CHRONOLOGY I533 Birth of Queen Elizabeth I. C.I552? Spenser born in London. I553 Death of Edward VI and accession of Mary I.Virgil's Aeneid translated by Gavin Douglas. I555 Mirror for Magistrates first published. I557 Richard Tottel edits Songes and Sonnettes (i.e.Tottel's Miscellany);Surrey (tr.),Certain Books of Virgil's Aeneis. 1558 Death of Mary I and accession of Elizabeth I. 1563 John Foxe's Acts and Monuments('Book of Martyrs')published. I564 26 Feb.Christopher Marlowe baptized at St George the Martyr, Canterbury. 26 Apr.Shakespeare baptized at Holy Trinity Church,Stratford- upon-Avon. I565 Golding (tr.),The First Four Books of P.Ovidius Naso's Work Entitled Metamorphosis.Henry Parker(tr.),The Triumphs of F. Petrarch. 1566 Birth of James I.George Gascoigne,Supposes(tr.of Ariosto's I Suppositi).Adlington (tr.of Apuleius),The XI Books of the Golden Ass,with the Marriage of Cupido and Psyches.Painter (tr.of Boccaccio,Bandello,Belleforest),The Palace of Pleasure. I567 The Red Lion playhouse opens.The complete edition of Golding's translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses appears. I572 Ben Jonson born in Westminster,London. 1573 Gascoigne's A Hundreth Sundrie Flowres published (revised as The Poesies in 1575). I576 Richard Edward's The Paradise of Dainty Devyces published. The Theatre playhouse opens. 1577 Curtain playhouse opens;Blackfriars Theatre opens. 1579 Spenser's The Shepheardes Calender published (entered into the Stationers'Register 5 Dec.). XV
CHRONOLOGY 1533 Birth of Queen Elizabeth I. c.1552? Spenser born in London. 1553 Death of Edward VI and accession of Mary I. Virgil’s Aeneid translated by Gavin Douglas. 1555 Mirror for Magistrates first published. 1557 Richard Tottel edits Songes and Sonnettes (i.e. Tottel’s Miscellany); Surrey (tr.), Certain Books of Virgil’s Aeneis. 1558 Death of Mary I and accession of Elizabeth I. 1563 John Foxe’s Acts and Monuments (‘Book of Martyrs’) published. 1564 26 Feb. Christopher Marlowe baptized at St George the Martyr, Canterbury. 26 Apr. Shakespeare baptized at Holy Trinity Church, Stratfordupon-Avon. 1565 Golding (tr.), The First Four Books of P. Ovidius Naso’s Work Entitled Metamorphosis. Henry Parker (tr.), The Triumphs of F. Petrarch. 1566 Birth of James I. George Gascoigne, Supposes (tr. of Ariosto’s I Suppositi). Adlington (tr. of Apuleius), The XI Books of the Golden Ass, with the Marriage of Cupido and Psyches. Painter (tr. of Boccaccio, Bandello, Belleforest), The Palace of Pleasure. 1567 The Red Lion playhouse opens. The complete edition of Golding’s translation of Ovid’s Metamorphoses appears. 1572 Ben Jonson born in Westminster, London. 1573 Gascoigne’s A Hundreth Sundrie Flowres published (revised as The Poesies in 1575). 1576 Richard Edward’s The Paradise of Dainty Devyces published. The Theatre playhouse opens. 1577 Curtain playhouse opens; Blackfriars Theatre opens. 1579 Spenser’s The Shepheardes Calender published (entered into the Stationers’ Register 5 Dec.). xv
CHRONOLOGY I580 Mention of The Faerie Oueene for the first time.Sir Philip Sidney,Astrophil and Stella (published 1591)and Apology for Poetry in MS circulation(Defense of Poesie;published 1595). I58I Spenser's The Shepheardes Calender,second edition.Arthur Hall (tr.),Ten Books of Homer's Illiads. I582 Shakespeare marries Anne Hathaway;the license is issued on 27 November and the first child(Susanna)is born six months later. Sir Walter Ralegh's poetry circulates at court.Thomas Watson's Hekatompathia published. I585 Shakespeare's twin son and daughter,Hamnet and Judith, born.Marlowe probably composes Ovid's Elegies.Dido,Oueen of Carthage probably first written by Marlowe while at Cambridge. c.I586 Shakespeare leaves Stratford;nothing is known for certain of his life between this date and I592,by which time he is in London. I586 I7 Oct.Death of Sir Philip Sidney in Zutphen,Netherlands. Babington Plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth exposed.William Webbe,A Discourse of English Poetry.Third edition of Spenser's Shepheardes Calender. 1587-8 Marlowe possibly composes The Passionate Shepherd to His Love'. 