17C - Seventeenth Century Literature Module Overview

17th Century Literature Module Overview

Introduction  SEVENTEENTH CENTURY LITERATURE -Renaissance continues Carpe Diem! Seize the day! -King James & the Bible -Essay qenre emerqes -Metaphorical Poetry -Carpe diem! Seize the day! -Cavalier Poetry -The literary changes helped continue fo form the English language read and spoken today

During the Renaissance, the throne of Queen Elizabeth, who died unmarried and childless, went to King James of Scotland. The Renaissance continued into the Seventeenth Century, and with the ascent of King James to the throne in the 1600's, political and religious tensions remained heated due to many people (Puritans) wanting to purify the church from remaining Catholic elements. King James, who was Protestant, did not agree with all of the Puritan views. Nonetheless, King James spearheaded the translation of the Bible into the English language, so everyone could have access to the scriptures. As the focus on knowledge increased, the essay genre became popular in order to teach and inform others. However, with increased knowledge came increased questions over religion. A group of poets, called the Metaphysical poets, used their poems to contemplate the same questions studied today in Philosophy regarding divinity and mortality. On the other end of the spectrum, the cavalier poets promoted King Charles and stayed away from writing about religion and philosophy and instead focused on celebrating beauty, love, sensuality, and sociality. They focused on living in the moment and embodied the motto of "Carpe Diem", or "Seize the Day". Studying the socio-political implications of the seventeenth century is important because knowing the Bible remains pertinent in understanding the biblical allusions appearing across various works of literature, and the many essays and poems of the time period which create a call to action for people to form their own beliefs. The literary changes in England due to political and social upheaval helped continue forming the English language read and spoken today along with encouraging the continued study of philosophy.

Essential Questions

  1. How does an author's structure, rhetorical arguments, and style of writing contribute to the persuasiveness of an argument?
  2. How can I organize and analyze content effectively to analyze complex ideas and information?
  3. How might I successfully build on my writing skills by writing routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences?

Key Terms

  1. Metaphysics - The branch of philosophy that deals with the first principles of things, including abstract concepts such as being, knowing, substance, cause, identity, time, and space.
  2. Metaphysical Poetry - Poetry that explores the nature of existence including the existence of God and human perception versus reality.
  3. Allusion - An indirect reference to something else (Biblical Allusions, Classical Allusions, Historical Allusions, and Literary Allusions).
  4. Cavalier Poets - Also known as Carpe Diem poets, Cavalier poetry encourages humanity to live in the moment, and the poems express joy over simple, celebratory occurrences.
  5. Conceit - An elaborate, fanciful metaphor, especially of a strained or far-fetched nature.
  6. Essay - Generally scholarly pieces of writing giving the author's own argument.
  7. Philosophy - The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline.
  8. Lyric Poetry - Having the form and musical quality of a song, and especially the character of a songlike outpouring of the poet's own thoughts and feelings, as distinguished from epic and dramatic poetry.
  9. Wit - The keen perception and cleverly apt expression of those connections between ideas that awaken amusement and pleasure to create humor cleverly and quick humorous intelligent reflections.
  10. Wordplay - Clever or subtle repartee verbal wit.
  11. Allegory - A  story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.
  12. Rhetoric - The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques.
  13. Ethos - The ability of the author to establish good character or credibility in order to win over the audience.
  14. Pathos -The ability of the author to appeal to the emotions of the audience and elicit feelings inside of the audience as an act of persuasion.
  15. Logos - The ability of the author to use logic or reasoning to persuade the audience of his or her points.

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