Context for poetry (Marlowe to Davies)
- Created by: 12sherburnl
- Created on: 27-05-19 12:29
Poetry Context
Poet
Poem
Ao3
Marlowe
The Passionate Shepherd to his Love
Traditional pastoral poem – seduction poem, focused on shepherds, shepherdesses and country life
Contrasted innocence of rural life with complex urban life
Ignored many hardships of rural existence, idealistic
Shakespeare
Sonnet 73
Frequent outbreaks of plague brought death to the forefront
Addressed to the ‘fair youth’ – suggested sexual relation, but possibly just platonic
Sonnet 130
Satirising ‘Blason’ poetry – poetry listing beauty and perfections of a woman
Uses conventional, cliched imagery in order to subvert the image
Campion
There is a Garden in Her Face
Phrase ‘Cherry Ripe’ familiar to 17th century readers, called by street vendors to advertise fruit
Typical women at the time was a passive object of male desire who had to be on guard & protect her honour
Less common image for time of a woman in a position of power, she will decide her own destiny
‘Cherry Ripe’ = sexual innuendo for virginity
Patriarchal society
Donne
The Flea
Metaphysical poet (characterised by highly inventive, surprising and startling extended metaphors)
From a catholic family but converted to CofE and moved towards religious poetry attacking the catholic faith
The Flea was a popular image for poetry – usually envied by the poet for its ability to explore a woman’s body, Donne varies this poetic convention, using it as an analogy for his ‘argument’
Lots of experience with women, lived sensual as well as intellectual life, spent much inheritance on women
Herrick
To Virgins, to make much of Time
Cavalier poet – supported King Charles I in Civil War, promoted crown, spoke out against Roundheads
Cavalier poetry tended to celebrate love, nature, beauty, sensuality and good fellowship
‘Carpe Diem’, usually a seduction poem, but this poem also includes advice to marry
Bradstreet
To my Dear and Loving Husband
Born to a wealthy puritan family, married at 16 and moved to puritan colony in America with husband
Well-educated for a woman at time, 1st female writer in England’s North American colonies to be published
Puritans embraced sexuality and romantic love, but within marriage – a good marriage is pleasing to God
Straightforward, ‘puritan’ style of the poem. Puritans did not like luxury or extravagance
Swift
A Satirical Elegy on the Death of a Late Famous General
Elegies tend to adopt a melancholy tone – but this is a satirical poem, mocking tone
Swift attacks John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough
Marlborough was a well-connected politician and general who Swift believed was ‘profiteering’ off the war
Marlborough was a Whig and Swift was a Tory
Blake
London
Born in London, did not attend school as a young child, wandered city freely, became engraver, Romantic
Religious revolutionary – was hostile to church and priests and had a radical notion of God being a tyrant
Felt church was cold and uncaring in the face of mass poverty and suffering
Lived through revolutionary times (American and French revolutions began while…
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