Classical and Christian Ideas in English Renaissance Poetry (Paperback, 2nd edition)

Humanism, allegory, Plato, St Paul. These were among the names and subjects which formed the basic frame of reference for Renaissance poets. Yet today's reader can approach the poems of Spenser, Milton, Donne and others with a sense of trepidation, having no knowledge of Greek or Latin and only a hazy acquaintance of the Bible and the fundamentals of Christianity. This second edition of Isabel Rivers' seminal text aims to serve both teachers and students of poetry. Rivers guides the reader around classical and Christian ideas, illustrating how Renaissance poetry draws on these ideas and suggesting where the reader can find out more. A new introduction and updated bibliography make this a useful tool for the study of English poetry.