1587 8 Feb.Execution of Mary,Queen of Scots.Rose playhouse opens. I588 28 July.Spanish Armada defeated. 1589 Thomas Lodge's Glaucus and Scilla published. I590 Publication of Spenser's The Faerie Oueene,Books 1-3,and of Sidney's Arcadia. I59I Publication of Spenser's Complaints,Daphnaida,and fourth edition of The Shepheardes Calender.Sidney,Astrophil and Stella published.Sir John Harington publishes his translation of Ariosto's Orlando Furioso. 1592-3 Plague breaks out in London,closing the theatres. I592 Samuel Daniel's Delia and The Complaint of Rosamond pub- lished.Henry Chettle publishes Greene's Groats-worth of Wit bought with a Million of Repentance,attacking Shakespeare. I593 Lodge's Phillis and Watson's The Teares of fancie published. I8 Apr.Venus and Adonis entered in the Stationers'Register. 30 May.Christopher Marlowe killed by Ingram Frizer in Deptford. 28 Sept.Marlowe's Lucan's First Book and Hero and Leander entered together in the Stationers'Register. xvi
1580 Mention of The Faerie Queene for the first time. Sir Philip Sidney, Astrophil and Stella (published 1591) and Apology for Poetry in MS circulation (Defense of Poesie; published 1595). 1581 Spenser’s The Shepheardes Calender, second edition. Arthur Hall (tr.), Ten Books of Homer’s Illiads. 1582 Shakespeare marries Anne Hathaway; the license is issued on 27 November and the first child (Susanna) is born six months later. Sir Walter Ralegh’s poetry circulates at court. Thomas Watson’s Hekatompathia published. 1585 Shakespeare’s twin son and daughter, Hamnet and Judith, born. Marlowe probably composes Ovid’s Elegies. Dido, Queen of Carthage probably first written by Marlowe while at Cambridge. c.1586 Shakespeare leaves Stratford; nothing is known for certain of his life between this date and 1592, by which time he is in London. 1586 17 Oct. Death of Sir Philip Sidney in Zutphen, Netherlands. Babington Plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth exposed. William Webbe, A Discourse of English Poetry. Third edition of Spenser’s Shepheardes Calender. 1587–8 Marlowe possibly composes ‘The Passionate Shepherd to His Love’. 1587 8 Feb. Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots. Rose playhouse opens. 1588 28 July. Spanish Armada defeated. 1589 Thomas Lodge’s Glaucus and Scilla published. 1590 Publication of Spenser’s The Faerie Queene, Books 1–3, and of Sidney’s Arcadia. 1591 Publication of Spenser’s Complaints, Daphnaı¨da, and fourth edition of The Shepheardes Calender. Sidney, Astrophil and Stella published. Sir John Harington publishes his translation of Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso. 1592–3 Plague breaks out in London, closing the theatres. 1592 Samuel Daniel’s Delia and The Complaint of Rosamond published. Henry Chettle publishes Greene’s Groats-worth of Wit bought with a Million of Repentance, attacking Shakespeare. 1593 Lodge’s Phillis and Watson’s The Teares of fancie published. 18 Apr. Venus and Adonis entered in the Stationers’ Register. 30 May. Christopher Marlowe killed by Ingram Frizer in Deptford. 28 Sept. Marlowe’s Lucan’s First Book and Hero and Leander entered together in the Stationers’ Register. CHRONOLOGY xvi
CHRONOLOGY 1594 9 May.'A booke intituled the Ravyshement of Lucrece'entered in the Stationers'Register. The Rape of Lucrece published;Shakespeare becomes a sharer in the Chamberlain's Men.Marlowe's Ovid's Elegies and Sir John Davies'Epigrams published together.Richard Barnfield's Cynthia also published.Swan Theatre built. 1595 Publication of Spenser's Amoretti and Epithalamion,as well as Colin Clouts Come Home Againe and Astrophel.Sidney's Defence of Poesie,and Michel de Montaigne's Essais,also published. I596 Publication of second instalment of Spenser's The Faerie Oueene,Books 1-6.Spenser's Fowre Hymnes and Prothalamion also published. 1597 Fear of second Spanish Armada. I598 Marlowe's Hero and Leander published,first as 818-line poem and later as a Homeric and Virgilian epic,completed by George Chapman.Homer's Iliad translated by Chapman(Books I-7). 