THE RENAISSANCE : 1 st half of 16 th Century. The revival of interest in classical studies is known as Renaissance. It was rediscovery and revival of classical literature and studies and it spread in the 16 th Century. Arts, painting , literature , sculpture and architecture attained unprecedented eminence during this period. The sterility of English Literature before the Renaissance is described by Crompton –Ricket as “the darkness before dawn “. It may be said that the period of the Renaissance in England the period of the Renaissance in England marked a phase that brought in the influence of Western –European Literature , literary forms and philosophy.

GREAT WRITERS OF THIS PERIOD:

DANTE , PETRARCH - ITALY
MONTAIGNE - FRANCE
CERVANTES - SPAIN
SIR THOMAS MORE,
SPENCER , SIDNEY .
SHAKESPEARE ,BEACON - ENGLAND.
Great poets of this period:
Henry Howard.
Spencer - Faeric Queene
Shakespeare – Hamlet .