SURVEY OF ENGLISH AND AMERICAN LITERATURE

ENGLISH
RENAISSANCE/
ELIZABETHAN
PERIOD Presentation by:
Bacunawa, Babie Aura Jane
Castro, Jozyl
Latonero, Angela
WHAT PRESENTATION
HIGHLIGHTS
WE'LL • Introduction to English

DISCUSS Renaissance / Elizabethan

Period
• Shakespearian Sonnets
• Shakespearian Drama
“Romeo and Juliet”
 QUEEN
ELIZABET
HI
Queen Elizabeth I, also known as
Elizabeth Tudor, was one of the most
significant monarchs of England and a
central figure in the English
Renaissance era. She reigned from
November 17, 1558, until her death on
March 24, 1603, marking the
Elizabethan period of English history.
• Elizabeth was born on September 7, 1533, to
King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Her birth
was a turning point in English history as it
marked Henry’s split from the Roman
Catholic Church and the beginning of the
English Reformation.
• Elizabeth’s path to the throne was fraught
with challenges, including her mother’s
execution and being declared illegitimate by
her father’s marriage annulment. When her
sister, Queen Mary I, died in 1558, Elizabeth
ascended to the throne, becoming the queen
of England at the age of 25.
• Elizabeth I famously never
married, earning her the nickname
the “Virgin Queen.” Her decision
not to marry and produce an heir
was a subject of much intrigue and
speculation during her reign.
• Elizabeth I’s reign, which lasted
for 45 years, is often referred to as
the Elizabethan Era.
• Elizabethan England experienced economic growth, exploration,
and overseas expansion. The era saw the beginnings of England’s
involvement in colonization, trade, and the development of a
global empire.
• The Elizabethan period witnessed a cultural renaissance, with
advancements in art, music, and theater. The construction of
iconic theaters like the Globe provided a platform for the
performance of plays by Shakespeare and others.
Language and Linguistic
Development during the
Elizabethan Period
The Elizabethan era is considered the period of Early
Modern English. It marked a transition from Middle
English to Modern English. During this time, English
underwent various linguistic changes in
pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary.
• This linguistic phenomenon,
which occurred during the late Example: Changes in vowel
Middle English and Early
Modern English periods,
pronunciation, such as the
involved changes in the pronunciation of “wife”
pronunciation of English transitioning from /wiːf/
vowels. It had a significant (Middle English) to /waɪf/
impact on the sound of the
(Early Modern English).
language during the
Elizabethan era.
Contributions of Elizabethan writers to English
Vocabulary and Grammar:
• Shakespearean Vocabulary: William Shakespeare, one of the most prominent
Elizabethan writers, is credited with coining and popularizing many English
words and phrases. He introduced new words, adapted existing ones, and created
idiomatic expressions that have become integral to the English language. For
example, words like “bedroom,” “eyeball,” “gloomy,” and “swagger” first
appeared in his works.
Contributions of Elizabethan writers to English
Vocabulary and Grammar:

• The works of Elizabethan writers, including Shakespeare,

helped in the standardization of English. Their writings, which
reached a wide audience, contributed to establishing certain
linguistic norms that influenced subsequent generations.
Death of Queen Elizabeth I (1603):

- Queen Elizabeth I, who had reigned for 45 years, passed away on March 24, 1603,
marking the end of the Tudor dynasty.
- Her death was met with a mix of grief and uncertainty, as she was a beloved monarch
who had brought a period of relative stability and cultural flourishing to England.
- With the death of Elizabeth, the English crown passed to James VI of Scotland, who
became James I of England. This event is known as the Union of the Crowns because it
united the English and Scottish thrones under one monarch.
- James I’s reign marked the beginning of the Stuart dynasty in England.
 In summary, the Elizabethan period was a crucial phase in the
evolution of the English language. The contributions of writers
like Shakespeare, along with broader linguistic shifts, helped
shape the language into its modern form. The Elizabethan era’s
creative linguistic experimentation, the introduction of new
vocabulary, and advancements in grammar and syntax continue
to influence and enrich the English language today.
SHAKESPEARIAN
SONNETS
PRESEN TO R: LATO N ER O

Survey of English and American Literature

 What is Shakespearian Sonnet?

A sonnet is a 14-line poem with a specific rhyme scheme and

structure. The most common type of sonnet is the Shakespearean
sonnet, which is divided into three quatrains (four-line stanzas)
and a final couplet (two-line stanza).
Here is a diagram of the rhyme scheme:
Quatrain 1: ABAB
Quatrain 2: CDCD
Quatrain 3: EFEF
Couplet: GG
Sonnet 18

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And
Nor shall death brag thou wander'st in his
summer's lease hath all too short a date.
shade, When in eternal lines to time thou
grow'st.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
By chance, or nature's changing course untrimmed.
• This rhyme scheme is often used in Shakespearean sonnets because it
creates a sense of rhythm and flow. The alternating rhymes keep the
reader engaged, and the final couplet provides a sense of closure.

