Medieval Vs Renaissance

The Middle Ages also more commonly known as the Dark Age was a period in time that lasted for a thousand years starting sometime the fifth and officially ending all the way in the fifteenth century. This period in time is mostly characterized in modern day by subjects such as the black plague, the hundred years war, tales of brave knights, rigid class systems and heavy religious influences. As the fourteenth century came about there began to be a gradual transition into what would be known as the Renaissance period, which greatly differed from the Middle Ages. It is in the literature of the Renaissance time period that we see some of the greatest contrast between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. When thinking of the many great writers and …show more content…
Renaissance literature on the other hand was much different in content. Renaissance literature was known for its renewal of classical Greek and Roman literature. While the themes found in the books, plays, and poems included things such as exploration, the rise of the merchant class, mythology, the progression of art, science, and most importantly humanism. With humanism the characters portrayed in Renaissance literature had more realistic characteristics, their feelings, thoughts, and motivations where thoroughly explored making them more relatable to their audience. The style in which literature was being written during the period of the Renaissance was similar to that of the Middle Ages. The most prominent difference being that instead of the majority of works being written in Old English or Latin works of literature were being written in early modern English, Italian, Spanish, German, and an array of other diverse languages. Poems were still very much a popular form of writing though sonnets became the more popular format for them to be written in. Dramas and screenplays also became incredibly popular to both read and …show more content…
Love poems were an incredibly popular theme in Renaissance literature whether they were written in Petarachan or Shakespearian it was an idealized love that put woman on pedestal for their beauty, and grace. And when they do not meassure up to the unrealistic fantasies of the men who spend countless hours idealizing their superficial values they are instantly blamed for it. And this is were the major common ground between Shakespeare and Donne is, and what at the same time sets them apart from other Renaissance poets, and even some more modern day poets. Donne and Shakespeare rarely idealize their lovers superficial characteristics or describe their love for them in what most would consider to be unrealistic ways. Instead they had the rare ability to honestly express exactly what they were feeling through their writings. Their poems became about not only about expressing the love they feel, but showing and even teaching others that you do not need to worship your lover as you would a goddess to prove that the eternal love you feel for them is