Renaissance literature - John C. Hunter

Responding to the broadening of the canon in recent years, this accessible 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. Arranged chronologically, generous selections from familiar Renaissance figures, such as More, Wyatt, Tyndale, Spenser, Sidney, Shakespeare, Bacon, and Donne, are complemented by a strong emphasis on women writers, including Queen Elizabeth, Aemilia Lanyer, Rachel Speght, Martha Moulsworth, Lady Mary Wroth, and Elizabeth Cary. A range of prose works, including biblical translations, illustrates the development of English prose style over the period. The volume also offers a selection of carols, ballads, songs, and hymns.

Now available in a fully revised new edition, this anthology has been extensively corrected and expanded to increase the level of annotation, and to make the volume more user–friendly. This edition features a brand new introduction as well as a thematic table of contents and timeline.