AD's English Literature

Sir Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey , both prominent figures in the English Renaissance, played a significant role in introducing the sonnet form to English literature. Their contributions have left a lasting impact on the development of English poetry. Their sonnets  mark the earliest examples of the English sonnet form, heavily influenced by the Italian poet Petrarch. Their contributions laid a foundation for English Renaissance poetry , yet each poet brought distinct features to his work. A comparative analysis of their sonnets reveals both similarities and differences in their themes, styles, and innovations.

UNION PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION(Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2024) Elizabethan and Jacobean drama is defined by its distinctive theatrical properties, which reflect the cultural and social context of the period. Key features include elaborate costumes, minimal scenery , and an open stage design . Theatres like the Globe used a thrust stage , allowing actors to interact closely with the audience, fostering a sense of immediacy . The use of soliloquies and asides was common, allowing characters to express inner thoughts directly to the audience, enhancing the dramatic tension. Violence, supernatural elements, and complex political themes are central in both Elizabethan (1558–1603) and Jacobean (1603–1625) drama. Revenge tragedies , such as Kyd's The Spanish Tragedy and Shakespeare's Hamlet , exemplify the period's fascination with moral dilemmas and human suffering . Special effects like trapdoors, music, and stage machinery added a sense of spectacle, contribu...

UNION PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION(Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2024) Renaissance Humanism in 16th-century Europe marked a revival of classical learning and placed emphasis on the potential of human intellect and moral responsibility. Humanists sought to fuse scholarship with ethics by turning to classical texts, particularly those of ancient Greece and Rome, to guide moral and civic life. For example, Erasmus of Rotterdam , in works like The Praise of Folly , emphasized critical thinking and moral reform, advocating for education rooted in both intellectual rigor and ethical behavior. Sir Thomas More's Utopia depicted an ideal society grounded in justice, wisdom, and civic virtue, reflecting the humanist belief that scholarship should serve the public good. Michel de Montaigne’s Essays showcased personal reflection, merging philosophical inquiry with a focus on human values. (Petrarch , often called the father of Humanism, advocated for the study of classical texts not just t...

  John Donne’s “The Ecstasy” Where, like a pillow on a bed          A pregnant bank swell'd up to rest The violet's reclining head,          Sat we two, one another's best. Our hands were firmly cemented          With a fast balm, which thence did spring; Our eye-beams twisted, and did thread          Our eyes upon one double string; So to'intergraft our hands, as yet          Was all the means to make us one, And pictures in our eyes to get          Was all our propagation. As 'twixt two equal armies fate          Suspends uncertain victory, Our souls (which to advance their state          Were gone out) hung 'twixt her and me....