The Renaissance

Renaissance: the Beginning

The term Renaissance means revival or rebirth. It was originated in Italy and then spread to Germany, France and England. The renaissance revived almost all the spheres of human life including science, education, politics, religion; philosophy literature etc. this era bridged the gap between the medieval age and the modern age. The middle age was believed to be a dark age. 15^th century in English literature was a barren period. Renaissance was thus a coming out of the dark and barren period.

The period

It was a process of change, which made its appearance around the middle of the 14^th century, prospered during the 15^th & 16^th. By the century, it became part of the larger tradition and ceased to be a new force.

The historical reason

Various theories have been proposed for the origin of the renaissance in Italy. The fall of the Constantinople is the prominent among them. Constantinople was captured by an invading army of the Ottoman Empire in 1453. The attacks saw a large scale sacking and destruction the Byzantine centers of learning. Several Greek & other intellectuals fled the city during the 53 day siege along with their valuable libraries. They were sheltered in Florence by such wealthy families like the Medici.

The romans and Italians used this opportunity to know the work of Homer, Aristotle etc. at first hand. The young scholars & university students flocked to these sources of new learning, with every one eager to learn Greek language. This rediscovery of classics enlarged the spectrum of ideas, styles and genres.

The Reformation

The publication of Martin Luther’s “95 Theses” precipitated the reformation. It was a call to purify the Church and a belief that the Bible not tradition should be the sole source of spiritual authority. They skillfully used the power of the printing press. The reformist Christians, the Protestants, believed in the authority of the Bible, translated the Bible from Latin to various languages and distributed

Impact of Petrarch

Petrarch can be seen as the epitome of the renaissance literary theorists and practitioners.  He was deeply involved in the campaign to rediscover ancient Greek and Latin writers and their values. His sonnets Canzoniere had a lasting impact on the renaissance. Thomas Wyatt & Earl of Surrey took this form to England. Shakespeare, Sidney, Spencer, Milton etc popularized it. They all are indebted to Petrarch.
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