Renaissance is a French word which means ‘rebirth’, ‘revival’ or ‘reawakening’. The Renaissance may be described or defined as the new spirit which, from a variety of causes, appeared in man’s outlook in the latter part of the Middle Ages. The age of Queen Elizabeth is known as the age of Renaissance. Renaissance means rebirth. It conveys the idea that for centuries, European culture had been dead and then by some means had rediscovered life. It led to the rediscovery of Greek and roman literature. This reawakening of classical learning came to Italy in the 14th century. The Renaissance was essentially a European movement which had its birth in Italy and from there spread to Germany, France and England.
Thus, the Renaissance is a great cataclysm which affected the European culture and literature of the fifteenth and sixteenth century. Though it started as a movement, it actually turned out to be a mighty spirit that enveloped the western world. Though the spirit of renaissance invaded all countries in Europe, it did not produce similar results everywhere. For example, in France, the spirit reflected in the plastic arts; in Italy, in painting and music; in Germany in religion and in England in literature. The spirit of Renaissance reached the shores of England not only late but through Italy and France. Moreover the effects and results were too glorious to describe.
The first characteristic of the Renaissance is revival of ancient learning. The second was the spirit of discovery and search for the unknown. The third was Greek humanism. The next was wonderful sense of beauty and the last and the most peculiar was the spirit of patriotism.
Thus, the new learning encouraged and stimulated intellectual curiosity, scholarly research and the spirit of enquiry and criticism. There were new social forces at work which marked the end of the middle ages and welcomed the down of the modern era.
Renaissance is thus a spiritual storm. Renaissance in England blossomed and flowered in literature. It is altogether impossible to describe its influence fully. Even the characteristics cannot be enlisted entirely. But eminent critics and renowned literary men have now arrived upon a common conclusion that Renaissance exercised a tremendous and omnipresent influence on English literature.