Puritan age poetry

 

Puritan Poetry 

1. Puritan poetry is also called ‘ Jacobean poetry (It was during the region of James 1)

2. It was also called Caroline poetry (This was during the region of King Charles)

3. The Puritan poetry is further divided into three parts–

1.     Poetry of the school of Spenser.

2. Poetry of metaphysical school and

3.      Poetry of Cavalier poets

4. The medieval standard of chivalry and other feature disappeared there was no fixed literary standard this age had not much literary achievement.

   A 

1. The school of spenders – the Spenserians were the followers 

            of Spenser.

2.  Spender and Sydney in the 16th C have made fashionable  

             Italianate poetry though this age was against Spender his 

             followers considered him to be their master.

3. The followers and disciples of the spender of this age during the reign of James were

(1)  Phineas fetches (1582-1648) and

(2)  Giles fetches (1583-1623) 

Both were priests, and Phineas fletches wrote Spenserian patrols and allegories. His most ambitious poem The Purple Island portrays the minute details of man-

 (a) The physical and mental constitution of man.

 (b) The struggle between Temperance and his foes

 (c) The will of man and satan.

4. The poet tries to follow the faerie queen of Spenser, but of course, it does not take us to that realm.

5. Giles fletches were more lyrical and mystical than his brother's. 

    His subjects were comparatively happier. His notable works– 

1.  Christ Victorian and Triumph in heaven and Earth over and after Death (1610). This is in an allegorical narrative described in lyrical strain.

6. It is written in a diffuse style of a spender but the ethical aspects are in keeping with the 17 th century theology.

7. These considered men as a pinny, a creature in the divine scheme of salvation.

1.  William Browne (1590-1645) -

(1)  Browne was also influenced by 

     Spender, His important poetical work is Britannia’s Pastorals, This 

     work shows all the characteristics of Elizabethan pastoral poetry.

(2) It is inspired by Spenser’s fabrics queen and Sydney Arcadia it combines allegory and satire. 

(3) It is a wooing of nymphs where they change into streams and flowers. It also sings the praise of virtue and poets dead and living.

2. George Wither (1588-1667) 

1. A dedicated tone and lyrical strain are noticed in the poetry of Wither, his noticeable works are Fidelia, Fair Virtues and The Mistress of Philasrete.  Fidelia is a heroic epistle of over twelve hundred lines.

2. The rest two are sustained and detailed lyrical eulogies of an ideal woman. Most of witters poetry is pastoral, which is used by him to convey his personal experiences, he writes in an easy and homely style free from conceits He dwells on the charm of nature and consolation-provided songs.

3. He was given the littkke , “ Our Engis Juvenal”.

(c) William Drummond (1585- 1649)

1.  Drummond was a Scottish poet. He wrote a number of pastoral sonnet songs elegies and religious poems.

2.  His poetry is the product of a scholar of refined nature highly imaginative faculty and musical ear.

3.  He considered himself indebted to Spenser, Sydney, and Shakespeare. His well-known poems are Tears on the Death of Maladies ( an elegy ) sonnets and flowers of Sion and Pastorals.

---