CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE'S "CARPE DIEM" POETRY
Keywords:
Christopher Marlowe, Carpe Diem poetry, Renaissance literature, temporality, existentialism, seize the day, human condition, Elizabethan era, thematic exploration, imagery, societal norms, poetic tradition.Abstract
This article delves into the thematic and stylistic nuances of Christopher Marlowe's "Carpe Diem" poetry, a genre characterized by its exhortation to seize the day and embrace life's fleeting moments. Marlowe, a prominent figure in Elizabethan literature alongside contemporaries like Shakespeare, employed this motif to convey existential truths and interrogate societal norms of his time. Drawing on close textual analysis and historical context, this study examines how Marlowe's poetry embodies the Renaissance fascination with temporality and the human condition. By scrutinizing select works such as "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" and "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd," this article illustrates Marlowe's skillful manipulation of language and imagery to evoke a sense of urgency and vitality in his portrayal of love, desire, and mortality.
References
"Christopher Marlowe was baptised as 'Marlow,' but he spelled his name 'Marley' in his one known surviving signature."
"During Marlowe's lifetime, the popularity of his plays, Robert Greene's unintentionally elevating remarks about him as a dramatist in A Groatsworth of Wit, including the designation 'famous', and the many imitations of Tamburlaine suggest that he was for a brief time considered England's foremost dramatist." Logan also suggests consulting the business diary of Philip Henslowe, which is traditionally used by theatre historians to determine the popularity of Marlowe's plays.
No birth records, only baptismal records, have been found for Marlowe and Shakespeare, therefore any reference to a birthdate for either man probably refers to the date of their baptism.
Wilson (1999)
"…as one of the most influential current critics, Stephen Greenblatt frets, Marlowe's 'cruel, aggressive plays' seem to reflect a life also lived on the edge: 'a courting of disaster as reckless as any that he depicted on stage'."
"Peter Farey's Marlowe page". Archived from the original on 22 June 2015.
Erne, Lukas (August 2005). "Biography, Mythography, and Criticism: The Life and Works of Christopher Marlowe"
Nicholl, Charles (2004). "Marlowe [Marley], Christopher". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (January 2008 ed.). Oxford University Press.
