Tag Archives: sonnets

Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 29” + the Release of “Leave Her Wild: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary” + a Giveaway

In last Wednesday’s post regarding the game Shove Half Penny, at the end of the excerpt I provided, we have this tidbit of conversation between Darcy and Elizabeth: “All on your shoulders, Lizzy,” Mr. Bennet whispered, but they had heard … Continue reading

Posted in book excerpts, book release, British history, eBooks, excerpt, film, Georgian England, Georgian Era, giveaway, historical fiction, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, love quotes, Pride and Prejudice, publishing, quotes, reading, Regency romance, research, word origins, word play, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

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

There are a slew of contemporaries of Shakespeare of which many of you never encountered in your English classrooms, whether high school of university. These are some of the more colorful ones.  Barnaby (Barnabe) Barnes was the third son of … Continue reading

Posted in ballads, British history, drama, Elizabethan drama, Great Britain, playwrights, real life tales, religion, romantic verse | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Sir Philip Sidney, Author of the Finest Love Poems in English Before Shakespeare

Sir Philip Sidney was born at Penhurst, Kent on 30 November 1554. He was the first child of Sir Henry Sidney and his wife, Mary, née Dudley. Present at the birth were his royal Spanish godfather and his maternal grandmother, … Continue reading

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Sir Thomas Wyatt (c. 1503 – 1542), 16th C English Ambassador and Lyrical Poet

Born to Henry and Anne Wyatt at Allington Castle, near Maidstone, Kent, in 1503, Thomas Wyatt made his first appearance at the royal court in 1516 as Sewer Extraordinary to Henry VIII.  In 1516 he also entered St. John’s College, … Continue reading

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Overview: Life and Literature in the Era of the Reformation

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

Posted in British history, customs and tradiitons, Great Britain, literature, Living in the UK, poetry, religion | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Overview: Life and Literature in the Era of the Reformation