1611: Authority, Gender and the Word in Early Modern England

English literature and culture underwent transformative changes during the years following the death of Queen Elizabeth. Fundamental issues of identity informed by issues such as religious anxieties and debates on gender were being addressed for the first time by writers, poets, and playwrights of early 17th century England. 1611: Authority, Gender, and the Word in Early Modern England presents a lively and accessible account of the textual cultures of a landmark year in literary and cultural history. Author and literary scholar Helen Wilcox reveals the stunning range of texts that emerged in 1611, from the publication of the King James Bible and George Chapman′s new translation of Homer to the first printed works of poet John Donne and a selection of poems by Aemelia Lanyer, the first such volume in English written by a woman. Wilcox explores the wide range of literary styles and genres produced in this banner year –– from travel–writing, madrigals, satires, and almanacs to sermons, drama, and orations –– and delves deeply into issues of authority, gender, and language within and across the different works. By presenting a frozen moment in time in our literary past, 1611: Authority, Gender and the Word in Early Modern England offers a rich and vivid sense of the depth, range, and power of the textual world of 17th–century England.

About the Author ix Acknowledgements xi Introduction 1 1 Developing a Winning Outlook 9 2 Winning the Argument 35 3 Winning the Pitch 75 4 Winning the Job 117 5 Winning the Race 161 Conclusions: Onwards, Upwards and Over to You 209 Notes 227 Index 235

Helen Wilcox is Professor of English at Bangor University, Wales, and Director of the Institute for Medieval and Early Modern Studies at the Universities of Aberystwyth and Bangor. Her most recent major publication was the highly–acclaimed annotated edition of The English Poems of George Herbert (2007).