Lesson 3: 16th early modern English - Renaissance lyric poetry

What historical period does Renaissance lyric poetry belong to?

The Renaissance (early–mid 16th century)

a period focused on humanism, classical learning, and individual experience.

What is humanism in the context of Renaissance literature?

A cultural movement emphasizing classical education, individual experience, human reason, and moral reflection rather than purely religious concerns.

Why was poetry closely connected to court life during the Renaissance?

Many poets were courtiers, and poetry functioned as self-presentation, political positioning, emotional expression, and a way to gain or maintain favour.

What are typical characteristics of Renaissance lyric poetry?

First-person speaker, focus on love and time, classical references, belief in poetry’s power to immortalize, and careful use of form and structure.

Who was Sir Thomas Wyatt and why is he important?

Wyatt was an early 16th-century Tudor courtier-poet who introduced Italian poetic forms into English and helped shape English Renaissance lyric poetry.

In which historical and political context did Wyatt write “They Flee from Me”?

In the unstable court of Henry VIII, where favour was temporary and political danger was constant.

What is the basic content of Wyatt’s “They Flee from Me”?

The speaker reflects on how people who once sought him now avoid him, recalls a past intimate encounter, and expresses bitterness over change and betrayal.

What poetic form is used in “They Flee from Me”?

Rhyme royal: three seven-line stanzas, iambic pentameter, with an ABABBCC rhyme scheme.

What is the central theme of “They Flee from Me”?

Change and inconstancy, especially in relationships and courtly favour.

How does Wyatt use ambiguity in “They Flee from Me”?

The word “they” can refer both to former lovers and former allies at court, blending personal and political meanings.

“They flee from me that sometime did me seek.”

loss and reversal of intimacy

How does memory function in “They Flee from Me”?

Memory preserves a past moment of intimacy and stands in contrast to present rejection.

How does irony function in the ending of “They Flee from Me”?

The speaker ends with polite, controlled language that masks bitterness and moral confusion.

“It was no dream: I lay broad waking.”

emphasizes the reality of the remembered encounter in “They Flee from Me”

Why is “They Flee from Me” considered a court poem as well as a love poem?

It reflects the instability of court favour and the speaker’s vulnerability within a hierarchical power structure.

Who was Edmund Spenser and what distinguishes his poetry?

A late 16th-century Elizabethan poet who believed poetry had moral and spiritual value and elevated love poetry to ethical reflection

What is the basic content of Spenser’s “Sonnet 75”?

The speaker writes his beloved’s name in the sand, watches it be erased by waves, and claims poetry will immortalize her despite time.

What poetic form is used in “Sonnet 75”?

The Spenserian sonnet: 14 lines, iambic pentameter, ABAB BCBC CDCD EE rhyme scheme.

What central conflict is presented in “Sonnet 75”?

The conflict between time/nature (which destroys) and poetry (which preserves).

“But came the tide, and made my pains his prey.”

“Sonnet 75” represents time as destructive

How does Spenser portray love in “Sonnet 75”?

As moral, virtuous, and spiritually meaningful rather than purely physical.

“My verse your virtues rare shall eternize.”

expresses poetry’s power to grant immortality in “Sonnet 75”

Why is Spenser important in the Renaissance canon?

He refined English poetic forms and linked love poetry with moral and ethical ideals.

Why is Shakespeare considered central to Renaissance lyric poetry?

He perfected the English sonnet and combined emotional depth, philosophical reflection, and technical mastery.

What is the basic content of Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 18”?

The speaker rejects comparing the beloved to summer and argues that poetry grants eternal beauty beyond nature and time.

What poetic form is used in “Sonnet 18”?

The Shakespearean sonnet: 14 lines, iambic pentameter, ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.

How is nature portrayed in “Sonnet 18”?

As unstable, imperfect, and temporary.

“Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May” and “And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.”

illustrate nature’s instability in “Sonnet 18”

How does Shakespeare present poetry in “Sonnet 18”?

As a force that preserves beauty eternally, beyond time and death.

“But thy eternal summer shall not fade.”

expresses poetic immortality in “Sonnet 18”

Why is “Sonnet 18” considered meta-poetry?

Because the poem reflects on its own power to preserve the beloved through verse.

“So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.”

final couplet in “Sonnet 18”

It claims the poem will live as long as people read it, granting eternal life to the beloved.

How does Wyatt’s view of love differ from Spenser’s?

Wyatt emphasizes instability and loss

Spenser presents love as moral, virtuous, and enduring through poetry.

How does Shakespeare’s treatment of time differ from Wyatt’s?

Shakespeare confidently overcomes time through poetry, whereas Wyatt focuses on vulnerability and loss.

What theme connects Wyatt, Spenser, and Shakespeare?

Time, change, love, and the belief that poetry can preserve or respond to human experience.