Tag Archives: sonnets

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

Posted on October 13, 2016 by Regina Jeffers

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

Posted on August 29, 2016 by Regina Jeffers

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 →

Posted in British history, Great Britain | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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

Posted on June 27, 2016 by Regina Jeffers

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 →

Posted in Great Britain, history, marriage, poetry, real life tales, romantic verse, Tudor | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

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 →

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