• Sonnets often explore themes of love, loss, beauty, and time. They can
be written in a variety of styles, including lyrical, philosophical, and
satirical.
Context about the Elizabethan era and how societal norms and poetic
conventions of the time influenced the sonnets

• The Elizabethan era was a time of great cultural and artistic flourishing in England. It was also
a time of strict social hierarchy and gender roles.

• Sonnets were a popular form of poetry during the Elizabethan era, and they were often used to
express love and admiration for another person. However, due to the societal norms of the
time, Shakespeare's sonnets are often ambiguous in terms of their gender and sexuality.
Context about the Elizabethan era and how societal norms and
poetic conventions of the time influenced the sonnets

• Some scholars believe that Shakespeare's sonnets are addressed to a young

man, while others believe that they are addressed to a woman.

• Regardless of their gender, the subject of Shakespeare's sonnets is clearly

someone whom he loves and admires.
Examples of famous sonnets of William Shakespeare

• Sonnet 18: This sonnet is one of the most famous love poems ever
written.
• Sonnet 30: This sonnet is a meditation on the speaker's love for his
beloved.
• Sonnet 116: This sonnet is often referred to as "the marriage sonnet." It
defines love as a bond that is "an ever-fixed mark."
 Examples of famous Sonnets of William Shakespeare

• Sonnet 130: This sonnet is a more cynical take on love.

• Sonnet 138: This sonnet is a confession of the speaker's own

unworthiness.
 Analysis of Sonnet 18

The poem begins with the speaker asking his beloved to compare her beauty to a
summer's day:
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
The speaker then goes on to list the ways in which his beloved's beauty is superior
to a summer's day. He says that her beauty is more lasting, more temperate, and
more radiant.
In the third quatrain, the speaker acknowledges that his beloved is mortal, but he
assures her that her beauty will live on in his poetry:

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature's changing course untrimmed:
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st:
 In the couplet, the speaker makes his final declaration of love. He says that his
beloved's beauty will be immortalized in his poetry, and that she will live on in the
hearts of readers for generations to come:

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
 Elements of Poetry

• Imagery: The poem uses imagery of flowers, the sun, and time to create a vivid and sensory experience for the reader.
• Figurative language: The poem uses figurative language, such as metaphor and personification, to make the poem more
expressive and evocative.
• This metaphor suggests that the speaker's beloved's beauty is everlasting and unchanging.
• This personification makes death seem more real and threatening
• Theme: The poem explores the themes of love, beauty, and immortality.
 Analysis of Sonnet 116
The poem begins with the speaker declaring that true love is not subject to change or decay:

Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:

The speaker then goes on to compare true love to a "constant star" that guides sailors through
the darkest night:

O no! it is an ever-fixed mark

That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wand'ring bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
 The speaker continues by asserting that true love is not affected by time or age:

Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks

Within his bending sickle's compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.

In the final couplet, the speaker expresses his absolute confidence in the power of true
love:

If this be error and upon me proved,

I never writ, nor no man ever loved.
 Elements of Poetry

• Imagery: The poem uses vivid imagery to depict love as a star that guides ships, unwavering
in its course.
• Figurative Language: Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare employs various forms of figurative
language to convey its message.
• Tone and Mood: Sonnet 116 conveys a tone of certainty and conviction.
• Rhyme and Meter: The poem is written in iambic pentameter.
• Themes: The sonnet explores themes of love, constancy, and the enduring nature of true love.
 Analysis of Sonnet 30

The poem begins with the speaker describing how he often sits alone and reflects
on his past losses. He thinks about the friends who have died, the loved ones who
have left him, and the opportunities that he has missed. This reflection brings him
great sadness and despair:

When to the sessions of sweet silent thought

I summon up remembrance of things past,
I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,
And with old woes new wail my dear time’s waste:
 In the second quatrain, the speaker compares his grief to a "sessions of sweet silent
thought." He suggests that his grief is not a passing emotion, but something that he
carries with him constantly. He also suggests that his grief is a source of both pain and
pleasure:

Then can I drown an eye, unus’d to flow,

For precious friends hid in death’s dateless night,
And weep afresh love’s long since cancell’d woe,
And moan th’ expense of many a vanish’d sight;
In the third quatrain, the speaker describes how his grief is compounded by the fact
that he feels guilty for his past mistakes. He regrets the things that he has done and
the things that he has failed to do. This guilt makes his grief even more difficult to
bear:

Then can I grieve at grievances foregone,

And heavily from woe to woe tell o’er
The sad account of fore-bemoaned moan,
Which I new pay as if not paid before.
In the couplet, the speaker finally finds some comfort in the thought of his beloved.
He realizes that even though he has lost so much in his life, he still has his beloved's
love. This gives him the strength to carry on despite his grief:

