...Chapter II: literature of the renaissance (End of the 15th - beginning of the 17th century) In the 15th - 16th centuries capitalist relation began to develop in Europe. The former townspeople became the bourgeoisie. The bourgeoisie fought against feudalism because it held back the development of capitalism. The decay of feudalism and the development of capitalist relation were followed by a great rise in the cultural life of Europe. There was an attempt at creating a new culture which would be free from the limitation of the feudal ideology of the Middle Ages. The epoch was characterized by a thirst for knowledge and discoveries, by a powerful development of individuality. It was then that great geographical discoveries of Columbus, Magellan and other travelers as well as astronomical discoveries of Copernicus, Bruno, Galilei were made. The invention of the printing press (Fyodorov in Russia, Guttenberg in Germany, Caxton in England) contributed to the development of culture in all European countries. Universities stopped being citadels of religious learning and turned into centers of humanist study. There was a revival of interest in the ancient culture of Greece and Rome ("Renaissance" is French for "rebirth"). The study of the works of ancient philosophers, writers, and artists helped the people to widen their outlook, to know the world and man's nature. On the basis of both the ancient culture and the most progressive elements of the culture of the...
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... Review the timeline for the Literature of the Harlem Renaissance 1919-1940 on pp. 1377-1378 of the Norton Anthology of African American Literature and identify what you believe are three primary events that occurred and explain why you believe they had a significant impact on the period. The three primary event is: a. In 1919 W.E.B. Dubois organized first Pan American Congress in Paris. b. In 1920 ratification of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote. c. In 1923 – 33 the Harlem Renaissance The three events had a significant impact because women could not vote in the election as men could and vote their opinions on who they want as President. The Harlem Renaissance was a rebirth and express of African American culture as...
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...Assess the ways canonical texts provide insights into different contexts. In your response, discuss TWO texts from TWO different eras covered in Masters in Pieces. Beowulf, composed by an unknown author between the eight and the tenth centuries AD was an epic poem from the Medieval Era. Faustus was a play written in verse by Christopher Marlowe during the Renaissance Era between 1564-1593, both reflecting the dominant ideas and values of the context. The Medieval Era was a politically unstable time predominantly influenced by Christian culture and storytelling, where heroic tales of the noble were highly valued and as a result reflect religious ideas. The Renaissance era marked a major cultural turning point for British Culture as the philosophy of humanism emerged, which engendered literature to become increasingly vibrant and free- thinking. Both canonical texts provide significant insight into both the Medieval and Renaissance era. These concepts are explored through the principals of Christianity and the prevailing conflict during each context time. The importance of religion were relevant in both contexts, Beowulf reinforcing the beliefs of the time while Faustus indicates Britain's shift to humanist values and intensified the assertion of personal independence and individual expression. Beowulf demonstrates his trust in God easily into Christian context and repeatedly acknowledges God as his protector. “The captain of evil discovered himself in a grip harder than...
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...I learned so much about the history of World literature this semester. I discovered that the definition of world literature is literature that touches the world, not just one country. World literature is literature that everyone can relate to in some way. On the other hand, national literature is literature written about what goes on in other countries but has no effect on the world rest of the world as a whole. Humanism is one of most important concepts found in the history of world literature. Humanism is an attitude that emphasizes the dignity and worth of the individual. A basic assumption is that people are rational beings who possess within themselves the capacity for truth and goodness. The term humanism is most often used to describe a literary and cultural movement that spread through Western Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries. This Renaissance revival of Greek and Roman studies emphasized the value of the classics for their own sake, rather than for their relevance to Christianity. Humanism is an attitude of the mind that accompanied the progression of the Renaissance. This aspect of humanism, sometimes called the Revival of Antiquity, includes the study of the classics; editorial and philological work on ancient texts. In the beginning, the church controlled literature. Writers could only center their literature on God. Writers couldn’t write about flesh, each other and objects outside the church. People of this time were very uneducated because the church did...
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...Renaissance Time Capsule Rodney A. Mathis HUM/102 June 2, 2014 Dr. Julie Kares Renaissance Time Capsule As part of my introduction to humanities class, I was required to probe for a concealed time capsule from both the Renaissance and the Baroque ages. Thereafter, I was required to identify at least two examples of art, music, architecture, philosophy, and literature depicted during the periods. By doing so, I expected to identify how these examples reflected world events and cultural blueprints of their periods. The Renaissance refers to the cultural transformations witnessed in Europe between the fourteen-century and the sixteen-century (Cheremeteff, 2000). The transformations originated in Italy before spreading to the other parts of Europe. Owing to the transformations, Europe came out of the economic crisis experienced during the middle ages. As such, the period was marked by robust financial growth. Similarly, the period saw changes in art, music, architecture, philosophy, and literature. On the other hand, the Baroque refers to the cultural style witnessed in Europe between the 17th century and the mid 18th century (Cheremeteff, 2000). The style was depicted by the use of overstated motion and interpreted features to create stage shows, tension, enthusiasm, and sumptuousness from monuments, work of arts, literature, and songs. Detailed below is what I expect to unravel from the two time capsules. Art From the Renaissance period, I expect to find the Last supper...
