Eras of poetry Flashcards
Medieval poetry
Courtly Love was this idea of unrequited love as a male would lust after a female, but she would play coy and not consent to his affection
Woman was idealised. It was secret and enjoyed due to the idea of Virgin Mary and biblical traditions.
Heroic couplets. This was added to the idea that they were mostly oral stories and passed on, so this gave them a quality of remembrance.
Renaissance poetry
Lyric, elegy, tragedy and pastoral were traditional features and forms.
Sense of nature and religion to portray genuine depth of love and affection
Cavalier poetry
Many of them led rather exciting lives as soldiers and were resistant against contemporary politics. They wished to see the restoration of the monarchy or supported the monarchy throughout the Civil War.
Morally liberal but artistically conservative as they stuck to traditional rhyme schemes and metre.
Lustful and sexual implications
Direct, colloquial language that mirrored the very personal nature of their poetry. Ties to the casual, amateur, affectionate nature of their poetry.
Metaphysical poetry
Their poetry has been viewed as they way these poets dealt with the upheavals in religion, science and politics.
Sometimes focus on man’s relationship with God, two distinctions within metaphysical. Donne and Marvell more focused on passion whilst Herbert and Vaughan more focused on man’s relationship with God.
Always have an underlying argument; the poems are typically intelligent Characterises by a central conceit. Sometimes these are sensual in the less religious poets
Restoration poetry
Through the enlightenment, there was a focus on reason and logic as the basis of argument within the poetry.
• Stresses harmony, stability and wisdom
Heroic couplets were commonly used throughout the epics of the period.
• Latin and classical allusions were used to heighten intellectual stance
Romantic poetry
Emphasis was on emotional and imaginative spontaneity. Importance of self-expression and individuality within society
Explores truth opposed to science
Capacity for wonder and reverence of the innocence of childhood Concerned for the outcasts in societies
Victorian poetry
Many focused on social issues of the time given the increasing industrialisation that was occurring to the English countryside. Nature had always been a key influence in poetry and therefore this were significant.
Political issues sometimes featured in their work. Elizabeth Barret Browning focused on child labour and slavery which, sadly, decreased her popularity.
More realistic view of nature and the world opposed to the preceding Romantics. Less idealistic. Religious scepticism ties into this idea as well.
Modernist poetry
Rejected the rigid ideas of the Victorians; both in content of their work and regarding their structure, language and form.
Focus on idealism and reason. Questioned Western society and the values that were associated with this and investigated how to improve life
Often used unconventional symbolism to further break away from the traditional
Rejected romanticism, disillusioned with society
Postmodernist poetry
Builds on modernism as it does not reject all the values that the modernists reject. Rather, it favours complexity rather than limiting to boundaries.
Post-modernism challenges the modernist notions at finding a truth and reason as they do not see any universal truths that are uniting and all encompassing
