RENAISSANCE AND ITS IMPACT ON ENGLISH LITERATURE By

RENAISSANCE AND ITS IMPACT ON ENGLISH LITERATURE By: Dr. Nalini Shyam Kamil Senior Assistant Professor Department of English & Other Foreign Languages, Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith, Varanasi

What is Renaissance? ‘Renaissance’ is an Italian word which means rebirth, revival or reawakening. It refers to the rebirth or revival of classical life and learning. It denotes the whole transition from the Middle ages to the Modern world. It is also considered the discovery by mankind of himself and of the world.

Renaissance in England The influence of Renaissance reached England at the end of the 15 th Century when it was almost on the wane in Europe. The age of Shakespeare was the era of Renaissance in England. It began in new worship of beauty, a new worship of knowledge and a new statesmanship. The Renaissance spirits reached England through Italy.

Influence of Renaissance on English Literature The influence of Renaissance is immense. W. H. Hudson remarks: “On the development of Literature this revival of learning worked in two ways: it did much to emancipate thought from the bondage of medieval theology by restoring the generous spirit and ideals of pagan antiquity, and it presented writers with literary masterpieces which they might take as models for their own efforts. ”

The Writers who were influenced by the spirits of Renaissance § The spirits of Renaissance greatly influenced the poets and sonneteers of the time. They were- Sir Thomas Wyatt, Earl of Surrey, Edmund Spenser, Sir Philip Sydney, Danial, Drayton and William Shakespeare. § The dramatists of Renaissance age were also influenced by its ideology. They were John Lyly, Robert Greene, George Peele, Thomas Kyd, Thomas Nash, Thomas Lodge and Christopher Marlowe.

§ The prose of early Renaissance consists largely of translations. The writers of this period were educationists and reformers rather than creative writers. The prose writers like Sir Thomas Moore, Sir Francis Bacon, Richard Hooker, Thomas Nash etc. were highly influenced by Renaissance passion.

Influence of Humanism The entire literature of this period is suffused with the spirit of humanism. The concept of man as the Crown of Creation is the key factor in all Renaissance Literature. All the writers of the age were ardent humanist.

Influence of the spirit of Discovery and Adventure The influence of the spirit of discovery and adventure runs through the literature of Elizabethan Age and even after that. It is due to Renaissance passion Columbus discovered America and Vasco da Gama discovered the New World. Apart from it several inventions and discoveries took place during the age.

The influence of Classical Learning The revival of classical learning influenced a content, style and technique of literature. Plato and Aristotle exercised immense influence on English Literature. The poets and writers of this period experimented with language and invented new models of expression.

Influence of Rational and Scientific Quest The Renaissance fostered the spirit of questioning of rational and scientific quest for truth. “Make and appeal to the reason of man” became the ideal of many writers. Bacon is the high priest of this attitude.

Conclusion In the age of Renaissance it was believed that man is the maker of his own destiny. Man has immense power and potentiality. If he recognizes his potentiality he can be the most powerful and wealthiest man in the world. It was also considered that man is the master of this universe. The writers who were born and bread in the age of Renaissance wrote the literary masterpieces on these themes of Renaissance.

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