Reading English Renaissance Poetry (1509-1603) | Lecture 7

The English Renaissance was the time of new learning; the invention of the printing press and moveable type; a revival of the arts; of war and reformation; devotion and persecution; soul-burdening theological controversies and dilemmas of conscience that affected every wrung upon the social ladder.

But how did this affect the development of English poetry? That’s what we’ll consider in this lecture. Out of this time came one of the most productive periods of English poetry. Renaissance poetry is a cornucopia of new inventions—a relish for the refinement of classical art; a new courtly and anti-courtly attitude; melodious love lyrics; an exuberant excess of love sonnets; and psalms translated into English so touching in their emotional power and so sobering in their plain, unaffected beauty.

Introduction: 0:00-6:44
Renaissance, the term 6:44-8:25
Humanism and Sidney's Defense of Poetry 8:25-16:37
Reformation and Psalm Translations 16:37-22:20
Poetry & the Printing Press: George Herbert, Edmund Spenser 22:20-31:56
The Elizabethan Sonnet Craze 31:56-39:26