Category Archives: literature

An English Mystery Play: Abraham and Isaac, the Brome Non-Cycle Play

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Regina Jeffers

The sacrifice of Isaac is the basis for six extant Miracle plays. There is also the Coventry cycle of plays, where Isaac submits to his fate. In the Towneley Plays, which are part of the York cycle, Isaac is made … Continue reading →

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Roger Ascham, Serving Four Monarchs

Posted on February 6, 2017 by Regina Jeffers

 Born in Kirby Wiske (a village in the North Riding), Yorkshire, in 1515, Roger Ascham was the third son of John and Margaret Ascham. Ascham was the steward to Baron Scrope of Bolton. Roger Ascham was a scholar and didactic … Continue reading →

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Jane Austen’s Publishing Options, or Being a Female Writer in the Regency Era

Posted on November 28, 2016 by Regina Jeffers

Publishing Options for Women During Jane Austen’s Lifetime I thought it time to revisit this post for several people of late have asked me of Austen and self-publishing. “Novels” during the early Regency were geared toward the female reader; therefore, … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, food, George IV, Georgian England, Great Britain, historical fiction, Industry News/Publishing, Jane Austen, literature, Living in the Regency, publishing, reading, reading habits, real life tales, Regency era, Regency personalities, romance | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Colorful (But Lesser Known) Contemporaries of William Shakespeare, Part II

Posted on November 3, 2016 by Regina Jeffers

Previously, in our survey of the History of English Literature, we looked at Barnaby Barnes, John Fletcher, and Nicholas Breton. You may find that post HERE. Today we will explore the accomplishments of Sir Henry Wotton, Anthony Munday, and Raphael … Continue reading →

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Overview: Life and Literature in the Era of the Reformation

Posted on May 27, 2016 by Regina Jeffers

In Academics, the Reformation saw a revival of the study of Greek and Latin writings, as well as a love of beauty. “Humanism” became the newborn ideal, one that advocated individualism, an ideal which gave a tremendous impetus to literature … Continue reading →

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Chaucer’s Influence: Minor Stories and Poems

Posted on October 23, 2015 by Regina Jeffers

According to Chaucer’s biography on the Luminarium, “GEOFFREY CHAUCER, English poet. The name Chaucer, a French form of the Latin calcearius, a shoemaker, is found in London and the eastern counties as early as the second half of the 13th … Continue reading →

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Jane Austen’s “Literary” Brothers

Posted on September 10, 2015 by Regina Jeffers

Many of those around her influenced Jane Austen, but Henry’s and James’s influences were profound. Most of Austen’s biographers believe that Henry was Austen’s favorite brother and James her least favorite. James Austen was the eldest of the Austen clan, … Continue reading →

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Anglo-Norman Literature: The Pearl Poet

Posted on September 9, 2015 by Regina Jeffers

The poem known as Pearl came to us in the fourteenth century, c. 1370. It is the first of four poems copied by a single scribe. Patience and Purity retell stories from the Old Testament and Sir Gawain and the Green … Continue reading →

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Anglo-Norman Literature: Part III ~ Romantic Verse Beyond “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Regina Jeffers

The French epic arrived in England early on. Some historians believe that Chanson de Roland was sung at the Battle of Hastings. We have evidence of “chansons de geste” from the period, which serves even today. The chanson de geste, Old French … Continue reading →

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Anglo-Norman Literature: Part II ~ Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Posted on July 28, 2015 by Regina Jeffers

This romantic verse is dated to the late 14th Century, but it may have developed a bit earlier. The author of the piece remains as “anonymous”; however many scholars view the author of “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” to … Continue reading →

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