Renaissance Literature

What the page covers

Paradise Lost dominates the listing. You will find maps on Book 1, Book 9 and Book 10 material, plus separate maps on themes, language, plot analysis, main characters and Eve. The Paradise Lost Book 9 map follows Satan flying round the earth, entering the serpent and reaching Eden. The map on Satan in Paradise Lost covers the tragic hero and Blake's view of Milton.

Donne and the Metaphysicals

John Donne is the second big strand. There are maps on The Sun Rising, Good Morrow and Batter My Heart, which looks at his religious context and his shift from Catholicism to Anglicanism. Flashcard decks cover Donne quotes and critics, and The Flea has both a deck and a quiz. The maps on Metaphysical poetry and To His Coy Mistress sit alongside these.

Earlier poets and background

For wider context, look at the Renaissance map, which describes a period that started in 14th century Italy and meant rebirth. There are also notes on Sidney, a map on Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, and a quiz on Wyatt's poem about the hind. Decks on Spenser and Thomas Lodge fill out the picture.

Where to start

1. Read the Renaissance map for background.
2. Choose one text, such as Paradise Lost or Donne, and open its maps first.
3. Move to flashcard decks of quotes and critics.
4. Finish with a quiz, such as John Donne or To His Coy Mistress, and note what you missed.

Maps give you the shape of a poem, and quizzes show whether you can use it. Go back to the map after each quiz and fix the weak spots. Resources mention A-level English Literature and GCSE English Literature, so school students can use them for those courses, while university students can use the deeper critical material.

This unit in the subject

Renaissance Literature sits in the Literary Periods and Traditions strand of Literature. Open a map, take a quiz, and when you are ready, build your own cards for the lines you find hardest.