Reading Sixteenth-Century Poetry

Reading Sixteenth–Century Poetry combines close readings of individual poems with a critical consideration of the historical context in which they were written. Esteemed Early Modern critic Patrick Cheney emphasises the accessibility of poetry written during the sixteenth century by illuminating the dynamic and enduring nature of these works and their ability to influence readers′ lives. A broad range of poetic genres are discussed, including lyric, narrative, and the dramatic, featuring a variety of poets, such as Skelton, Wyatt, Surrey, Isabella Whitney, Gascoigne, Philip Sidney, Spenser, Marlowe, Mary Sidney Herbert, Donne, and Shakespeare. Informative and original, this book has been carefully designed to enable readers to understand, enjoy, and be inspired by sixteenth–century poetry.