Restoration Poetry
The Historical Context: Two Sides of Political Upheaval
King Charles I of England
The English Civil War that occupied England during the middle of the 1600s was unique in that it was not a conflict to determine who would rule Britain but how Britain would be ruled.
Before the civil war, the Parliament of England was not tasked with governing the land but would eventually come to control the levying of taxes. Over centuries, the English Parliament gradually limited the power of the monarchy by withholding income from tax collections. The struggle for authority between the English crown and Parliament erupted into warfare in 1642. The discord divided the English people into two main groups: those who supported the rule of Parliament and those who pledged allegiance to the king.
Parliament was the initial victor. King Charles I was executed in 1649, but peace was not easily achieved. After dissension among factions further divided Parliament, Oliver Cromwell came to rule the commonwealth as Lord Protector. After Cromwell died in 1658, political turmoil increased almost to the point of complete anarchy.
Oliver Cromwell
Finally, Charles II, the son of Charles I, was called upon to return from exile. He assumed the throne in 1660, ending the Interregnum, or period between the two reigns of Charles I and Charles II. The period following the return of Charles II is now known as the Restoration. Although the king was restored to the throne, England did not return to its former manner of government. Eventually, England would compromise by adopting a constitutional monarchy in which the powers of the monarch are limited.
These turbulent events between the English Civil War and the Restoration had a meaningful impact on the lives and perspectives of the English people at the time. In this topic, you will read poetry by writers who came from both political camps. Hover your cursor over the two sides of the political upheaval to learn more about the "Roundheads" and the "Cavaliers." As you review these two groups of political interests, keep in mind that many people of the lower classes did not get to choose sides, especially when they were forced on pain of death to fight in battle. In other words, if they refused to join the battle, they would be killed by either the Parliamentarians or Royalists who threatened them.
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Characteristics of Cavalier Poetry
Because most Cavalier poets supported the monarchy, they often championed the king in their poems. Nearly all Cavalier poetry reflects the impact of the brewing political turmoil of the time even if a poem did not address the civil war directly. The most prominent feature of Cavalier poetry is the philosophy of carpe diem, which is Latin for "seize the day." During such turbulent times, Cavalier poets emphasized living life to the fullest while they were still young and alive to do so.
As you review some common characteristics of Cavalier poetry below, think about how they reflect the events that occurred during this time period:
- Language was simple yet melodious.
- Verses were charming, sensual, or witty.
- Tones took on a boisterous, celebratory, or lighthearted feel.
- Themes focused on love, war, honor, and especially carpe diem.
Analyzing Poetry Using the TPCASTT Method
Understanding and interpreting poetry, especially older poetry, can be a challenging task. You might encounter vocabulary words that you have never seen before, sentence structures that seem out of order and confusing, and then you have so many poetic devices to consider. Fortunately, you can use the acronym TPCASTT to through understanding a poem step by step. In this presentation learn how to use the TPCASTT method by analyzing "To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell. Click the player button to begin.
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Andrew Marvell and "To His Coy Mistress"
Andrew Marvell was the son of a Puritan minister. During the regime of Oliver Cromwell, he served as a popular representative in Parliament. After the restoration of the monarchy, Marvell managed to avoid punishment and convinced authorities to also spare his close friend and patron, John Milton. Marvell's literary legacy includes political pamphlets, poetry, and prose satire. The poetry of Andrew Marvell features characteristics and styles of both metaphysical and Cavalier poetry.
Access and read "To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell. As you read the poem, apply the TPCASTT method in order to analyze the poem and interpret its meaning. You may use the TPCASTT Template to record your responses. Once you have read and analyzed the poem, access the interactivity below to explore an analysis of the poem.
When you read "To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell, did you make predictions based on the title? Did you paraphrase the verse into more modern language? Were you able to identify connotations, tones, shifts, and themes? In this interactivity, take a moment to review the TPCASTT method of analyzing poetry as applied to the poem "To His Coy Mistress." Click the player button to begin.
