1. Note on Renaissance.

Or: Write a short note on English Renaissance. (16)

Ans: Literally, Renaissance means rebirth , revival or re-generation. It refers to the rebirth of classical
learning, especially Greek learning after the neglect for a long period. It does not only mean the rebirth
of classical learning, it also means an awakening of the minds of men.

Renaissance began with the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Mohammad II defeated the Christians and
occupied Constantinople. Mohammad II was the sultan of the Ottoman Turkey. On the other side,
Constantinople was then the capital of Byzantine civilization and the center of Classical learning. After
the defeat, the Christian scholars fled to different parts of Europe. They spread their knowledge there.
Thus, the revival of classical knowledge started from different parts of Europe. This revival of classical
knowledge is called Renaissance.

Though renaissance began in 1453, its effect on English life and literature was felt after 1500. The person
who brought renaissance in England are - John Colet, John Fussier,Thomas More etc. Renaissance
brought ancient Greek and Roman wisdom to England.

Renaissance period began with the beginning of the 16th century and continued till the Restoration in
1660.

2. Note on Humanism.

Ans: The term Renaissance and Humanism are often applied to mean the same thing which is the revival
of classical learning. Humanism means interest in human affairs and concern for human welfare. The
term ‘Humanist’ refers to those persons who studies the human interest or the human welfare. Petrarch
has been called the father of humanism. He was a classical scholar who was greatly influenced by
ancient culture.

During the Elizabethan age there was the revival of classical learning. The study of classical authors
became a passion of the people of this age. The re-discovery and re- interpretation of classical literature
and art gave birth to a new culture called humanism. The humanists were interested in the worldliness
of life. Under the new creed people started to work hard for making life better and happier instead of
trying to be a good Christian.

The major influence of humanism came in England rather late. The greatest name in this respect is Sir
Thomas More. His Utopia was an attempt to establish the dignity of man.

Writers like Bacon, Spenser and Sidney and some leading dramatists like Shakespeare,Marlowe, and
Johnson took a major role for the flourish of humanism in England.

3. Write a note on Shakespeare’s poems and sonnets. (14)

Ans: William Shakespeare is the writer of 154 sonnets. He writes two long narrative poems and several
other poems.He is called the “Bard of Avon”. He is often called England’s national poet.
His sonnets are mysterious and demand intense interpretation. Among the 154 sonnets,the first 126
sonnets deal with a young friend of him who is supposed to be the earl of Southampton, a patron of
Shakespeare where he tries to immortalize his friend. Sonnets 127 - 152 deals with a woman called
“dark lady” and the rest two sonnets are addressed to Cupid, the God of love. His most famous sonnets
are “Sonnet 18”, “Sonnet 29”, “Sonnet 71” etc. The 14 lines of Shakespearean sonnets are divided into
three quatrains and a couplet. The rhyme scheme of Shakespearean sonnet is abab cdcd efef gg.
Imagery is a unique quality of Shakespearean sonnet.

Shakespeare is also an amateur poet who produced a number of narrative poems in the earlier part of
his career but seems to have given up writing them in the later part. The two longest poems of
Shakespeare are “Venus and Adonis” and “The Rape of Lucrece”. “ A Lover’s Complaint” and “The
Phoenix and the Turtle” are two other shorter narrative poems.

Shakespeare is sometimes regarded as the greatest English poet, but in his own time he would not have
been thought of as a poet.

4. For what is Ben Jonson remarkable in Jacobean literature? (17)

Ans: Benjamin Jonson, an English playwright and poet, is generally regarded as the second most
important English dramatist after William Shakespeare. During the reign of James I, he was a poet
laureate. He was mainly a comedy writer. His comedies are called “comedy of humour”. Benjamin as
well as Chapman popularized the “comedy of humour”.

Ben Jonson started his writing in the Elizabethan period and wrote his famous plays in the Jacobean
period. His main contribution to Jacobean comedy was that he made comedy a realistic portraiture of
life in a humorous as well as critical vein. His object was to teach and delight rather than to create
boisterous laughter.His remarkable comedies of Jacobean period are “Volpone or The Fox”, “The Silent
Woman”, “The Alchemist” etc.

We may conclude saying that Ben Jonson is remarkable for his unique creation of comedy of humours in
Jacobean literature.

5. Write about the Globe theatre. (18)

Ans: The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It is a theatre
where mainly Shakespeare's plays were staged. It was built in 1599, on the south bank of the River
Tames by Shakespeare’s playing company, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men.

