Context Flashcards
Context: Who so list to hount by sir Thomas Wyatt
Wyatt was in the court of Henry V and he admired Ann boleyn
Hunting was a large part of the renaissance court culture
Context: sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare
has a detached tone and is about love as concept
In other sonnets- looks at dangers of Love and lust
Divorcee was uncommon- expressed idea of commitment throughout the poem
Context: The Flea by John Donne
May have been written to amuse male friends
He studied law- persuasive argument
Chastity was highly valued
Converted from Catholic to Church of England
Context: to his coy mistress by Andrew Marvell
English civil war- idea of making the most out of Time. This fits in with the death that surrounded writers
Poem contrasts to puriton attitudes of the time
Context: the scrutiny by Richard Lovelace
He was a soldier and courtly poet
He never married
Context: a song (absent from thee) by John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester
He was Involved in many scandles- prostitution and gambling
Restoration of the monarchy in 1660 signalled an explosion in debauchery and high living
Context: the garden of love by William Blake
Blake rejected formalised religion- he thought it was used for social control
He was a dissenter (refused to accept doctrines of the national church)
Rejected that god was vengeful and punitive in the Old Testament
He believed repression of sexuality caused personal unhappiness and social ills, like prostitution, and this lead to things like poverty and venereal disease
Critical of marriage laws and chastity being virtuous
Context: ae fond kiss by Robert burns
About his relationship with Agnes mclehose. They wrote letters to eachother
Their relationship was controversial as she was married
Context: she walks in beauty by lord Byron
He was known for promiscuity and scandal
Poem was Inspired by his cousin wearing ‘black gown brighter with gold spangles
Romanticism- beauty= being close to nature
Context: le belle dame sans merci by John Keats
Her mother died of teberculosis and the brother had the disease too
Poem therefore may reflect his impending death
Context: remember by Christina Rossetti
She Had Graves’ disease= Invalid
Written in the Victorian era- high mortality rate, so early death was quite real
Written when she was 19
Context: the ruined maid by Thomas hardy
Written in the Victorian era- virtue and virginity were synonymous.
Sex outside of marriage was condemned
Lack of independence for Victorian women- Amelia is independent but only through prostitution/ being a maid
Context: at the inn by Thomas hardy
Possibly about his relationship with Florence henniker
Hardy was refused his sexual advances on her
Victorian era- sex outside of marriage condemned and virtue and virginity were synonymous
Context: Non Sum Qualis by Ernest dowson
Poet personified clichéd notion of a drunken poet- his poems were melancholic
Adeline foltinowicz inspired his poetry- she rejected his marriage proposal and drowned the pain of his unrequited love with women and wine
