Tag Archives: William Shakespeare

The History of Fictional Prose – Part 2: The printing press and entertainment

09 Monday May 2011

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History of Fictional Prose

We have been exploring the emergence of literature, and fictional prose in particular.  How ‘symbols’ and ‘pictograms’ changed to words which recorded ‘fact’ in part 1.

Tales and myths, previously handed down through generations by word of mouth, became documented.  Then civilisations started to experiment with different writing styles and we left it last time with the introduction of a writing ‘frame’ as seen in One Thousand and One Nights.

What was still lacking, however, was the first true written work of a single piece of prose fiction.

A boost was made to prose-writing in 1455 with the introduction of the printing press to Europe.  Other forms of printing had already come to existence around the world but this introduced mass printing and ensured printed material became available to a larger population, not just the privileged few.

Unlike poetry, which had rhythm and rhyme to assist in its’ recount, prose was not easily remembered and therefore needed to be written down.  The printing press ensured prose a future and more people started to experiment in the longer-style of writing, with little or no ‘structure’ as seen in verse.

William Caxton was the first to publish a book in English in the late 15th century – this was not a work of fiction but the translation of a History of Troy.  Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur are included in the works he published in England.  Again, these are collections of tales, not a single piece of continuous prose.

During the early modern period we see the likes of William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe writing plays for entertainment rather than education, so fiction as we understand it nowadays was starting to take shape.

Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes had ‘The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha’ published in two parts 1605 and 1615.  It is widely regarded as turning point in fictitious writing.  Again, it is written around several ‘stories’ of his exploits but these have no relation to historical figures – genuine fiction.

Early English novelists include John Bunyan, Daniel Defoe and Jonathan Swift, all born in the 17th century.  Indeed, in many circles, Daniel Defoe is credited as being the first true English fiction novelist with his work ‘Robinson Crusoe’ (published in 1719) – a fictional autobiography.

The history of fictional prose has been a difficult one to trace.  Works we now find ‘laughable’ were believed at the time.  Imagination was not encouraged in the early years – most written material was historical or religious.  It took a few brave authors to step out of the shadow; include emotions in their work.

Then we have the second obstacle of actually writing prose.  Poetry was in existence in oral form for millennia.  This slowly became documented and verse was formed.  An extended piece of writing was a long way off when written word was first introduced.

Tales were written, then collections of stories.  Gradually the expression of writing grew.  It was not a quick process.  One thing is widely accepted – we would not have experienced the joy of novels without the invention of the printing press.

Denny Bradbury is a modern-day fiction author and poet.  ‘The Reunion’ is a fictitious novel exploring a year in the lives and emotions of five friends. She is also promoting her new novel, Borvo, which is an extraordinary historical-fiction novel around King Alfred.

To read part 1 of my article on the History of Fictional Prose click here

Laura Scott

To purchase one of Denny’s books please click on the images below or contact Denny directly at email denisebradbury@btinternet.com.
The Reunion Denagerie of Poems by Denny Bradbury

A History of Poetry: Part 2 – A language for all and romantics unleashed

11 Monday Apr 2011

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We have previously ventured back in time to explore the humble beginnings of poetry, taking us to approximately 3000 BC.  It transformed from being a tool to record history in an oral fashion to the ‘art’ form explored by the Greeks and Romans, where Muses had their part to play.

The story continues in the Medieval Age.

A change was encountered in people’s religious beliefs from ‘polytheism’ to ‘monotheism’, several gods to the single Lord.  This idea was also mirrored in the preferred topics for poetry.

Myths and legends, although still fascinating to tell, were increasingly replaced with prayers to and praises of the one God.

Poetry was becoming an art form for those who were educated or in the company of wealth.  Latin became the only language within Europe in which poetry was written.

That was until English poet Geoffrey Chaucer dared to use vernacular language in the Middle Ages.  Known as the father of English Literature he was one of the first poets to be buried in Poets Corner of Westminster Abbey.

Despite the change to the English language, the topics, rhyme and rhythm used in Latin were still evident.

Whilom, as olde stories tellen us,

There was a duke that highte Theseus

Of Athens he was lord and governor,

And in his time such a conqueror

That greater was there none under the sun.

Full many a riche country had he won.

(The Knight’s Tale, Geoffrey Chaucer)

Denny Bradbury also makes use of couplet rhyming stanza in her poem ‘Thoughts of Love’ (Denagerie of Poems, 2009), although rather than describing a tale of a gallant knight, it explores the heartache of love.

Poetry in the form of Sonnets had been used since the 13th century however it did not come into its’ own until the Renaissance period.

Described as a poem of 14 lines with a specific rhyme and structure, it evolved over the centuries – Petrarchan Sonnets (Italian – c. 13th century), Shakespearean (English – c. 16th century), also Modern Sonnets to name but a few varieties.

‘Together Apart’ (Denagerie of Poems, 2009) shows Denny’s exploration into the world of sonnets.

Blank-verse (unrhymed) also came into strength during the 16th century with poets such as Henry Howard and Christopher Marlowe.  William Shakespeare also used blank-verse in his plays.

One such example of blank-verse from the 17th century, and a style which was copied in the 18th century, is John Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’:

Of Man’s first disobedience, and the fruit

Of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste

Brought death into the World, and all our woe,

(Paradise Lost: Book 01, John Milton)

The Romantic Era emerged in the 18th and 19th centuries, where personal feelings became unleashed.  It was an attempt to escape the rules of science and strict ways of life.  WilliamWordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge led the movement with their collective works ‘Lyrical Ballards’ (1798).  Blake, Keats and Shelley are but a few poets to emerge in this era.

In mist or cloud, on mast or shroud,
It perched for vespers nine;
Whiles all the night, through fog-smoke white,
Glimmered the white moonshine.”

(The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Samuel Taylor Coleridge)

Poetry has never stopped progressing, adapting all the time to the needs of its creators.  We are still to encounter the Victorian Era, Surrealism and Imagists.  Between now and then, however, I leave you with words from Denny Bradbury:

The countryside is redolent

With stories, loves and lives unspent;

People passing, what’s their story?

Ignorance finds the path to glory.

(Heathland, Denagerie of Poems, Denny Bradbury, 2009)

Laura Scott

Shakespeare Master Writer

06 Wednesday Apr 2011

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Shakespeare…highly regarded in his own day and even now as one of the most prolific writers of poetry, plays, fiction and non-fiction.  He was considered the Steven Spielberg of his day.  You can’t argue that Shakespeare’s writing has left a lasting impression on literature in terms of plots, characterisation, language and genre.

Romance and tragedy for example wouldn’t be addressed in the same play until Romeo and Juliet.  In an experimental time for theatre, he used soliloquies to explore the minds of the characters rather than just convey information about settings, situations and status.

Language as an entity wasn’t standardise in the 1500 and 1600’s, to which Shakespeare helped formalise by sticking to a few simple rules.  The idea of a beginning, middle and an end came out of the proverbial soup that was Shakespeare’s brain.

Moving on to his sonnets and poems which are suspected to have been written throughout his lifetime until his death in 1616; they are said to be an insight not into his mind, but into something more meaningful to humanity…the heart.  I suppose this is how poetry can differ from prose.  Instead of telling a narrative, you can write or read something from a real human experience.  Shakespeare influenced poets such as Thomas Hardy, William Blake and even Charles Dickens during times when they were paid by the inch of writing they produce.  Thomas Hardy having influenced Denny Bradbury’s poems Heatherland and Thoughts of Love which can both be found in a collection of her works Denagerie of Poems.  Like Thomas Hardy and therefore its safe to say that like Shakespeare himself, the inspiration for Denagerie of Poems is gathered from a collection of observations.  The poems were written over the last few years and are offered to the reader for reflection on the world and state of mind in the 21st Century.

Denagerie of Poems gives a category of topics to look upon, Idle Thoughts Whilst Procrastinating for example looks at the idea of entertaining guests and the feelings you get before they arrive, this is personified in the obvious phrase “There is so much to entertaining, be suave or ‘act the fool?’” But with a slight humorous narrative, which gives the question what would happen if you were to accidentally burn the house down before everyone arrives.

Shakespeare, the master of irony has left his mark on the English by breathing life into words to which ironically go full circle and become sweets to the sweet and a door to the eye of the mind…(how many phrases did you spot there?).