1599 Globe Theatre opens.The Passionate Pilgrim published with Shakespeare's name on the title page,and including versions of Marlowe's 'The Passionate Shepherd'and Ralegh's 'The Nymph's Reply'. I3 Jan.Spenser dies in Westminster,London. I600 Lucrece reaches its fourth edition,Venus and Adonis,its sixth. Marlowe's Lutcan's First Book published with Marlowe's name on the title page.England's Helicon published,including ver- sions of Marlowe's The Passionate Shepherd'and Ralegh's 'The Nymph's Reply'.Fortune Theatre built. I60I The Phoenix and Turtle'appears in Robert Chester's Love's Martyr,or Rosalin's Complaint.Jonson's Poetaster. 1603 Queen Elizabeth dies and is succeeded by James I. I609 Shake-speares Sonnets published by Thomas Thorpe.First folio edition of Spenser's The Faerie Queene,Books 1-6,with Two Cantos of Mutabilitie'. I6II First folio of Spenser's collected works published. 1616 Shakespeare dies in Stratford. Jonson's Works published in a folio edition,containing poems, masques,and plays. I623 Publication of the First Folio,the first collected edition of Shakespeare's plays. I625 James I dies.Accession of Charles I. 1637 6 Aug.Jonson dies in Westminster,London. xvii
1594 9 May. ‘A booke intituled the Ravyshement of Lucrece’ entered in the Stationers’ Register. The Rape of Lucrece published; Shakespeare becomes a sharer in the Chamberlain’s Men. Marlowe’s Ovid’s Elegies and Sir John Davies’ Epigrams published together. Richard Barnfield’s Cynthia also published. Swan Theatre built. 1595 Publication of Spenser’s Amoretti and Epithalamion, as well as Colin Clouts Come Home Againe and Astrophel. Sidney’s Defence of Poesie, and Michel de Montaigne’s Essais, also published. 1596 Publication of second instalment of Spenser’s The Faerie Queene, Books 1–6. Spenser’s Fowre Hymnes and Prothalamion also published. 1597 Fear of second Spanish Armada. 1598 Marlowe’s Hero and Leander published, first as 818-line poem and later as a Homeric and Virgilian epic, completed by George Chapman. Homer’s Iliad translated by Chapman (Books 1–7). 1599 Globe Theatre opens. The Passionate Pilgrim published with Shakespeare’s name on the title page, and including versions of Marlowe’s ‘The Passionate Shepherd’ and Ralegh’s ‘The Nymph’s Reply’. 13 Jan. Spenser dies in Westminster, London. 1600 Lucrece reaches its fourth edition, Venus and Adonis, its sixth. Marlowe’s Lucan’s First Book published with Marlowe’s name on the title page. England’s Helicon published, including versions of Marlowe’s ‘The Passionate Shepherd’ and Ralegh’s ‘The Nymph’s Reply’. Fortune Theatre built. 1601 ‘The Phoenix and Turtle’ appears in Robert Chester’s Love’s Martyr, or Rosalin’s Complaint. Jonson’s Poetaster. 1603 Queen Elizabeth dies and is succeeded by James I. 1609 Shake-speares Sonnets published by Thomas Thorpe. First folio edition of Spenser’s The Faerie Queene, Books 1–6, with ‘Two Cantos of Mutabilitie’. 1611 First folio of Spenser’s collected works published. 1616 Shakespeare dies in Stratford. Jonson’s Works published in a folio edition, containing poems, masques, and plays. 1623 Publication of the First Folio, the first collected edition of Shakespeare’s plays. 1625 James I dies. Accession of Charles I. 1637 6 Aug. Jonson dies in Westminster, London. CHRONOLOGY xvii
CHRONOLOGY 1638 Posthumously published book of poetic tributes to Jonson entitled Jonsonus Virbius. I640 A second folio edition of Jonson's Works published,including the collection of poems The Underwood,assembled by his literary executor Sir Kenelm Digby.John Benson's edition of Shakespeare's Poems published. xviii
1638 Posthumously published book of poetic tributes to Jonson entitled Jonsonus Virbius. 1640 A second folio edition of Jonson’s Works published, including the collection of poems The Underwood, assembled by his literary executor Sir Kenelm Digby. John Benson’s edition of Shakespeare’s Poems published. CHRONOLOGY xviii
