Renaissance Literature: An Anthology of Poetry and Prose

This extensively revised anthology makes available the most important poetry and prose from the period between the accession of Henry VIII in 1509 and the English Revolution of 1640. Responding to the broadening of the canon in recent years, it balances the work of familiar Renaissance figures with important texts by women writers, supported by helpful introductions and annotations. A new edition of this popular anthology, which includes many writings from women and from lesser-known writers, alongside established Renaissance figures.This title includes work by prominent writers of the period, such as Spenser, Shakespeare, and Donne, alongside important texts by women, including Queen Elizabeth I, Lady Mary Wroth, and Elizabeth Cary. It brings together a variety of key works of the period, along with introductions and annotations to the texts, reflecting developments in critical and cultural theory and the latest Renaissance scholarship. It was extensively revised, corrected, and expanded to increase the level of annotation, and to make the volume more user-friendly. Now, it includes a thematic table of contents and timeline, and a substantially expanded introduction to enable students to consider entries more easily in the social, cultural, and historical context of the period.