The theme of Politics in 17th Century Literature - Essay Example

The theme of Politics in 17th Century LiteratureThe 17th Century period was a time of political, social and religious transformation. This was the era of the English revolution (1640-60) and was also a time of changes in political ideologies. Resultantly, the changes are reflected in 17th-century works of famous writers such as Donne’s sonnets and Hobbes. The 17th Century writers were preoccupied with the theme of power due to the political conflicts of the day (A1). Through their works, the writers were able to establish the types of powers at play (A2) and to describe their ideologies and influence of the present powers (A3).

The 17th Century was the Renaissance period that entailed major political turmoil. The powers at play were divided on royal absolutism vs. parliamentary (Hoffe, 16). Thomas Hobbes identifies the political conflicts in his famous work, Leviathan. The author discusses the political conflicts of the day that was the mass democracy (Hoffe, 16). Hobbes explains that accepting the Commonwealth or the rule of a state was similar to creating an artificial Leviathan, a creature that was violent and could not be controlled (Greenblatt, 317).

Hobbes took a stance by supporting the restoration of the monarchy, arguing that a monarchical rule was the creation of human beings and could therefore not be sovereign over themselves (Hoffe, 16). Spiritual power and metaphysical concerns with power are key themes in Donne’s sonnets. Donne existed at a time of political tensions and contradictions that brought about anxiety and excitement of individuals in the society. In the sonnets, the author uses a metaphorical framework to describe the politics of desire, power, possession and love that is articulated in the control of feminine sexuality (Brackett, 400).

In the sonnet, “To his mistress going to bed” (Greenblatt, 7), Donne’s describes his masculinity which can also be analyzed as depicting the colonial for of imperialism by the British Empire (Brackett, 400). In conclusion, through the analysis of 17th century British literature, readers can identify the political conflicts of the time, the types of powers at play and the ideologies of the writers regarding the present powers.Works CitedBrackett, Virginia. The Facts on File Companion to British Poetry: 17Th and 18th Centuries.

Infobase Publishing, 2008. Print.Greenblatt, Stephen .The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 9th ed. New York W.W.Norton, 2012. Print.Höffe, Otfried “Thomas Hobbes” SUNY Press, 1 Sep 2015. Print.