A History of English Poetry

THE RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL SYSTEM OF EUROPE

Apparent Unity indicated by the objects of the Diet of Augsburg.

Want of real Unity shown by the international relations of the Powers.

The Papacy: Leo X. His worldliness.

The Empire: Maximilian I. His weakness: Corruption of the

Electors to the Imperial Throne.

The Authority of the Church: Decay of the Scholastic Logic: The

New Learning at the Universities: Good Works: Luther and the

Legate of the Pope.

The Anarchy of Feudalism: Decay of the principle of Chivalry :
Advance of Monarchical Power: Organisation of National Life.
The State of European Thought in the Sixteenth Century illustrated from
European Literature.

THE RENAISSANCE AND THE REFORMATION

The Chivalric Standard of Manners and Morals modified mainly by

influences from Italy.

The Catholic order of thought modified mainly by influences from
Germany.

Castiglione's Cortegiano:

Chivalric basis of Education: Refined by Literature and Art: Standard

of refinement in language: Preservation of the Standard of Manners
prescribed by the Cours d'Amour: Influence of Il Cortegiano.

Machiavelli's Principe and Discorsi:

Machiavelli's philosophical principles the product of his feelings as an

Italian patriot: Antagonism to the Catholic and Chivalric Standard

of Morals: Influence of his opinions on Literature in the North of

Europe.

Erasmus's Colloquies:

Conservatism of Erasmus: Endeavour to reform the existing religious
and social system of Europe by means of Education: Attempt to
reconcile the principles of Classical Taste with Catholic Doctrine.

Luther's Christian Liberty:

Luther's antagonism to the external system of the Church: Effects of

his Mystical Theology: Opposition to the teaching of Aristotle's

Ethics.

EFFECTS OF THE RENAISSANCE AND THE REFORMATION ON THE
LITERATURE OF THE WESTERN NATIONS OF EUROPE

Spain:

The long struggle between the Christians and Infidels in Spain the

cause of the intensity of Spanish Catholicism: Exclusion of the

influence of the Reformation from Spain: Influence of the Renais-

sance on Spanish Literature: Characteristics of the native Spanish

Genius Its effect on English Literature.

England:

Effects of the Wars of the Roses on the Feudal System in England:

Constructive political genius of the English illustrated by Sir Thomas

More's Utopia: Mixed character of Utopia: More's ideas of Toleration.

France:

Deep roots of Feudalism in France: Struggle between the Feudal

and Monarchical principles: The Crown aided by the Bourgeoisie.

Victory of the Crown: Francis I. encourages the principles of the

Renaissance. Antagonism to the principles of the Reformation :

The antagonism between the Feudal tradition, on the one side, and

the Crown and the Bourgeoisie, on the other, reflected through the

whole course of French Literature, beginning with the Roman de la

Rose Coquillart: Marot: Analytic Spirit of French Literature, first

revealed in Jean de Meung, developed in Rabelais: Absence of

constructive ideas in the satire of Rabelais.

Résumé of the Argument in the Chapter.

CHAPTER II

Birth, Education, and Character of Sir Thomas Wyatt: Autobiographical

allusions in his poetry: Wyatt's characteristics, originality of thought, and

imitation of foreign models: Energy of Conception: Imperfection of

Expression.

HIS SONNETS

Imitated from Petrarch: Decay of the love - poetry of the Italians :
Growth of Concetti in Italian Poetry: Mellin de St. Gelays' attempts to
naturalise the Sonnet in France: Wyatt translates his attempt into English :
His harsh and metaphysical manner of poetical conception: His vigorous
assertion of the principle of Justice in Love.

HIS SONGS

His best lyrical performances: His force and fervour: Examples of his
love songs: Intended for musical accompaniment.

HIS EPIGRAMS

Imitated or translated from many authors: Want of Art in expression :

Examples of his epigrams.

HIS SATIRES

Imitated from Alamanni and Horace : Alamanni; his satiric style;
example of his allusive satire: Wyatt's own nature reflected in his satire on
the Court and his Tale of the Town and Country Mouse: His sympathy
with the Humanistic Reformers.

HIS DEVOTIONAL POETRY

Paraphrases of the Penitential Psalms of David suggested to him by the
versions of Dante and Alamanni : His own treatment of the subject: Depth
and strength of religious feeling.

Ineffectual efforts of Wyatt to harmonise the language in various kinds of
metre: His Sonnets: Ottava and Terza Rima: "Poulter's" metre: Short-
metred Songs with burdens.

Wyatt's place in English Poetry: Surrey's Verses to his Memory.

CHAPTER III

Birth, Education, and Character of the Earl of Surrey: Autobiographical
allusions in his Poetry.

Surrey a type of the Chivalry of the Sixteenth Century: Double aspect of
the Knight and Courtier : His poetry reflects the character of his order.
Examination of the fable of the Fair Geraldine: Surrey's Love Poetry
merely a reflection of the manners of the time.

ANALYSIS OF SURREY'S METHODS OF COMPOSITION

His poems exercises on the set themes of love recognised by the Code of
the Cours d'Amour: His adaptations from Petrarch and Ariosto.

Genuine feeling expressed in his Lines written in Captivity: Beauty and
Nobility of this Elegy: A Mirror of Chivalric Sentiment, and an anticipation
of the final downfall of the Feudal Monarchy in England.

SURREY'S REFORM OF ENGLISH VERSIFICATION

Survey of the changes in English verse from the time of Chaucer :

Chaucer's scientific use of the iambic line of five accents: His use of the

cæsura: Lydgate's failure to maintain Chaucer's system of metrical harmony :

Continued degeneration of the system in the hands of Hawes and Barclay :

Wyatt's inharmonious versification; His misconception of the metrical

structure of the Italian Sonnet: Comparison of the respective styles of

Wyatt and Surrey in a translation of a sonnet by Petrarch.

Surrey's metrical reforms considered as regards—

1. The regular recurrence of the accent.

2. The limitation in the number of the syllables.

3. The incidence of the casura.

4. The rejection of weak rhymes.

5. The invention of blank verse.

SURREY'S STANDARD OF POETIC DICTION

Wyatt's diction based on the poetry of Chaucer: Want of refinement and
harmony in his selection of words.

Surrey follows Wyatt in making Chaucer the basis of his diction: His
occasional archaism: His aim to refine ancient literary practice by the con-
versational idiom of his time: New System of poetical Syntax founded on
the study of Petrarch and the Latin poets: Antithesis and Zeugma :
Examples of his constructive skill and facility of style.

CHAPTER IV

Distinction between the technical aim of the Court Poets and the poetical

ideas of the nation at large.

Strong political tendencies in the English people reflected in poetry at

an early date: Vox Clamantis; The Vision of Piers the Plowman; De

Regimine Principum.

SIR DAVID LYNDSAY

Properly included by Warton in his History of English Poetry.

His birth, education, and character.

History of Scotland and the striking materials afforded by it for poetical

moralising.

Comparison of Lyndsay's method of moralising with that of Dante,