Globe theatre was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613 during a performance of Henry VIII, a history play
by Shakespeare. A second Globe Theatre was built on the same site by 1614 and was closed in June
1642, with other theaters, by order of the Puritan Parliament. The Globe Theatre was owned by actors
who were also shareholders in the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. Shakespeare was also a shareholder of the
theatre. It was built using timber from an earlier theatre. There are drawings of the outside of the
theatre, but historians do not really know what the inside of the Globe looked like. There are some
written descriptions of this.
A modern reconstruction of the Globe, named “Shakespeare’s Globe”, opened in 1997 approximately
750 feet (230 m) from the site of the original theatre.

6. What were the causes for the rise of Puritan Age? (15, 19)

Ans: During the reign of Elizabeth I, there was wise and moderate policies for all sections of society and
so, Puritanism could not make much headway. But conditions changed with the coming of James I to the
throne. the wise Elizabethan compromise soon broke down. A number of causes led to widespread
discontent and the emergence of the Puritans as a strong national force.

Firstly, There was a theory that the king could do no wrong, the theory of the divine right of kings. It
shocked the innate English love of indepen-dence also the king was ill-mannered.Thus, Puritans
regarded it as a direct attack upon their personal and political liberty.

Secondly, the immorality and profligacy of the king and his courtiers and the corruption in high places
also fed the flames of discontent and greatly strengthened the moral and social influence of the
Puritans.

Thirdly, James and his ministers were extravagant. James tried to raise money by granting trade
monopolies to his favourites which raised the hostility of the traders. James I was sufficiently clever and
died just sufficiently soon, and thus in his reign there was no open conflict between the king and his
people. But Charles was tactless and did not give much importance to public sentiments. Also he had a
Catholic queen and thus was influenced by the Catholic leanings. His policies both religious and political
were complete failures. Thus,discontent in national life increased resulting in a Civil War.

We may conclude saying that because of the immorality, the encroachment of the ruler and the tyranny
Puritanism became a political as well as moral religious force.

7. In what sense is John Milton a classicist? (15)

Ans: Ans: John Milton,a great puritan poet followed the classical rules of compositions as well as the
forms of compositions. In Spirit, he was a Renaissance writer but in style he was a classicist. 

1.Like the classical poets of ancient Greece and Rome, he adopted the forms of epic and sonnet such as
"Paradise Lost", "Paradise Regained", "On his Blindness".

2. Like the classical writers, he placed logic over emotion in his writing like Aeropagitica.

3. Like the classical writers, he followed three unities in his writings like Samson Agonistes.

4.In his writings, he had the purpose to shape, moderate and modify the life of his readers as was found
in the writing of classical writers like the classical writers .

5. Like the classical writers, he followed rhythm, rhyme,verse pattern, stanza pattern, diction in most of
his writings. In consideration of all these Milton can be called a true classic  writer.
8. Write in brief about Paradise Lost. (14)

Ans: Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse written by John Milton(1608 - 1674), the greatest poet
of the Puritan Age. Paradise Lost is widely considered to be one of the greatest works of literature ever
written. It deals with the revolt of the Angels, the creations and fall of Man from the Garden of Eden .
The subject matter of the Poem has been taken from the holy Bible. Paradise Lost is divided into 12
books.

The main figure of book one is Satan but the hero of the other books is Jesus Christ. Milton used epic
style in writing Paradise Lost. The Poem begins with an invocation to the heavenly muse. After getting
poetic inspiration Milton touches upon the subject matter of the poem that is the disobedience of man
and consequent fall from paradise. The use of epic similes is free-quaintly found in the poem. Milton
follows Homar and Virgil in this regard.

The words are Carefully chosen to maintain the dignity of the poem. The use of blank verse has enriched
the style too. Above all, Paradise Lost is considered to be Milton's masterpiece.

9. Note on Cavalier poets.

Or: Who are the Cavalier poets? Write a note on the qualities of them. (17)

Ans: The poets of the middle of the seventeenth century are divided into two principal groups - the
religious poets and the secular poets. The secular poets were known as Cavaliers. They were also called
royalists as they sided with King Charles I against the parliament. The Cavalier poets were mostly
influenced by Ben Jonson. They called themselves “sons of Ben” and calling so they felt proud. The
poems of the Cavaliers were mostly secular. They wrote lyrics and short poems. The best known of the
Cavalier poets are Robert Herrick, Richard Lovelace, Sir John Suckling and Thomas Carew. Robert Herrick
is the greatest of all Cavalier lyricists. Instead of dealing with issues like religion, philosophy and arts,
Cavalier poetry aims at expressing the joy and simple gratification of celebratory things.

To sum up, it can be said that the tone of the Cavalier poets is always light and easy-going. Such as
Suckling, one of the Cavalier poets, who laughs at the troubles and pains of life.