Jonson, the Poetomachia, and the Reformation of Renaissance Satire

Purging Satire

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism
Cover of the book Jonson, the Poetomachia, and the Reformation of Renaissance Satire by Jay Simons, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Jay Simons ISBN: 9780429888977
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: May 16, 2018
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Jay Simons
ISBN: 9780429888977
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: May 16, 2018
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

Does satire have the ability to effect social reform? If so, what satiric style is most effective in bringing about reform? This book explores how Renaissance poet and playwright Ben Jonson negotiated contemporary pressures to forge a satiric persona and style uniquely his own. These pressures were especially intense while Jonson was engaged in the Poetomachia, or Poets’ War (1598-1601), which pitted him against rival writers John Marston and Thomas Dekker. As a struggle between satiric styles, this conflict poses compelling questions about the nature and potential of satire during the Renaissance. In particular, this book explores how Jonson forged a moderate Horatian satiric style he championed as capable of effective social reform. As part of his distinctive model, Jonson turned to the metaphor of purging, in opposition to the metaphors of stinging, barking, biting, and whipping employed by his Juvenalian rivals. By integrating this conception of satire into his Horatian poetics, Jonson sought to avoid the pitfalls of the aggressive, violent style of his rivals while still effectively critiquing vice, upholding his model as a means for the reformation not only of society, but of satire itself.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Does satire have the ability to effect social reform? If so, what satiric style is most effective in bringing about reform? This book explores how Renaissance poet and playwright Ben Jonson negotiated contemporary pressures to forge a satiric persona and style uniquely his own. These pressures were especially intense while Jonson was engaged in the Poetomachia, or Poets’ War (1598-1601), which pitted him against rival writers John Marston and Thomas Dekker. As a struggle between satiric styles, this conflict poses compelling questions about the nature and potential of satire during the Renaissance. In particular, this book explores how Jonson forged a moderate Horatian satiric style he championed as capable of effective social reform. As part of his distinctive model, Jonson turned to the metaphor of purging, in opposition to the metaphors of stinging, barking, biting, and whipping employed by his Juvenalian rivals. By integrating this conception of satire into his Horatian poetics, Jonson sought to avoid the pitfalls of the aggressive, violent style of his rivals while still effectively critiquing vice, upholding his model as a means for the reformation not only of society, but of satire itself.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Global Culture: Consciousness and Connectivity by Jay Simons
Cover of the book Prisoner Voices from Death Row by Jay Simons
Cover of the book Achieving Excellence in Your Coaching Practice by Jay Simons
Cover of the book Advances in Solar Energy: Volume 16 by Jay Simons
Cover of the book The Learning of History by Jay Simons
Cover of the book Psychoanalytic Literary Criticism by Jay Simons
Cover of the book Contemporary Selling by Jay Simons
Cover of the book Poetic Resistance: English Women Writers and the Early Modern Lyric by Jay Simons
Cover of the book London, Londoners and the Great Fire of 1666 by Jay Simons
Cover of the book Teaching Sociology Successfully by Jay Simons
Cover of the book Cities and Labour Immigration by Jay Simons
Cover of the book Participation in Environmental Organizations by Jay Simons
Cover of the book Advertising as Communication by Jay Simons
Cover of the book Massacre of the Innocents by Jay Simons
Cover of the book The Ecological Transition by Jay Simons
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy