MB UNIUD

 THE ENGLISH REINASSANCE

• THe Renaissance came into England after the bloody War of the Roses. The English Renaissance  was a cultural and artistic movement dating from the early 16th century to the early 17^th century. In this period the Tudors reigned. The court and the upper and middle classes became highly cultured. Scholars began a new tradition of the Grand Tour and so they travelled to Italy in search of the new learning  that flourished among writers and artists of the Italian Renaissance. English returned home filled with the new idea of Humanism. The English humanists started the English Renaissance with their writings and lectures, particularly at Oxford and Cambridge: these were the most important universities. Most of English humanists  studied at Oxford and Cambridge. The study of Latin and Greek was not restricted to an elite as a matter of fact there was an increasing number of schools for poor children.In the Elizabeth period, the English Renaissance reached its peak. Elizabeth's court in London became a centre of literary and artistic activity. In this court life was inspired by the humanistic values of  beauty, order and natural harmony. People at court had to be able to write poetry, play an instrument and to sing. Poetry and music influenced each other and poem were often set to music. At court flourished original music composers and a new entertainment called "masque", a combination of poetry, music and dance.
• In this period classical lthe anguages considered were Latin and Greek: classical cultures were reborn, thus the name Renaissance. During the Renaissance Humanism had created a new interest in the human being and in the individual personality. Artists represent ,in their works, not only the soul but also the body. Native artists produced a series of anonymous cult portraits of Queen Elizabeth as symbols and a celebration of majesty. Classics influence also the English language. University scholars preferred to use Latin, but when they wrote in English they embellished their prose with Latin words. Moreover the travels and exploration brought English into contact with other languages: French, Italy, Spanish, from which many words were borrowed.
• English Renaissance developed later than Italian Renaissance. English Renaissance coincided with the end of civil wars among the old feudal aristocracy and the new political situation. The English Renaissance coincided also with the introduction of printing that spread the reading of the Latin and Greek classics. Moreover English Renaissance developed later because England was an insular and independent country.
• In the Renaissance literature, women were the most important protagonist. As a matter of fact both in Italian literature, with Petrarca, and in English literature, with Shakespear,poets put their actention on the figure of the woman. In Renaissance developed courtly love,celebtated in sonnets,women were unattainable because their represented desire. These idealized women generally had blond hair and blue eyes. Men at court adressed their componementes to their perfect lover. This kind of woman is connected to the Dolce Stil Novo, as a matter of fact women elevated in spirit men and they were unattainable because they were imaginary. In addiction to this,man needed women to reach Paradise.
• Ballad and sonnet are form of poetry accompanied on the music.Ballad is a popular form of poetry originated in the Middle Ages and handed down from generation to generation. In this period women are connected to Madonna or they are tempter of men. In ballads for example in Lord Randal and in The Wife of Bath, woman is earthly and she is dangerous because she is connected to witch, and so she can kill man. On the contrary sonnet is an aristocratic form of poetry. In sonnets poets expressed their emotions for an idealized woman, that is to say an imaginary woman. 
• The language used in ballads differs from the language used in sonnets. Language in ballads  is a mixture of dialog and narration,it is simple and often each stanza contains the repetition of words or lines, to help the memorization of the text. The repetition of more lines was called refrain. Language in sonnets is precious, so it isn't simple, it has refined and ornate words and images considered suittable for poetic effects.