Seventeenth Century Seventeenth Century Anglo-American PoetryAnglo-American Poetry

RenaissanceRenaissance

John DoneJohn Done The FleaThe Flea The The SunneSunne Rising Rising

Reading PoetryReading Poetry

How do we read and thereby understand How do we read and thereby understand poetry?poetry?

What’s the point?What’s the point?

FormsForms

ElegyElegy: 17C, refers to a reflective poem that laments the : 17C, refers to a reflective poem that laments the “loss of something or someone (or loss or death more “loss of something or someone (or loss or death more generally, although in Elizabethan times it was also used generally, although in Elizabethan times it was also used to refer to certain love poems” (Murfin 102). to refer to certain love poems” (Murfin 102). EpicEpic: “A long and formal narrative poemwritten in an : “A long and formal narrative poemwritten in an elevated style that recounts the adventures of a hero of elevated style that recounts the adventures of a hero of almost mythic proportions, who often embodies the traits almost mythic proportions, who often embodies the traits of a nation or people” (105).of a nation or people” (105).BalladBallad: “A poem that recounts a story—generally some : “A poem that recounts a story—generally some dramatic episode—and that has been composed to be dramatic episode—and that has been composed to be sung. . . . Use simple language” (27).sung. . . . Use simple language” (27).Verse satireVerse satire: The critique of social or political subjects in : The critique of social or political subjects in verse form. Satire comes in to general forms—direct and verse form. Satire comes in to general forms—direct and indirect.indirect.

VersificationVersification

Rhyme and MeterRhyme and MeterRhyme royal: Introduced by Geoffrey Rhyme royal: Introduced by Geoffrey Chaucer. A seven line stanzaic form Chaucer. A seven line stanzaic form written in iambic pentameter with the written in iambic pentameter with the rhyme sheme ababbcc.rhyme sheme ababbcc.Ballad Stanza: four line stanza with an Ballad Stanza: four line stanza with an abcbabcb rhyme. First and third lines have four rhyme. First and third lines have four accented syllables while the second and accented syllables while the second and fourth lines have three.fourth lines have three.

PurposePurpose

““Whether public or private, poetry helped Whether public or private, poetry helped reveal the preordained order presumed to reveal the preordained order presumed to govern human lives—a goal especially govern human lives—a goal especially important to settlers facing the illegibility of important to settlers facing the illegibility of a strange new world” (532).a strange new world” (532).

Edward TaylorEdward Taylor

Meditative Poetry: the end of which is “not Meditative Poetry: the end of which is “not to . . .celebrate the person being elegized to . . .celebrate the person being elegized but yet another demonstration of God’s but yet another demonstration of God’s being glorified in man’s dependence” being glorified in man’s dependence” (Pearce 42).(Pearce 42).

A sheaf of PoemsA sheaf of Poems

What commonalities do you perceive in What commonalities do you perceive in these poems?these poems?

Edward TaylorEdward Taylor