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...reflect values of their context. Medieval literature and the renaissance literature was a period of time where religion and values were important, good and evil was widely distinct and the political structure was highly valued depending on the individual’s background. These factors had huge influence on how and why literature was raised. Middle ages was a more a time of religious fears and, scientific and cultural progress was considered evil which made stories more conservative, harsh and heroic. One of the famous medieval text includes Thomas Malory and the Morte D’Arther. The text is a fusion of historical and pre-Christian magical elements. On the other hand, the renaissance was quiet different to medieval period, it was the rebirth of individualism, humanism and free thinking. Renaissance writing, by contrast showed interest in writing, arts and culture. One of the key philosophical elements of the renaissance was the rise of humanism and precursor to the age of enlightenment. Renaissance literature and arts became more invested in the hands of rich and powerful. One of the famous renaissance text includes a Petrarchan sonnet called the Holy Sonnet 10 by John Donne. The sonnet has a lot of religious and biblical context of god, death and eternal life. It highlights the insignificance of death that it should not be feared, it reveals human dignity and happiness and individual freedom. These 2 texts from the medieval and the renaissance had strong beliefs and valued religious/...
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...class, I was asked to dig up a time capsule that had been buried with items from the Renaissance and the Baroque periods of time. I did indeed find this time capsule, but there were way too many things in there to tell you about it all. With that being said, I will pick two from a few different categories and discuss those. This means I will be writing on two pieces art, music, architecture, philosophy, and literature. After telling you all about these findings, I am required to tell you how these items reflect world events and cultural patterns of time. The Renaissance refers to the cultural transformations witnessed in Europe between the fourteen-century and the sixteen-century (Cheremeteff, 2000). The transformations originated in Italy before spreading to the other parts of Europe. Owing to the transformations, Europe came out of the economic crisis experienced during the middle ages. As such, the period was marked by robust financial growth. Similarly, the period saw changes in art, music, architecture, philosophy, and literature. On the other hand, the Baroque refers to the cultural style witnessed in Europe between the 17th century and the mid 18th century (Cheremeteff, 2000). The style was depicted by the use of overstated motion and interpreted features to create stage shows, tension, enthusiasm, and sumptuousness from monuments, work of arts, literature, and songs. From the Renaissance period, I expect to find the Last supper by Leonardo da Vinci. The piece of art is...
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...Running head: Essay #2 Essay #2 Darius McPherson Post University Essay #2 The Harlem Renaissance literature was a spark to African American which created many opportunity for black people to be inspirer to speak out. This allows poets to express them feeling against racism and that equality should be given to the black community. The literature of the Harlem Renaissance gave black people a chance to allow themselves to be heard. This gave hope to the black people an idea to use the (“cultural uniqueness through literature and art”). The Harlem Renaissance wanted the concentration to be on the literature which was used with creativity by the black people to portray black people life. The Renaissance made African American in a way that got them to a higher level to use music, and art to form the start of their own literature which created the new Negro movement. Everything was progressing for the black community as African American started using the visual of art which led them to the creation of jazz music and the approach of literature that shook the cultural into new ideas. With the Renaissance getting the recognition, Langston Hughes was a upcoming writer who would seem to become one of the best writer, poets of his time. Mr. Hughes was an inspire writer in which he wanted African Americans to feel good about themselves. Langston Hughes career as a writer, he talks about the “hardship, poverty, inequality”...
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... people had faith in it and were willing to devote time and money to the church. Throughout the Renaissance the power of the church began to decline rapidly. Although the role of the church changed throughout the Renaissance it was the base to everything in this time period, such as art, literature, poetry, science, and philosophy. Art was being controlled by the church during and before the Italian Renaissance. Every piece of art had to go through the church and be approved. A lot of the art from the 16th century has the bible or something religious in it because the church was controlling the art. As the church began to lose power, the style of art began...
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...In the study of English literature, the medieval period and the Renaissance represent two distinctly different eras. Not only did the language itself change between the two periods, but the scope and subject of literature changed. Broadly speaking, medieval literature revolved around Christianity and chivalry, while Renaissance literature focused on man himself, the progress of arts and sciences, and the emergence of humanism. Medieval and Renaissance literature were influenced by two completely different eras in human history. During the Middle Ages, (A.D. 1066- 1500) the toils of daily life affected the mindset of those at this time. As a result, these ideas found its way into the making of Medieval literature. However, after the great rediscovery of the classical civilizations during A.D. 1500- 1660, men began creating what is now looked upon as Renaissance literature. Though they are both forms of writing, their history as a part of society greatly differed from contrasting philosophies of life, leading to two different personalities. Medieval Literature During the Middle Ages, a great emphasis was placed on the blend of fantasy and reality. Though characters were given human characteristics, their personalities transcended to those of fictitious figures (God, Saints, and revered leaders). Additionally, these stories incorporated the codes of romance and honor, reliving the ideals of chivalry in writing. Furthermore, there was a religious overtone hidden in these...
