Bibliograph

Defending literature in early modern England, Renaissance literary theory in social context, Robert Matz

Type

Label

Defending literature in early modern England, Renaissance literary theory in social context, Robert Matz

Language

eng

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Defending literature in early modern England

Medium

electronic resource

Nature of contents

dictionaries

Oclc number

52561432

Responsibility statement

Robert Matz

Series statement

Cambridge studies in Renaissance literature and culture, 37Cambridge Social Sciences eBooks

Sub title

Renaissance literary theory in social context

Summary

Why was literature so often defended and defined in early modern England in terms of its ability to provide the Horatian ideal of both profit and pleasure? This book, first published in 2000, analyses Renaissance literary theory in the context of social transformations of the period, focusing on conflicting ideas about gentility that emerged as the English aristocracy evolved from a feudal warrior class to a civil elite. Through close readings centered on works by Thomas Elyot, Philip Sidney and Edmund Spenser, Matz argues that literature attempted to mediate a complex set of contradictory social expectations. His original study engages with important theoretical work such as Pierre Bourdieu's and offers a substantial critique of New Historicist theory. It challenges recent accounts of the power of Renaissance authorship, emphasizing the uncertain status of literature during this time of cultural change, and sheds light on why and how canonical works became canonical.--, Provided by publisher

Table Of Contents

Introduction : "aut prodesse ... aut delectare" -- Recreating reading : Elyot's Boke named the governour -- Heroic diversions : Sidney's Defence of poetry -- A "gentle discipline" : Spenser's Faerie Queene -- Epilogue : from text to work?

Creator