Marvell’s poem urges a young woman to give in to love-making while she is young and desirable.
Yeah, this doesn't sit right with me at all. It's interesting, though, that the "carpe diem" tradition in literature was used in a way that persuaded and encouraged women to marry and have sex while they're young...
The grave’s a fine and private place,But none I think do there embrace.
Wow, these lines feel quite harsh.
That long preserv’d virginity,And your quaint honour turn to dust, 29And into ashes all my lust.
Age and time will only decrease the beauty of his lover, which would turn her virginity, and his attraction towards her, to dust...
Had we but world enough, and time,This coyness, lady, were no crime.
The speaker is saying, if they had all the time in the world, this playing-hard-to-get attitude would be fine. But, because time is so temporary, one shouldn't waste it on coyness(?)
Love you ten years before the Flood
A an allusion to Noah's flood, a biblical reference.
Unlike Marvell’s seductionpoem, this poem specifically encourages young womento marry, not simply to engage in sexual activity forpleasure’s sake.
Umm...not sure how much I like this. Maybe it's because I'm reading it through a modern lens.
The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun
Referring to the sun as the "lamp of heaven" is an interesting and witty way to describe it.
And this same flower that smiles to-dayTo-morrow will be dying.
Essentially, time is fleeting and temporary, so it's best to live out and enjoy today as best as you can.
carpe diem
The first time I heard of this phrase was from the film "Dead Poets Society", and I found the concept very beautiful and meaningful.
WhenCharles II was restored to the throne, Herrick’s job was also restored, and he spentthe rest of his life as a vicar in Exeter.
It's interesting that the livelihoods of these individuals depended and varied on the ruler at the time...
While Elizabeth was not without fault (she threw Sir Walter Raleigh into the Tower of London for marrying without her permission)
Like imprisoned??
The writers that emerged from this age were Christopher Marlowe, Ben Johnson, John Dryden, William Shakespeare and Edmond Spenser all were either magnificent poets and lyricists and playwrights.
Wow so they all grew up during the Elizabethan Age.
Elizabeth was despotic in her personal affairs at times, but she was not a despotic ruler like her father. She was a generous queen earning her the name of “Good Queen Bess” and she reigned over an era of peace and prosperity.
Ironic that the daughter he didn't want ended up being a better ruler than he was.
In the end, Anne Boleyn fails to give him a son, she has a daughter, the future Elizabeth the First. After all the trouble he went to get his divorce from Catherine, he executes Anne on the basis of adultery.
As if it were her fault??
Henry went and argued with the Pope that the reason he had not had a male heir was because he had married his brother’s wife and that God had punished him for going against his holy laws.
The theme of "God punishing those who have gone against their faith" is one we have seen in some of the texts we've read.
The termmetaphysical1 refers to ideas beyond the physical, toideas that pertain to a world beyond the natural world.
I didn't know that this term existed within the context of literature.
King James I authorized a committee of about 50 clergy/scholars to create a newEnglish translation of the Bible, accessible to all lay people.
I wonder how these translations worked. What texts or vocabulary did they rely on when making these translations?
Both the works of Shakespeare and the publication of the King James Biblein 1611 helped standardize the language while at the same time enriching it withincreased vocabulary and phrases now familiar to most English speakers.
I really noticed the difference as I was reading The Tempest by Shakespeare. It didn't feel as unfamiliar or difficult as previous texts.
Cromwell, a leading force in convincingParliament to raise an army against the king, led the movement to execute CharlesI.
Woah.
Against themonarch’s belief in the divine right of kings stood the growing conviction thatParliament should have greater influence on governmental decisions
So, in a way, it was like autocracy versus democracy?
King Arthur appears in the story to pass judgmenton the guilty knight, only to have his Queen Guinevere ask him to change his ruling.
King Arthur was also a character in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. This is interesting! I wonder what classifies a story as Arthurian romance?
Only males attended medieval universities.
Of course they did...
Chaucer’s originality is inhis artful use of the material to create a unified work that portrays a vast array ofmedieval characters.
This is useful to note before getting into his work.
repeated events, often repeated in numbers with religioussignificance such as three
It's interesting to see that, as we've been reading different texts in this course, religion really was rooted in a majority of the literature during this time. Through a modern lens, you wouldn't necessarily associate religion with a story of romance, but back then it was the norm.
His tomb in the south transept of WestminsterAbbey began the tradition of Poet’s Corner.
I've heard of Poet's Corner! It's where Charles Dickens is also buried, I believe.
Under the code of chivalry, the knight vowed not only to protect hisvassals, as demanded by the feudal system, but also to be the champion of theChurch.
Wow I didn't know that the term chivalry hadn't always been used in a romantic context.
And nothing ’gainst Time’s scythe can make defense Save breed, to brave him when he takes thee hence.
This entire sonnet is very introspective and reflective, which are aspects that were important to the Renaissance movement.
the pastoral modea type of literature that portrays shepherds in an idealized rural setting, engaging in contests of singing or poetry, flirting with country maidens, watching their flocks in a peaceful and beautiful natural world is a type of literature that portrays shepherds in an idealized rural setting, engaging in contests of singing or poetry, flirting with country maidens, watching their flocks in a peaceful and beautiful natural world.
I've never heard of this type of literature so it's fascinating to learn about.
When Mary I died in 1558, the last surviving child of Henry VIII became Queen Elizabeth I and led England into a time of prosperity, predominance in world power, and relative religious peace at home.
It's ironic to me how Henry VIII tried so hard to ensure that a male heir would succeed him, just for it to be his daughter that would reign for longer.
arning her the nickname Bloody Mary.
Is this where that nickname comes from??
Upon Henry VIII’s death in 1547, his nine-year-old son became King Edward VI.
King at 9 years old??
When Anne, too, failed to provide a male heir, Henry had her beheaded based on charges of adultery and incest, accusations many historians believe to be false.
This is crazy. He was literally going around and punishing his wives because they didn't produce an heir...as if it was their choice.
Their marriage united the two warring factions of the royal family, bringing an end to the Wars of the Roses.
Of course it's love and marriage that could end a war between royal dynasties.
He is perhaps remembered most for his six wives.
This is the only reason I know of Henry VIII...
Because the emblem of the Lancasters was the red rose and the emblem of the Yorks was the white rose,
I wonder if these symbols are still used to represent these counties today?
With these conditions, it’s not surprising that people of the Middle Ages lived with apersistent sense of mortality and, for many, a devout grasp on the Church’s promiseof Heaven.
Imagine living in a time where death and sickness was so common.
although there were instances ofindividuals, particularly children, dying from starvation after their parentssuccumbed to plague
This is so sad:/
known as the Black Death
wasn't this like one of the earliest recorded pandemics?
In medieval Britain, “the Church” referred tothe Roman Catholic Church
The Roman influence was still strong even after the Anglo-Saxons.
Great Chain of Being2, the metaphor used in theMiddle Ages to describe the social hierarchy believed tobe created by God
So society was shaped by religion and faith.