Renaissance Poetry

In modern times, William Shakespeare is often hailed as the greatest English writer of the Renaissance period. However, did you know that there was a plethora of talented writers at the turn of the 17th century? In fact, some of these writers were just as popular, if not more so, than Shakespeare was during his life.

The Renaissance period was a time of artistic proliferation, especially in English poetry. In this topic, you will take a look at the poetry of five writers from this time period: Christopher Marlowe, Sir Walter Raleigh, Ben Jonson, John Donne, and Amelia Lanier. In addition to exploring the life events and historical context that influenced their poems, you will also learn about characteristics of Renaissance poetry, such as pastoral poetry, epitaphs, and metaphysical poetry.

Essential Questions

• How did poets during the Renaissance respond to events during their time period?