English Literary Criticism: The Renascence.

XI, 371 p. Einband mit minimalen Gebrauchsspuren, innen sauber und ohne Anstreichungen / Binding with minimal signs of handling, clean inside and without markings. - CONTENTS CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION The scope of the present inquiry: earlier treatments of the subject: contemporary criticism determined mainly by national needs: prevailing literary conditions: debt to 15th-Century Italian Humanists: Nature or reason the main critical instrument: the critical development outlined CHAPTER II : THE BREAK WITH MEDIEVALISM: ITALIAN HUMANISTS Classical literature employed in the service of education in 15th-Century Italy: Greek and Latin MSS. recovered: fresh light on antiquity: rationalistic spirit engendered : textual and historical criticism begun: works of Vergerius, Bruni, Valla, and others: debt to recovered classics: literary theorizing: value of literature and nature of literary art: study of oratory and prose style: Ciceronianism and its challenge by Politian: poetry, its nature and art: medieval and post-classical doctrines: esoteric and allegorical theories : literary appreciation: judicial standards: historical and allegorical methods of interpretation: individual writers appreciated: Virgil-worship: main achievement of the period CHAPTER III : HUMANISM IN ENGLAND: COLET, ERASMUS, VIVES English medieval criticism and 15th-Century Humanism : the changed outlook of Colet, Erasmus, and Vives: their critical works: literary theorizing: oratory and style : revival of classical rhetoric : Ciceronianism: poetic theory : Erasmus's limited sympathies : Vives's Neo-Platonic and Plutarchian ideas : his defence of poetry: remarks on history and philosophy: attitude towards the vernaculars : judicial criticism: limited appreciation of ancient classics : Virgil-worship : historical treatment of Biblical literature by Colet and Erasmus: strictures on medieval romance and love-poetry: on current verse and pulpit oratory: new critical standards and methods CHAPTER IV: THE RHETORIC TRADITION: JEWEL, WILSON, ASCHAM New rhetorical studies after 1500: school-manuals of Cox, Sherry, &c.: Elyot's advocacy and Jewel's challenge Wilson's Arte of Rhetorique: its plan and treatment: nature and value of eloquence': main principles of the art stylistic abuses condemned: remarks on wit and humour: on character-drawing on poetry, rhyme and romances: value of the Arte: reminiscences in Shakespeare's plays: Ascham's Scholemaster: classical rhetorical principles: further practical advice: theory of 'imitation': views on literature: the 'kinds' distinguished by differences of style: remarks on poetry, romances and rhyme: the new versi- fying' advocated judgments on Greek tragedy and Chaucer: Cheke's appreciation of Sallust recalled: contributions by other writers: the vernacular discussed: Tyndale, More, Elyot, Cheke views on poetry: Elyot's Apology CHAPTER V: THE DEFENCE OF POETRY: WILLIS, LODGE, SIDNEY Attempts to explain and justify poetry after 1570: Willis's Disputatio: reply to current objections: the value of poetry: its origin and nature: 'ideal imitation': rational explanation of poetic inspiration': Puritan opposition: Gosson's School of Abuse: Lodge's Defence: allegorical theory: post-classical and patristic arguments: Sidney's Apology: its plan: introductory stock arguments: nature of poetry: verse non-essential: 'poetic inspiration': an art of 'imitation': its element of ideal and universal truth: the 'kinds of poetry value of poetry in general: com- parison with history and philosophy; poetry more con- ducive to virtue and virtuous action: replies to current detractions: literary excellences of the defence: appended remarks on contemporary poetry: causes of the prevailing contempt: notes on the poetic art: Sidney's conception of tragedy and current defects: remarks on comedy and tragi-comedy: on lyrical poetry, diction, style, and the 'new versifying': judgments on contemporary, Biblical and medieval poetry: merits of Sidney's performance CHAPTER VI: THE ART OF POETRY: GASCOIGNE, HARVEY, 'E. K.', WEBBE, PUTTENHAM Gascoigne's Notes: practical injunctions on verse-forms and prosody: Harvey's Four Letters: 'new versifying': diffi- culties presented by unsettled orthography and native word- accent: Stanyhurst's system: Harvey's condemnation of figure-poems: 'E. K.'s' scholia: origin and nature of poetry: Spenser's treatment of pastoral poetry: defence of archaic diction: 'E. K.'s "romantic' doctrine: Webbe's Discourse: development of ancient poetry: catalogue of native poets: subject-matter and kinds of poetry: prosody and the 'new versifying': comments on English poets: value of the work: Puttenham's Arte: authorship, date, method and plan of the work: Book I. Poetry in general: its creative processes, subject-matter and function: classification of the 'kinds': current poetic forms and poets: Book II. Prosody: twofold conception of art: verse an essential element: rhyming verse advocated: its historical defence: effects of varying lines and stanza- forms: figure-poems commended: treatment of rhymes : 'new versifying': Book III. Ornament: diction and style: simplified treatment of figures: their elements of grace and surprise their effects of sound and sense: further comments on the poetic craft: merits of the work CHAPTER VII: CRITICAL DEVELOPMENTS: NASHE, HARING- TON, DANIEL, MERES, HALL Critical changes after 1590: Nashe's critical works: judg- ments on English writers: principles of prose style: theory of poetry: quarrel with Harvey: his significance in critical history: Harington's Apology: defence of poetry: current objections refuted: defence of Orlando Furioso and his translation: his culture and urbanity: Campion's Observa- tions: attack on rhyme: suggestions for a rhymeless verse: Daniel's Defence of Rhyme: rhyme natural, universal, of aesthetic and functional values: reply to Campion: further critical pronouncements: ancient authority challenged: medievalism vindicated: line of true progress indicated: the sonnet-form: further practical suggestions: Muso- philus: eulogy on literature: detractions refuted: its prophetic vision: Daniel as a critic: Meres, Palladis Tamia : references to Shakespeare: Plutarchian and other dicta: survey of contemporary writers: Hall Virgidemia.um: judgments on earlier poetry; protests against love-sonnets, voluptuous classical tales and new religious poetry: sporadic comments by Harvey, Marston and others CHAPTER VIII: DRAMATIC CRITICISM: EARLY TUDOR CRITICS, GOSSON, WHETSTONE, LYLY, SHAKESPEARE, JONSON Tardy appearance up to 1570: value of the drama recog- nized by Erasmus, Vives, and Elyot: notes on technique by More, Grimald, Christopherson, Bucer, and Ascham: Puritan opposition heralded by works of Bavande, Wager and Cornelius Agrippa: attacks on the stage by Northbrooke and others: anonymous Second and Third Blast: Gosson's Plays Confuted and its special interest: works by Stubbes, Rainolds and Gager: comments on the popular drama by Edwardes, Udall, Whetstone, and others: censures on extravagances by Nashe, Hall, Peele, Beaumont and Fletcher: judgments of the Return from Parnassus: the new dramatic art: Lyly's views on comedy: vague con- ception of tragedy: Nashe's idea of the historical play: tragi-comedy defined by Fletcher: further general principles expounded: need for appealing to the ordinary man: the dramatic aim, amusement: fanciful or 'romantic' themes justified: Shakespeare's contribution: views on contemporary literature: satire of stylistic affectations, vapid love. sonnets and mongrel dramatic forms; comments on acting and on the pastoral convention: remarks on the nature and art of poetry: the dramatic function and the need for imaginative co-operation by the audience: further hints on aesthetic matters: Jonson's dramatic theories: views on poetry in general: on earlier plays and prevailing defects: his theory of comedy: plea for greater realism and a satirical treatment of 'humours': his violation of classical laws defended his theory of tragedy less explicit: Senecan elements adapted to Elizabethan conditions: efforts to devise a new English drama: no slavish follower of classical tradition CHAPTER IX: LATER THEORIZING: BACON, CHAPMAN, BOLTON, JONSON, REYNOLDS, AND ALEXANDER 262 New scholarly and antiquarian interests of the early 17th Century: Bacon's contribution: his conception of the nature of poetry: the 'kinds': remarks on epic, dramatic and allegorical poetry: further comments: his rhetorical teaching: excessive concern with style condemned: value of 'eloquence': practical injunctions: remarks on literary and aesthetic matters: value of his theories: translators of the Authorized Version on the art of translation: Chap- man's Prefaces his theory of translation, defence of Homer and his conception of poetry: Bolton's Hypercritica: remarks on the art of historical writing: Peacham's com- pilation of earlier poetic theory: Sir John Beaumont's comments on the heroic couplet: Jonson's Conversations: views on verse-forms and the epigram: Reynolds's Mytho- mystes: poetry an esoteric art treating of the mysteries of Nature: debt to 15th-Century Neo-Platonism: its historical interest: Alexander's Anacrisis: thoughts on critical standards: the element of fiction in poetry CHAPTER X: LATER CRITICAL JUDGMENTS: BOLTON, PEACHAM, CAREW, DRAYTON, SUCKLING, JONSON Literary appreciations: limitations of Bolton's estimates: Peacham's conventional judgments of Latin and English poets: his debt to Scaliger and Puttenham: criticism in verse-form: memorial verses: Jonsonus Virbius: Jonson's verse To the memory of Shakespeare and Carew's Elegy on Donne: their acute appreciations: Drayton's Epistle: current estimates of English poets: his Nymphidia, a burlesque on the fairy way of writing: Suckling's Session of the Poets: a lampoon on contemporary littérateurs : Wither's Great Assizes: judgment on English journalists: Sheppard's Socratic Session: an attack on Scaliger: Jonson's Conversations and Discoveries: remarks on contemporary critics: defects and abuses of contemporary writings: judg- ments on Shakespeare, Bacon, Spenser, Donne, and others CHAPTER XI: THE LAST PHASE: JONSON AND MILTON Attempts to expound classical doctrine: Jonson's Dis- coveries: its character and significance: Jonson's attitude to the ancients: his three main themes: remarks on 'elo- quence' or style drawn mainly from Quintilian and Vives: need for suitable diction, ordered thought and a judicious use of figures: further practical advice: note on epistolary style based on Lipsius: remarks on poetry: its nature and the five requirements of a poet: principles not rules to be observed tribute to Aristotle : remarks on the drama drawn from Heinsius: importance and function of comedy element of laughter condemned: the dramatic plot: Aris- totle's main principles: Jonson's critical achievement as a whole: Milton's contribution; praise of literature: remarks on rhetoric: the nature and function of poetry: the making of a poet: remarks on rhyme, blank verse and the 'kinds' exposition of Greek tragedy: its main features including 'catharsis' CHAPTER XII: CONCLUSION Chief aims of English Renascence criticism: influence of 16th-Century Italian theorists: critical theories: the art of prose: the nature and art of poetry: the 'kinds’: dramatic theory: literary judgments and appreciations historical significance of this Renascence criticism : unwritten theories: general estimate of the critical achievement INDEX.