But if the while I think on thee, dear friend,

All losses are restor’d, and sorrows end.
 Elements of Poetry

• Structure: Sonnet 30 follows the traditional Shakespearean sonnet

structure, consisting of 14 lines in iambic pentameter.
• Imagery: The sonnet employs vivid imagery,
• Tone: The tone shifts from despondency to hope as the poem progresses.
• Theme: The primary theme of the sonnet is the healing and transformative
power of poetry
 Analysis of Sonnet 130

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;(a)

Coral is far more red than her lips' red;(b)
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;(a)
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head(b).

Quatrain 1 – The first quatrain compares the woman’s physical appearance to the
sun, coral, snow, and wires (golden wires used for hair nets). None of the woman’s
physical attributes are as lovely.
 Analysis of Sonnet 130

I have seen roses damask'd, red and white,(c)

But no such roses see I in her cheeks;(d)
And in some perfumes is there more delight(c)
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.(d)

Quatrain 2- The second quatrain again compares the woman’s cheeks to roses and
her breath to perfume, but they do not measure up. Her cheeks are pale and her breath
smells.
 Analysis of Sonnet 130

I love to hear her speak, yet well I know(e)

That music hath a far more pleasing sound;(f)
I grant I never saw a goddess go;(e)
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground:(f)

Quatrain 3 – The woman’s voice does not sound like beautiful music. The woman is
no goddess.
 Analysis of Sonnet 130

And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare(g)

As any she belied with false compare.(g)

Couplet – The three quatrains show that the speaker does not love the woman or like
the way she looks. However, the twist in the couplet is that the man sees that his love
has faults but he loves her anyway.
 Elements of Poetry

Simile
“My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;”
(line 1)
In this simile, the mistress’ eyes are being compared to the sun.
The sun creates the image of something bright and shiny.
However, since the mistress’ eyes are “nothing” like sun, her eyes
are the opposite of bright and shiny.
 Elements of Poetry

Imagery
“If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head” (line 4).
The wires during Shakespeare’s time period were a common
image. The wires refer to golden wires used to make hair nets for
women’s intricate hair designs.
 Elements of Poetry

Metaphor: The poem uses metaphors, such as comparing the

lover's hair to wires “black wires grow on her head. “And her
breath to perfume.
 Elements of Poetry

Themes: Love, appearances, and admiration are the major

themes of this sonnet. The poem presents two things: the worldly
standard of beauty and the poet’s definition of beauty.
 Analysis of Sonnet 138

When my love swears that she is made of truth, (a)

I do believe her, though I know she lies, (b)
That she might think me some untutored youth, (a)
Unlearned in the world’s false subtleties. (b)

Quatrain 1- The speaker presents his beloved, who claims that

she always speaks the truth, and the speaker says that he has no
choice but to believe her.
 Analysis of Sonnet 138

Thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young, (c)

Although she knows my days are past the best, (d)
Simply I credit her false-speaking tongue: (c)
On both sides thus is simple truth suppressed. (d)
Quatrain 2: The speaker states that he thinks in vain that his
beloved takes him as a young man, and she knows it that he has
passed his prime. Although he credits her for speaking the truth, he
knows that his beloved has suppressed the truth on both occasions.
 Analysis of Sonnet 138

But wherefore says she not she is unjust? (e)

And wherefore say not I that I am old? (f)
Oh, love’s best habit is in seeming trust, (e)
And age in love loves not to have years told. (f)

Quatrain 3: The speaker asks the reason for her being unjust or
his being old. He further asks the reason what she says is unjust or
what she tells about him that he is old.
 Analysis of Sonnet 138

Therefore I lie with her and she with me, (g)

And in our faults by lies we flattered be. (g)

Couplet- The speaker states that due to all these reasons, both he and
his beloved lie to each other, and it does not matter as this act does not
harm them. This is how they commit a mistake but flatter each other as
it is a panacea of their love.
 Elements of Poetry

Metaphor and Paradox

The speaker uses metaphor and paradox to present the relationship
between himself and his lover. It is a relationship built upon
contradictions and dishonesty. He says,
When my love swears that she is made of truth,
I do believe her, though I know she lies,"
He compares the Dark Lady's essence to that of truth, implying that everything about her
is honest. This assertion makes the revelation in line 2, "though I know she lies," a blatant
paradox. He believes her despite knowing that she is a liar.
 Elements of Poetry

Themes: Love, flattery, and lust are the major themes

of this poem. This poem is about two lovers whose
illegitimate love affair is coated with lust and sweet lies.
The speaker is an old and experienced man, while her
lady thinks that he is an innocent young guy.
THANK YOU!