Papa's Waltz," written in iambic trimeter, the same meter as a waltz (I told you you'd be amazed). Pauses - Poets manipulate rhythm with end-stopped lines--when the poems's sentences end naturally at the end of lines; run-on lines-when the sentence carries over into the next line; and enjambments--when the sentence ends midway through the line.

Meter
Meter is the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a poem--each set of syllables is referred to as a foot. The name of the meter is based on this pattern and the length of the line--trimeter, tetrameter, pentameter, hexameter, and heptameter. Following are the most common feet: iamb - an iamb consists of an unstressed syllable { ) } followed by a stressed syllable {/}. Because it mimics the natural rhythm of language, it is the most common. Any poetry anthology will contain more iambic pentameter than any other meter. pyrrhic - a pyrrhic is a foot with two unstressed syllables. spondee - a foot with two stressed syllables is a spondee.

trochee - a foot with a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable is a trochee.

anapest - an anapest consists of two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable. dactyl - a dactyl consists of one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables.

 Example of Meter:

Time to practice
Tell me the meter of this line:
You blocks! / You stones! / You worse / than sense / less things!

(Julius Caesar, Act I, scene i)

Did you get:

Iambic pentameter: five stressed and five unstressed syllables in one line.