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John Lyly (/ ˈ l ɪ l i /; c. 1553 or 1554 – November 1606; also spelled Lilly, Lylie, Lylly) was an English writer, playwright, courtier, and parliamentarian.
John Lyly was an English writer and playwright who influenced the development of prose dialogue and euphuism in English literature. He wrote two prose romances, Euphues, and several comedies, including Endimion, in the late 16th century.
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Learn about John Lyly, the first superstar dramatist of the Elizabethan era, who wrote novels, plays, and dialogues in a highly affected style called euphuism. Find out how he served Queen Elizabeth, why his works declined in popularity, and what makes his plays distinctive.
Aug 31, 2015 · An overview of the life and works of John Lyly, a contemporary of Shakespeare and a literary celebrity in his own time. Learn about his prose fiction Euphues, his plays, his political satire, and his influence on early modern literature.
- Overview
- Works in Biographical and Historical Context
- Works in Literary Context
- Works in Critical Context
- Responses to Literature
- Bibliography
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Together with Christopher Marlowe, John Lyly was one of the most important pre-Shakespearean playwrights of the Elizabethan stage. Lyly was a member of the school of writing called the “University Wits,” and the publication of his prose work, Euphues, the Anatomy of Wit(1578) marked the beginning of his literary career, made him a best-selling auth...
An Oxford Education John Lyly was born to Peter Lyly, a minor church official serving the archbishopric of York, and his wife Jane. The exact date and place of his birth are unknown, but records of his years at Oxford Universitysuggest that he was born between 1552 and 1554. By 1562 he evidently resided with his parents and a growing number of sibl...
Lyly is considered a pioneer of English literature who helped make prose a vehicle of art on the same level with poetry. He was especially noted for his artificial, elaborate prose style. Contrasted greatly with his contemporary Christopher Marlowe's bloody tragedies, Lyly's dramatic comedies marked an important change in English drama, mixing the ...
Lyly's Euphues books earned both praise and dismissal in his lifetime. They pioneered an influential writing style, but they also garnered Lyly rejection and a poor reputation within years of his writing them—a critical backlash that may have played a role in frustrating Lyly's hopes for a high position at court.
Euphuism—a sophisticated and ornate prose style—originated with John Lyly. The writing was highly technical, with a set structure the author popularized to the point of influencing Shakespeare. Con...Both of Lyly's Euphues works were hugely popular when they were first published. In both style and content they depicted the intellectual preferences and favored themes of Renaissance society. Cons...Given the unique style of Lyly's euphuism, find one passage you see as particularly striking, and try to imitate Lyly's style. The theme can be the same or you can devise your own. Include at least...Books
Houppert, Joseph W. John Lyly. Boston: Twayne, 1975. Jusserand, J. J. The English Novel in the Time of Shakespeare. Unknown Binding, 1890. Lawlis, Merritt, ed. Elizabethan Prose Fiction. New York: The OdysseyPress, 1967). Lewis, C. S. English Literature in the Sixteenth Century, Excluding Drama.Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1954. Saintsbury, George. A History of Elizabethan Literature. London: Macmillan, 1887. à Wood, Anthony. Athenae Oxonienses: an Exact History of all the Writers and Bishops who...
Periodicals
Barish, Jonas A. “The Prose Style of John Lyly.” ELH, 23 (March 1956): 14–35. Bates, Catherine, “‘A Large Occasion of Discourse’;: John Lyly and the Art of Civil Conversation.” Review of English Studies, 42 (November 1991): 469–486. King, Walter N. “John Lyly and Elizabethan Rhetoric.” Studies in Philology, 52 (April 1955): 149–161. Knight, G. Wilson. “Lyly.” Review of English Studies, 15 (April 1939): 146–163. McCabe, Richard A. “Wit, Eloquence, and Wisdom in Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit.” St...
Web sites
Luminarium. John Lyly (1554–1606). Retrieved March 31, 2008, from http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/jlyly.htm. Project Gutenberg. John Lyly by John Dover Wilson. Retrieved March 31, 2008, from http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/22525. Representative Poetry Online. Selected Poetry of John Lyly (1554–1606). Retrieved March 31, 2008, from http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/poet/210.html.
John Lyly was a prominent Elizabethan writer of fiction, drama, and nonfiction. He is best known for his prose works Euphues, the Anatomy of Wit and Euphues and His England, and his plays Campaspe and Gallatea.
Learn about the life and works of John Lyly, an Elizabethan writer who influenced Shakespeare and Jonson. Find out about his prose fiction, his drama, his patronage, and his controversies.
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Dec 5, 2012 · Today John Lyly is the most neglected, underappreciated and misunderstood Elizabethan playwright. Lyly’s understanding of the world, and of language, came out of his own personal heritage which he honoured throughout his uneven career.
