The Phoenix Nest
Encyclopedia
The Phoenix Nest was an anthology
of poetry
by various author
s which was "set foorth" by an as-yet unidentified "R. S. of the Inner Temple Gentleman", in 1593. The title page identifies fourteen of the pieces contained therein, although there a total of seventy-nine poems, as well as three short prose pieces.
It was the first to show the influence of the new life and vigour of such compilations. The Phoenix Nest is dedicated, as it were, to the memory of the earl of Leicester, and opens with three elegies upon Astrophel
(i.e Sir Philip Sidney). The volume contains poems by certain anonymous
writers who clearly belong to the old, rather than to the new, school of poets. And, in the main, N. B. Gent, as Nicholas Breton
is here written, belongs to that school too. Identified writers who contributed to the volume include include Edward de Vere
, Edward Dyer
, Robert Greene
, Thomas Lodge
, George Peele
, Walter Raleigh
, Mathew Roydon
, William Smith
, and Thomas Watson
.
In The Phoenix Nest, Breton indulges very freely in the old allegory, a heritage from medieval times which was soon to fall out of use. A strange description of a rare garden plot is an allegorical poem in "poulter’s measure." An excellent dreame of ladies, and their riddles and The Chesse Play are, also, allegorical. The new note is struck most forcibly by Lodge. The fifteen poems by Lodge which the volume includes are the best of its treasures. Three of them are from his Phillis (1593), a volume of eclogues, sonnets, elegies and other lyrical pieces; the rest appeared first in The Phoenix Nest, though one, "Like desart woods", is published in England's Helicon, where it is given either to Dyer, or to "Ignoto." It is worth noticing that Lodge, in one song, "The fatall starre that at my birthday shined," makes use of a metre which might be scanned as, and is clearly modelled upon, alcaics, but is, in practice, composed of iambic feet.
The Earl of Oxford has a charming lyric, "What cunning can expresse," and it is possible that the longest poem in the volume, A most rare and excellent dreame, is the work of Greene. The dream is the favourite one of the visit of a lady to her sleeping lover. Her beauties are described and his parlous state explained. Then follows a long argument on love, of the kind that had not yet passed out of fashion; and, on the relenting of his mistress, the lover wakes. There is much of the old school in the matter, but little in the manner. The stanzas in rime royal move freely and strongly, and the whole is a good specimen of the poetry of the time. It needs, however, only to place it side by side with such a lyric as Lodge’s "My bonnie Lasse thine eie," in the same volume, to realise the immensely enlarged field in which the poet had to work. "Sweete Violets (Loves paradice) that spred" is a good example of the long stanza of complicated structure and involved rime-sequence which the poets of the day used with rare skill, and which led the way in time to the formal ode.
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
of poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
by various author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
s which was "set foorth" by an as-yet unidentified "R. S. of the Inner Temple Gentleman", in 1593. The title page identifies fourteen of the pieces contained therein, although there a total of seventy-nine poems, as well as three short prose pieces.
It was the first to show the influence of the new life and vigour of such compilations. The Phoenix Nest is dedicated, as it were, to the memory of the earl of Leicester, and opens with three elegies upon Astrophel
Astrophel and Stella
Likely composed in the 1580s, Philip Sidney's Astrophel and Stella is an English sonnet sequence containing 108 sonnets and 11 songs. The name derives from the two Greek words, 'aster' and 'phil' , and the Latin word 'stella' meaning star. Thus Astrophel is the star lover, and Stella is his star...
(i.e Sir Philip Sidney). The volume contains poems by certain anonymous
Anonymity
Anonymity is derived from the Greek word ἀνωνυμία, anonymia, meaning "without a name" or "namelessness". In colloquial use, anonymity typically refers to the state of an individual's personal identity, or personally identifiable information, being publicly unknown.There are many reasons why a...
writers who clearly belong to the old, rather than to the new, school of poets. And, in the main, N. B. Gent, as Nicholas Breton
Nicholas Breton
Nicholas Breton , English poet and novelist, belonged to an old family settled at Layer Breton, Essex.-Life:...
is here written, belongs to that school too. Identified writers who contributed to the volume include include Edward de Vere
Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford
Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford was an Elizabethan courtier, playwright, lyric poet, sportsman and patron of the arts, and is currently the most popular alternative candidate proposed for the authorship of Shakespeare's works....
