Printing invented by Gutenberg. Brought to England by William Caxton. One of the marks of the end of the Middle Ages. Morte D'Arthur one of 1st published works.
 
 

RENAISSANCE

Printing invented by Gutenberg. Brought to England by William Caxton. One of the marks of the end of the Middle Ages.

Greek Texts brought from Constantinople when it fell (1453), helping fuel the Renaissance.

Richard III was defeated by Henry VII in 1453, ending the civil war between the Lancasters and Yorks for control of England. Henry, a Lancaster, married Elizabeth, a York. They founded the Tudor dynasty which would take England into the Renaissance. Richard III was the
LAST English king to die in battle - the idea of the king as warrior is waning.
 

Reformation begun by Martin Luther.
 
 

Terms

Here are some terms you'll need to know to understand Renaissance poetry.  They also make a good matching question.
 
1. Carpe diem "Seize the day."  You have to live while you have the chance.
2. Tempus fugit "Time flies."  Your life passes by quickly, so carpe diem.
3.  Memento mori "Remember that you must die" because tempus fugit. Therefore, carpe diem. 
4. Blazon A list & description of several traits.  "Your eyes are like limpid pools, your lips like rubies, . . . " 
5. Alliteration Using the same sound at the beginning of words.  "A ruby red rose rolled down the ridge."
6. Oxymoron An oxymoron joins two terms that seem to contradict each other and don't seem to belong together.  "Jumbo shrimp" & "burning cold" are examples.  The oxymoron was popular during this time, especially in sonnets.  Check out the oxymoron web site to get a broader introduction.