17th century

After the death of Elizabeth I in 1603, James I came to the throne. He was the first Stuart King of England. As a result his coming to the throne, Scotland and England united. Like Elizabeth, James I tried to rule without Parliament as much as possible. James I strictly believed in the Divine Rights of Kings. God is absolute ruler of the universe, so the king is the absolute ruler of his people. In 1605, The Gunpowder Plot occured. A group of

 Roman Catholic Conspirators planned to blow up the House of Parliament and take conrtol of the parliament but it was failed and the conspirators were arrested. During the 17th century, merchant and landowning farmer classes began to be economically powerful. These groups were represented by the House of Commons. In return for the money, commons demanded political power. In 1625, Charles I came to the throne. Unlike his father Charles I didnt strictly support the divine rights of kings.

 In 1628, Charles I badly in need money and in return for the money, he promised that he would only rise money by Act of Parliament and he wouldnt imprison anyone without lawful reason. These rights, known as the Petition of Rights, were important because the king agreed that Parliament controlled both state money, the national budget and the law.

17th century literature

In the 17th c. empirical methods began to develop (observation+measurement+experimentation) The learning in the 16th c. faith and reason werent set in oppositon and these spheres werent sharply distinguished. But in the 17th c. they are distinctly seperated from each other. Faith is limited. The change came gradually. The idealism in Elizabethan sensibility became more prominant in the 17th c. All these influenced literature. It became more skeptical.

 There was more introspection, more selfconscious and more self-criticising. Human moods and experiences analysized more acutely. Satire and realism were emphasized. In the 17th century poetry is for introspection and psychological analysis. Because of this kind of directness, economy, concentration and realistic force is seen. The new style develops with shakespeares dramatic verse. Much Elizabethan poetry is inseperable from

 Music. Because of this, it wasnt complex in mood, it was simple and expressed in formally regular style. After 1519, there were changes in style and intrest. Personal melancholy was expressed. There was intensity of argumentation, it was full of energetic philosophy. It had freedom and flexibility. In the 17th c. due to all the changes, some forms of literature began to die out and new form was born. The dying forms were the sonnets which lost its immense popularity. Allegory also died out.

 16th century court church king/court patronage

17th century London Parliament many religious communities capitalism booksellers

 Two important sources in 17th century are Metaphysical and Cavalier poetry. They are very different from each other. While the Cavaliers continue the tradition of fluency, established the rhetorical devices in expression and well established conventions, the metaphysical poets are very different in almost all aspects.

 This group is headed by Ben Jonson, George Herbert, Robert Herrick, Thomas Carew, Sir John Suckling and Richard Lovelace. Their poetry embodied the life and culture of the upper class. This culture specifically belongs to the pre-commonwealth England. Their poetry is on courtly themes of love, beauty, loyalty etc. It is very English and at the same time it is much influenced by classical and cosmopolitan ideas.

 Cavalier poetry presents a surprising mixture of elegance and satisfaction, wit and naivity and schoolboy humour. But it isnt vulgar or sneering. It seems simple but it includes classical symbolism. Cavalier poetry is quite homogenius that is they all bear similarities to each other.

Ben Jonson
Queen, and Huntress Queen, and huntress, chaste and fair, Now the sun is laid to sleep, Seated in thy silver chair, State in wonted manner keep; Hesperus entreats thy light, Goddess excellently bright. Earth, let not thy envious shade Dare itself to interpose; Cynthia's shining orb was made Heaven to clear when day did close. Bless us then with wished sight, Goddess excellently bright.

 Lay thy bow of pearl apart, And thy crystal shining quiver; Give unto the flying hart Space to breathe, how short soever. Thou that mak'st a day of night, Goddess excellently bright.

Song to Celia
Drink to me, only with thine eyes And I will pledge with mine; Or leave a kiss but in the cup, And I'll not look for wine. The thirst that from the soul doth rise Doth ask a drink divine: But might I of Jove's nectar sup I would not change for thine. I sent thee late a rosy wreath, Not so much honouring thee As giving it a hope that there It could not withered be But thou thereon didst only breath And sent'st it back to me: Since, when it grows and smells, I swear, Not of itself but thee.