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Overview
The advent of relatively cheap editions in the mid-16th century produced an explosion of verse, much of which represented the first person speaker as a version of the author. This book examines ways in which writers, often seeking advancement in their careers, harnessed verse for self-promotional purposes. Texts studied include a manuscript autobiography by Thomas Whythorne, printed verse by a woman, Isabella Whitney, travel and war narratives, as well as canonical texts by Spenser, Sidney, and Shakespeare.
Synopsis
In close readings of works by writers that include Thomas Whythorne, Edmund Spenser, Sir Philip Sidney, and Shakespeare, Heale (English, Reading U., UK) analyzes the many self-referential passages in order to show the notion of the self in Renaissance England. Other works, by lesser-known writers, include autobiographical poems and miscellanies. The many passages quoted to illustrate the analysis are in the original Old English. This volume will be of interest to specialists in 16th-century English society and literature. Annotation ©2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR