Rhetoric and Poetry in the Renaissance A Study of Rhetorical Terms in English Renaissance Literary Criticism

Rhetoric and Poetry in the Renaissance is a book written by Donald Lemen Clark, which explores the influence of classical rhetoric on the criticisms of poetry published in England between 1553 and 1641. The book focuses on the terminology of classical rhetoric used in English renaissance literary criticism and its impact on the development of English literary theory. Clark examines the works of key figures such as Aristotle, Horace, and Longinus, and their influence on English critics like Philip Sidney and Ben Jonson. The book also discusses the role of rhetoric in the English renaissance, including its relationship to poetry, drama, and education. Clark argues that the English renaissance critics drew heavily on classical rhetoric in their discussions of poetry, and that this influence can be seen in their use of rhetorical terms and concepts, such as decorum, ethos, and pathos. The book provides a comprehensive overview of the literary criticism of the English renaissance and its debt to classical rhetoric. The book is divided into two parts: the first part deals with the general theory of rhetoric and poetry, while the second part explores the purpose of poetry. Clark examines the classical conception of poetry as an educational agent, and traces the rise of allegorical interpretation of poetry in post-classical times and in the middle ages. He also discusses the tendency of renaissance criticism to borrow the terminology of classical rhetoric when asserting that the purpose of poetry is moral improvement. Throughout the book, Clark draws on a range of classical and renaissance sources, including the works of Aristotle, Horace, and Longinus, as well as the criticisms of English writers like Sidney and Jonson. The book provides a detailed analysis of the literary criticism of the English renaissance and its relationship to classical rhetoric, and offers insights into the development of English literary theory during this period.