, Edward Dyer
Edward Dyer
Sir Edward Dyer was an English courtier and poet.-Life:The son of Sir Thomas Dyer, Kt., he was born at Sharpham Park, Glastonbury, Somerset. He was educated, according to Anthony Wood, either at Balliol College, Oxford or at Broadgates Hall , and left after taking a degree...
, Robert Greene
Robert Greene (16th century)
Robert Greene was an English author best known for a posthumous pamphlet attributed to him, Greene's Groats-Worth of Wit, widely believed to contain a polemic attack on William Shakespeare. He was born in Norwich and attended Cambridge University, receiving a B.A. in 1580, and an M.A...
, Thomas Lodge
Thomas Lodge
Thomas Lodge was an English dramatist and writer of the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods.-Early life and education:...
, George Peele
George Peele
George Peele , was an English dramatist.-Life:Peele was christened on 25 July 1556. His father, who appears to have belonged to a Devonshire family, was clerk of Christ's Hospital, and wrote two treatises on bookkeeping...
, Walter Raleigh
Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh was an English aristocrat, writer, poet, soldier, courtier, spy, and explorer. He is also well known for popularising tobacco in England....
, Mathew Roydon
Mathew Roydon
Mathew Roydon was an English poet associated with the School of Night group of poets and writers.-Life:...
, William Smith
William Smith (poet)
William Smith was an English sonneteer, poet, and friend of Edmund Spenser. He participated in The Phoenix Nest , England's Helicon and published a sonnet sequence Chloris or The Complaint of the passionate despised Shepheard in 1596.-External links:*...
, and Thomas Watson
Thomas Watson (poet)
Thomas Watson , English lyrical poet, was the son of William Watson and Anne Lee . He was educated at Winchester College and OxfordUniversity. He then spent 7 years in France and Italy before studying law in London...
.
In The Phoenix Nest, Breton indulges very freely in the old allegory, a heritage from medieval times which was soon to fall out of use. A strange description of a rare garden plot is an allegorical poem in "poulter’s measure." An excellent dreame of ladies, and their riddles and The Chesse Play are, also, allegorical. The new note is struck most forcibly by Lodge. The fifteen poems by Lodge which the volume includes are the best of its treasures. Three of them are from his Phillis (1593), a volume of eclogues, sonnets, elegies and other lyrical pieces; the rest appeared first in The Phoenix Nest, though one, "Like desart woods", is published in England's Helicon, where it is given either to Dyer, or to "Ignoto." It is worth noticing that Lodge, in one song, "The fatall starre that at my birthday shined," makes use of a metre which might be scanned as, and is clearly modelled upon, alcaics, but is, in practice, composed of iambic feet.
The Earl of Oxford has a charming lyric, "What cunning can expresse," and it is possible that the longest poem in the volume, A most rare and excellent dreame, is the work of Greene. The dream is the favourite one of the visit of a lady to her sleeping lover. Her beauties are described and his parlous state explained. Then follows a long argument on love, of the kind that had not yet passed out of fashion; and, on the relenting of his mistress, the lover wakes. There is much of the old school in the matter, but little in the manner. The stanzas in rime royal move freely and strongly, and the whole is a good specimen of the poetry of the time. It needs, however, only to place it side by side with such a lyric as Lodge’s "My bonnie Lasse thine eie," in the same volume, to realise the immensely enlarged field in which the poet had to work. "Sweete Violets (Loves paradice) that spred" is a good example of the long stanza of complicated structure and involved rime-sequence which the poets of the day used with rare skill, and which led the way in time to the formal ode.
External links
- Renascence Editions The Phoenix Nest (1593) (contains complete text of the work).
- Content in this article was copied from The Cambridge History of English and American Literature in 18 Volumes, Volume IV. Prose and Poetry: Sir Thomas North to Michael Drayton(1907–21), a work in the public domainPublic domainWorks are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
.