Section A15: Love and Death in English Renaissance Literature
This course examines the poetry and prose written by English writers from 1580-1640. This age that produced some of the greatest love poetry in English, also produced some rather brutal and bloody plays. We will look closely at the poetry of Shakespeare, Donne, Amelia Lanyer, Jonson and Sidney, examining how they wooed their love interests--or were they really writing for other poets? We will read and attend at least one of Shakespeare's plays and explore how and why Elizabeth I avoided marriage throughout her reign.