the Puritans
believed that Christians should live a pure and holy life. Also thought that the leaders of the Anglican church had not gone far enough in their reformation and that the church should be farther purified of Roman Catholic influences
John Milton
the greatest poet of the time and the second greatest writer in English Literature; produced England's greatest epic
Paradise Lost
England's greatest epic
John Bunyan
the greatest prose writer of the age; produced England's greatest allegory
Pilgrim's Progress
England's greatest allegory
Cavalier poets
nonchalant, into love and romance poets
Metaphysical poets
into nature; concerned about existence of life
Cavalier poets
lyricists of lighter vein who emphasized the pleasures of this world and wrote love songs to or about women
Metaphysical poets
interested in the things of the mind, the soul, and eternity
John Donne
leader of the metaphysical poets
John Donne, George Herbert, Richard Crashaw, Henry Vaughn, Thomas Traherne
followed John Donne; known for fusing passionate feeling and logical argument and using rich imagery and conceits to express spiritual truths
Conceits
unusual comparisons
Dealt with a variety of subjects, particularly argument and controversy in government, philosophical and religious subjects, history and biography, and love of nature
the prose of The Age of the Puritans
Cavalier Poets
wrote graceful, polished, light-hearted poems centered in their contemporary world
Richard Lovelace, Sir John Suckling
cavalier poets- courtiers
Robert Herrick
the clergyman
George Wither, Edmund Waller
Cavalier poets who later became Puritans
George Wither
The Author's Resolution in a Sonnet
Robert Herrick
wrote nearly 1,300 poems which show the most variety and greatest lyrical quality of all the Cavalier writings
Sir John Suckling
The Constant Lover
Edmund Waller
one of the most popular lyric poets of his time; greatest contribution was the couplet
Couplet
a complete thought is expressed in two rhyming lines
Richard Lovelace
a dashing Cavalier poet and enthusiastic Royalist supporter; imprisoned when the Puritans came into power; during imprisonment he wrote the lyric "To Althea, from Prison."
Metaphysical poets
expressed devotional themes and emphasized the complexities and contradictions of life in their poetry
John Donne, George Herbert, Thomas Traherne
the best-known Metaphysical poets
John Donne
the first and greatest of the Metaphysical poets; one of the most influential preachers in England
Metaphysical Conceit
points out an unusual parallel between highly dissimilar elements
George Herbert
one of the most important of the Metaphysical poets, was known for his saintly life and intense devotion to God
Henry Vaughan
a Welsh physician, greatly admired George Herbert and imitated him; combines a love of nature with mysticism
Thomas Traherne
an English metaphysical poet who studied at Oxford and became an Anglican clergyman. "Wonder" is typical of his poetry which shows his idyllic reflections of spiritual childhood
Richard Crashaw
the son of a Puritan preacher and poet, was greatly influenced by George Herbert
Thomas Ken
an Anglican bishop hymn writer, and royal chaplain to Charles II
Paradise Lost
the greatest epic in English literature; "attempt to justify the ways of God to men"; answers "Why does evil exist in our world?"; blind author; dictated no more than 40 lines per sitting
John Milton
the blind author of Paradise Lost; ranks as the greatest English poet; certainly the most outstanding poet of the 17th Century; lived at father's estate for 10 years; wrote "Lycidas"
Lycidas
England's greatest pastoral elegy
Andrew Marvell
served as Milton's assistant when Milton was the Latin secretary of the Commonwealth; wrote satiric poetry; wrote On Paradise Lost