PATRICK CHENEY Introduction:Shakespeare's poetry in the twenty-first century ..we already know what poetry is.No problem there.It's poesis-a making, a made thing.If we accept Aristotle's definition,it's specifically a thing made out of speech and rhythm.We might press the matter further and agree with the Russian formalists that it's a thing made out of speech and rhythm that calls attention to its making and its made-ness. Bruce R.Smith,Introduction',PMLA,'Special Topic:On Poetry" Shakespeare...wrote the best poetry...in English,or perhaps in any Western language. Harold Bloom,Shakespeare:The Invention of the Human' Poetry in the Shakespeare canon The 'poetry'of William Shakespeare (1564-1616)constitutes one of the supreme achievements of world art.Readers may know this poetry most intimately from his drama,where it is on display across a dramatic canon of nearly forty plays,in the genres of comedy,history,tragedy,and romance, from early in his professional career (around I59o)to late (around 1614). Indeed,poetry makes up the large percentage of Shakespeare's theatrical writing(75 per cent),most of it in the blank verse(66 per cent)that he and his contemporary Christopher Marlowe helped turn into the gold standard of English verse.3 But the plays also include a good deal of rhymed verse (about 9 per cent),such as the sonnet prologue to Romeo and Juliet,as well as a large body of in-set lyrics(both songs and poems)in a wide range of metres and forms (over 13o pieces,with over Ioo original compositions).4 Among the lyrics in the plays,we find some stunning poetry,from the concluding songs of 'Spring'and Winter'in Love's Labour's Lost (Riverside,5.2.891)through the songs of Ariel in The Tempest:Those are pearls that were his eyes'(1.2.399).These lyrics include professional singer Amiens''Under the greenwood tree'in As You Like It (2.5.1),the clown Feste's'When that I was and a little tine boy'(5.1.389)concluding Twelfth Night,and the lost princes of Britain's 'Fear no more the heat o'th'sun'in Cymbeline(4.2.258).Not simply does William Shakespeare make his plays fundamentally out of poetry,but he manages to use poetry to give birth to
PATRICK CHENEY Introduction: Shakespeare’s poetry in the twenty-first century ... we already know what poetry is. No problem there. It’s poesis – a making, a made thing. If we accept Aristotle’s definition, it’s specifically a thing made out of speech and rhythm. We might press the matter further and agree with the Russian formalists that it’s a thing made out of speech and rhythm that calls attention to its making and its made-ness. Bruce R. Smith, ‘Introduction’, PMLA, ‘Special Topic: On Poetry’1 Shakespeare ... wrote the best poetry ... in English, or perhaps in any Western language. Harold Bloom, Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human2 Poetry in the Shakespeare canon The ‘poetry’ of William Shakespeare (1564–1616) constitutes one of the supreme achievements of world art. Readers may know this poetry most intimately from his drama, where it is on display across a dramatic canon of nearly forty plays, in the genres of comedy, history, tragedy, and romance, from early in his professional career (around 1590) to late (around 1614). Indeed, poetry makes up the large percentage of Shakespeare’s theatrical writing (75 per cent), most of it in the blank verse (66 per cent) that he and his contemporary Christopher Marlowe helped turn into the gold standard of English verse.3 But the plays also include a good deal of rhymed verse (about 9 per cent), such as the sonnet prologue to Romeo and Juliet, as well as a large body of in-set lyrics (both songs and poems) in a wide range of metres and forms (over 130 pieces, with over 100 original compositions).4 Among the lyrics in the plays, we find some stunning poetry, from the concluding songs of ‘Spring’ and ‘Winter’ in Love’s Labour’s Lost (Riverside, 5.2.891) through the songs of Ariel in The Tempest: ‘Those are pearls that were his eyes’ (1.2.399). These lyrics include professional singer Amiens’ ‘Under the greenwood tree’ in As You Like It (2.5.1), the clown Feste’s ‘When that I was and a little tine boy’ (5.1.389) concluding Twelfth Night, and the lost princes of Britain’s ‘Fear no more the heat o’th’ sun’ in Cymbeline (4.2.258). Not simply does William Shakespeare make his plays fundamentally out of poetry, but he manages to use poetry to give birth to 1