Description
Book SynopsisRoyal Poetrie is the first book to address the significance of a distinctive body of verse from the English Renaissancepoems produced by the Tudor-Stuart monarchs Henry VIII, Mary, Queen of Scots, Elizabeth I, and James VI/I. Not surprisingly, Henry VIII is no John Donne, but the unique political and poetic complications raised by royal endeavors at authorship imbue this literature with special interest. Peter C. Herman is particularly intrigued by how the monarchs'' poems express and extend their power and control. Monarchs turned to verse especially at moments when they considered their positions insecure or when they were seeking to aggregate more power to themselves. Far from reflecting absolute authority, monarchic verse often reveals the need for authority to defend itself against considerable, effective opposition that was often close at hand. In monarchic verse, Herman argues, one can see monarchs asserting their significance and appropriating images of royalty to enhance th
Trade Review
Herman's study of verse written by Tudor and Stuart monarchs fills a gap in the field of early modern English criticism, as the subject has received remarkably little critical attention.... Royal Poetrie is a well-researched and lucidly written study of this underappreciated genre and a valuable resource to the early modern scholar working with Tudor and Stuart political writing.
-- Melissa Silk * Sixteenth Century Journal *