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Hyperbole in "To His Coy Mistress"
In poetry, the use of extreme exaggeration to create humor or emphasis is referred to as hyperbole. Andrew Marvell's poem employs hyperbole in order to make his argument effective and add a sense of intensity to his message. Did you observe these examples of exaggeration when you read "To His Coy Mistress"?
- The mistress is hypothetically placed in India (the Ganges River), exaggerating the distance between her and the speaker who is in England (the Humber).
- The coyness of the mistress would be allowed to continue for essentially as long as human history (according to the Bible), from before Noah's Ark until the "conversion of the Jews" to Christianity during the apocalypse.
- The speaker says he would love his mistress for longer than thirty thousand years.
Robert Herrick and "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time"
Robert Herrick was the son of a goldsmith. Following in his father's footsteps, he began an apprenticeship with his uncle but later abandoned his training to pursue academic studies. After graduating from Cambridge, he was ordained a priest. In 1648, he published a volume of poetry called Hesperides containing over 1,400 poems. Although his work was not widely read in his day, his poems are now greatly admired and appreciated, especially for their carpe diem themes and pastoral lyrics.
Access and read "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time" by Robert Herrick. As you read the poem, apply the TPCASTT method in order to analyze the poem and interpret its meaning. You may use the TPCASTT Template to record your responses. Once you have read and analyzed the poem, access the interactivity below to explore an analysis of the poem.
When you read "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time" by Robert Herrick, did you make predictions based on the title? Did you paraphrase the verse into more modern language? Were you able to identify connotations, tones, shifts, and themes? In this interactivity, take a moment to review the TPCASTT method of analyzing poetry as applied to the poem "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time." Click the player button to begin.
View a printable version of the interactivity.
John Milton and Paradise Lost
Milton dictating poetry to his daughters
John Milton is regarded as one of the greatest poets in the history of the English language. He spent many years writing political pamphlets and prose work, but his masterpiece is an epic poem called Paradise Lost. Milton finished the poem later in life after he had lost his eyesight completely, building the verses in his head and then dictating them aloud for friends and assistants to write down.
Paradise Lost recounts some early Bible stories in Genesis. It begins with the downfall of Satan after he has led a failed rebellion against God, who has cast Satan and the other rebel angels out of heaven. After God creates Paradise and the first humans, Adam and Eve, Satan braves the dangers outside of hell and goes to Paradise in order to cause the downfall of humankind. He successfully tempts Eve to eat forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. When Adam joins her in committing sin, they are both banished from the Garden of Eden. Adam is consoled by the angel Michael that hope for humankind's redemption still lives in the future Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Milton's masterpiece was a groundbreaking work that added complexity to the interpretation of the Bible. For the first time, Satan was portrayed as a kind of tragic hero, a protagonist with his own charisma, arrogance, bravery, and flaws. The themes of free will, destiny, revenge, and responsibility had a lasting impact on the canon of English literature.
Access and read an excerpt from Paradise Lost by John Milton. Reminiscent of ancient epics, the poem opens with the speaker invocating the power of a muse to inspire him and help him tell his "adventurous song" that is "unattempted yet in prose or rhyme." The speaker wishes to tell the story of humanity: how the world was created, how humankind fell from grace, and how redemption was earned by the sacrifice of "one greater Man."
While some readers of Paradise Lost may identify the attempt of Satan to overthrow God with the attempt of Parliamentarians to overthrow King Charles I, you must keep in mind that Milton was a deeply Christian person. His epic poem served readers of his time not so much as a call to rebel against authority but as a way to unify the people under a common ethos, sharing the Bible story of hope for humankind during a time of political divide.
Restoration Poetry Review
Now that you have explored Cavalier poetry and the epic poem Paradise Lost, it is time to review your knowledge and practice what you have learned. In this non-graded activity, read the questions and select the appropriate answers. Click the player button to get started.