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...The Harlem Renaissance's Impact on American Literature The Harlem Renaissance also known as the "New Negro Movement," was a cultural movement that spanned in the 1920's to the mid 1930's. It was a time in history that displayed the unique culture of African American expression, through literature, art, music, and dance. This African American culture grew out of Harlem, New York and symbolized freedom from the oppression of slavery. It was described as the spiritual coming of age in which African Americans had a chance to express their creativity. The Harlem Renaissance is noted as being a literary movement were African Americans could celebrate their heritage and reveal the truth about their life and the first time their literature was taken seriously by critics and publishers. The birth of the Harlem Renaissance came out of Harlem, New York in the early 1920's, "it was a time for a cultural celebration. African Americans had endured centuries of slavery and the struggle for abolition." (U.S History, 2008) It is described as racial pride and an intense desire for equality. It represented a time by the end of the war in 1919 where African Americans was going to be much more aggressive than their prewar brothers. Harlem was considered the capital of the black world, because it attracted thousands of blacks from the South and the West indies. It provided economic and education for African American artist. In Harlem, people demanded respect from those who continued to keep racist...
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...Renaissance Humanism encompasses the philosophy that people are capable of truth and goodness. Much of this ideology and philosophy representing art and literature, whose roots are deeply planted in classic Latin, came to the forefront in the Fifteenth Century. Art and literature in the Fifteenth Century were a revival of “Greek and Roman studies, which emphasized the value of the classics for their own sake, rather than for their relevance to Christianity” (Hunter & Payne, 2003). Humanists believed that through the study of “…the classical study of text of ancient Greece and Rome” (Humanism, 2007) one would be able to improve on society as a whole. During previous periods, this type of teaching was kept mostly to theologians, authors and philosophers. During the Renaissance though, the people who had the means and desire to study classical art and literature were from a broad spectrum of royalty to merchants. The students were not studying for professional reasons but more so for pleasure. The interest in art broadened from works Classical Greece to what, at the time of the Renaissance, were referred to as contemporary works and existed as objects of learning or ideal beauty Literature had its foundation deep in classical roots and there are many similarities and contrasting points of view in their themes. One of the most significant documents of literature, during this period, was the theses (“intellectual propositions”) written by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola...
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...Western World Literature December 13, 2013 The Renaissance generation Medieval is described as the middle ages. The middle ages began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and then merged into the beginning of Renaissance and the European discovery. The Middle Ages was considered to have brought more positive things at that particular period. It concentrated more on the relationship with God and it was dominated by the Catholic Church. A lot of things happened in the middle ages, especially in the late middle ages where there was sickness, plague and war which wiped down the entire people in Europe. After the Middle Ages came Renaissance and it changed everything about the middle ages. Renaissance means “Rebirth” and it is described as a movement in European intellectual, cultural and political history that first began in Italy. So in my mini course I would like to talk about Shakespeare, Cervantes, and Marguerite de Navarre who had different ideas about the Renaissance. Miguel de Cervantes was born in 1547; he was the fourth child of an impoverished physician. He was captured by pirates and was sold as a slave to the Algiers. Cervantes was thirty-three when he returned to Spain without a job or a place to live. He wrote a number of plays but none of them were as successful as “Don Quixote”. Don Quixote is one of the longest novels ever written and among the first books that went through printings. The first part of Don Quixote is about a parody of romances...
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...change and the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance was sparked by the pain that African Americans felt being slaves and in turn they moved to the more urbanized and industrial north. It was considered a Renaissance because the liberal arts like, music, literature and art were uplifted independently for African American culture. This in turn created a social change for African Americans to have more freedom and liberty. Social change associated with freedom in the Harlem Renaissance can be attributed to three different reasons, literature, art and music. Literature played a gargantuan role in the...
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...During 1500-1600 the church had many roles in the lives of the people and in the government. The church ran everything which made it very powerful and controlling. Since the church was so powerful and controlling, people had faith in it and were willing to devote time and money to the church. Throughout the Renaissance the power of the church began to decline rapidly. Although the role of the church changed throughout the Renaissance it was the base to everything in this time period, such as art, literature, poetry, and government, etc. Since the role of the church changed during the Renaissance everything the church was involved in also changed. Art was being controlled by the church during and before the Italian Renaissance. Every piece...
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