ap lit authors

Sir Thomas Wyatt

Sir Thomas Wyatt

father of modern English poetry, influenced by his continuous travel, popularized the sonnet in English, Chaucer part 2, Courtier of Henry the 8th, heavily influenced by Chaucer, Dante, and Petrarch, Credited with introducingt he English Sonnet with Henry Howard, turns the sonnet into 3 quatrains and a couplet

Christopher Marlowe

wrote Pastoral poetry (presenting nature as most ideal setting to live in) , influences shakespeares Elizabethan tragedies but is seen as 2nd important compared to Shakespeare, contemporary of Shakespeare, wrote in blank verse

Sir Walter Raleigh

born an aristocrat, attended oxford but didn’t get a degree, caught the favor of queen Elizabeth, helped establish the 1st english colony, wrote most of his writings while he was in elizabeth’s court and while imprisoned, had many connections to romantic writers (Marlow and Spencer), wrote his well known response to marlow’s pastoral poetry in a cynical way, more famous for being a courtier than a poet

John Donne

THE metaphysical poet, one of the best writers of English prose, used conciets and unusual metaphors, didn’t get a lot of recognition until post death

Ben Jonson

most famous playwright of his day, defends himself in court with knowledge of latin, his followe4rs create the “sons of ben”, fascinated with effortless beauty

John milton

poet, phamphleteer, historian, considered most significant english writer after shakespeare, advocated for abolkition of Church of England, initial intent to persue ministry but he realized he didn’t like the church, met galileo in florence, wrote 5 tracts regarding reformation of the church government, claim to fame was that he wrote most famous epic poem in english (paradise lost)

Margaret Cavendish

wrote when it was considered improper for women to write, husband was apart of “cavendish circle” and helped her print several of her larger works, attended meetings with thomas hobbes, rene descarted, and other influential writers, these meetings influenced works, disagreed on naturla philosophies, was believed to be “royalist”, published her first work (Poems and fancies) without male assistance, brothers influenced her growing up, lived and wrote during mechanistic revolution with anti-mechanist beliefs, when she died husband published all her works and letters, invited to join royal society meeting in 1667 making her first woman to ever attend meeting

mary Wollstonecraft

mostly self taught, connected to thomas taylor who introduced her to many philosophers like plato, wrote a response to taylors vindication of the rights of brutes, cofounded Newignton Green school forg girls in north London, didn’t consider this a place of serious education and temporarily accepted norms of feminine education, defended equality, contributed to womens rights, natural rights, wrote vindication of the rights of women, natural rights were expanded on as her thoughts changes, as rights were bestowed by god they should be equal among men and women, advocated for educational and societal equality, known for appeals, metaphors, and similes, gives clear understanding of why women should be valued as much as men, compels audience through emotional appeals

Sir Francis Bacon

adopted essay from french to English, original essays were known for giving advice, mainly writes essays for men, most famous for baconian method (precursor to scientific method) playing around with different variables, distilling knowledge into essays, eventually turns attention from law and court to scientific world, was straightforward and assertive writer

robert Herrick

thinks of poems like songs, was priest that supported king and got demoted during reign of parliament, known as greatest songwrighter of English, supported king in english war

andrew Marvell

political poet, was roundhead but often grouped with cavalier poets due to similar styles, saved john miltons life, argumentative with metaphors

richard lovelace

civil war, cavalier poet, charmed king so much that he was given degree on spot, spent time in jail for serving king

lord Byron

Don Juan and Childe Harold Pilgrimage, wrote about unattainable ideals, melancholy mockery, and realism, born with club foot and was self consious, inherited tital and estates of his great uncle, attend Harrow, prestigious school in London, goes to trinity college, Cambridge, lives irresponsible lifestyle gets lots of debt but reckless lifestyle influenced his later works, after inheriting seat in house of lords from uncle he is introduced to wigism and political world, traveled to many countries with friends and took on many dangerous endeavors, began writing career in 1806, first poetry published 1807, was criticized sarcastically by edinburg review and his satirical cricicization of the critic got him a lot of recognition, wrote satirical poetry, dark humor and pessimism, nature of poems differ, joins London Greek committee and faught for greek independence

Percy ysshe Shelley

famous for being unpopular at univeristy bc he was atheist, against neoclassical, used extended metaphors and was romantic poet, not conventional writer was fascinated by impermanence of everything, marries Marry Wollstonecraft’s daughter)

Alexander pope

wrote as essay on man, very self-aware poet, his theme of duality reflects hamlet, neoclassicist, influenced by other neoclassical writers, friend of john swift, had debilitating deficiencies, potts diesease, tuberculosis of spine, can’t walk for many years, gets tutored but is mainly forced to educate himself, teaches himself latin and greek and homer becomes big inspiration to him (with illiad and oddysey), leads him to become the first english writer that gets paid for being a writer bc he translates illiad and odyssey, first professional english writer, writes from possiton where appearance isn’t most important (substance and merit are), when he was 23 he wrote essay on criticism, uses epigrams (short poems_ extending from tradition of writing short poems on tombstones, The Pope us their king and they are trying to distill evanescence of what they call nature (unive4rsal truth that lies beneath things), wit, they aren’t telling stories they’re explaining the truth that lies beneath things in a clever way

william Blake

known for symbolism, good imagery (pink floyd), his brother died when he was a kid and he had visions of his ghost throughout his life, songs of innocence, songs of experience

william Wordsworth

the rolling stones,was national poet of england for 20 years, famous for writings about places

samuel taylor Coleridge

otherworldliness, supernatural, romantic poet, imagery, rime of ancient mariner

lord Byron

jimmy hendricks, travels but doesn’t get famous until he gets to england, his travels make him famous, love affairs, exotic subject matter

john Keats

Realizes he’s going to die in his 20s, moves to Italy, and gets buried in Rome, ode on a grecian urn