Astrophel And What Is Our Life Essay

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ABSTRACT
Renaissance was a cultural and artistic movement which started off in Italy from the late fifteenth century to the early seventeenth century. After it started in Italy, spreads across European countries such as England and had an effect upon the literature of this period, so based on from here the purpose of this study was to search these effects in terms of poem’s theme, structure, aspects and some parts where poetry was influenced by renaissance in Elizabethan Age. The study analysed Shakespeare’s Sonnet XXLIII, Sir Philip Sidney’s Astrophel and Stella, and Sir Walter Raleig’s What is Our Life, so the study began with a discussion of poems in Elizabethan period and made a methodological analysis to find out how these influences are
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A researcher Montgomery Jr. (1957) states that this poem owes its success for many excellent archetype of Renaissance. He says that because the sonnet form and the theme rises from Petrarch in Italy. Women and men relationship is in the top the poetry of renaissance.
Furthermore, Sir Walter Raleigh who is one of the most wellknown poet wrote What is Our Life. He explains a contempt of the world viewpoint characteristics (Schools Wikipedia Selection, 2008/9). He is questioning the life metaphorically and tries to solve the meaning of and concept of life. Actually, the life is a dramatic play according to this poem.
Consequently, renaissance influences the poetry in the way of themes and life. Death, age, questioning, love, passion are the popular themes in the era. The period has exactly artistic spirit and this spirit awakens in
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Montgomery, Robert, ‘’Reason, Passion, and Introspection in Astrophel and Stella’’, University of Texas Press, Studies in English Vol. 36 (1957), pp. 127- 140.

MacKnight, Eric T. Sonnets, http://www.ericmacknight.com/Sonnets_intro.pdf . Accessed 18 Nov. 2017

Estermann, Barbara. ‘’ Shakespeare’s Sonnet 73’’ Explicator; Washington, etc. Vol. 38, Iss. 3, (Spring 1980): 11.

‘’Analysis of Sir Philip Sidney’s Loving in Truth ’’, Studying English Literature, 17 Nov. 2007. http://freehelpstoenglishliterature.blogspot.com.tr/search?q=astrophil+and+stella

Shakespeare, William. Sonnet 73. Ed. Amanda Mabillard. Shakespeare Online. 8 Dec. 2012. http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/73detail.html

"Write a critical analysis of Sir Walter Ralegh's "What is our life?"" eNotes, 7 Jan. 2012, https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/write-critical-analysis-summary-figures-speech-305730. Accessed 19 Nov. 2017

Vincent, Caitlin. Kissel, Adam ed. ‘’Astrophil and Stella Sonnets 1-31 Summary and Analysis’’. GradeSaver, 3 August 2007

Naeem, Muhammad, ‘‘Topics and Subjects History of English Literature22’’ 16 Dec. 2010. http://neoenglishsystem.blogspot.com.tr/2010/12/renaissance-period-1500-1600.html

SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on Shakespeare’s Sonnets.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2002. Web. 26 Oct.

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