BRITISH CRITICISM DURING THE RENAISSANCE IV

BRITISH CRITICISM DURING THE RENAISSANCE –Blamiers

M. Phil English, Bharathiar University--Blamiers—

Approaches--Unit I

The RENAISSANCE IV

BRITISH CRITICISM DURING THE RENAISSANCE

Summary by Dr. S. Sreekumar

Note: The summary is in FIVE parts

PART IV—CLASSICAL & NATIVE VERSIFICATION

Nothing has been more unproductive in the history of English criticism than the debate about classical meters.

Conservatives tried to apply the quantitative meter of Latin language on to English verse. But Latin meter was totally inapplicable to English verse. Latin syllable ending in two consonants must be accounted ‘long’.  This was inapplicable and led to clumsiness when imposed on English verse.

For example, the second syllable in ‘enter’ and the second syllable in ‘moment’ are both short in English but when Latin meter is applied; ‘enter’ is short while ‘moment’ is long as it ends with two consonants.

Thus it was very clear that Latin meter was not applicable to English verse.

Thomas Drant, the translator of Horace, started a moment aimed to impose the rules of Latin prosody on English verse. Gabriel Harvey, another critic of the period, pointed out the difficulties involved and commented that ‘the Latin is no rule for us’.

Thomas Campion (1567-1620)

Campion was the author of Observations in the Art of English Poesie. He was for imposing Latin prosody on English verse. He saw order and discipline in such a move. He was also against the use of rhyme in poetry. Campion was of the view that the use of rhyme cheapened poetry. He felt that the inadequacies of the native language made it necessary to imitate Latin and Greek.

Samuel Daniel (1563-1619)

Campion’s attack on rhyme provoked Samuel Daniel to write Defence of Rhyme. He argued that custom and nature are on the side of rhyme. Rhyme supplies an added excellence to meter. It is not an obstacle to a poet’s invention, but “gives him wings to carry him to a far happier flight”. Daniel points out the beauty of the sonnet form as an instance of the use of rhyme. Daniel believes that “the Greeks and Romans can be out classed in arrangement of matter, planting of sentences and neat conclusive cadences”.

Daniel concludes by saying that the poets must build on their past. “All the classicist innovators have done is to supply us with ‘forraine Titles’ for the meters we already have. It is not rhyme, but foolish controversy, that is discrediting poets”.

To follow——

PART V—Bacon & Jonson

Study material for MPhil English students of Bharathiar University by Dr. S. Sreekumar