Second, even though his lyrics scarcely qualify as masterpieces, the very fact that he wrote at all deeply influenced the future course of Renaissance poetry. For a commoner or even a courtier to write a love lyric, heartfelt or conventional, is no great matter; but once the king does so, no matter what the quality or the quantity of the product, then the poem takes on political resonances. Third, Henry exerted a tremendous influence on English Renaissance literature through his activities as an instigator of literary endeavors. Under his sponsorship the Italian masque became a regular part of courtly life, and his presence shaped the imaginations of such famous courtly poets as Sir Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey. Finally, the usual distinctions between fact and fiction do not apply to Henry VIII, for even though he rarely put quill to parchment, he used literary motifs, in particular chivalric romances, as models for his foreign and domestic policies.
Henry Tudor, born on 28 June 1491, was the second son of King Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth. Because he occupied the unthankful position of younger brother to the heir apparent, Arthur, the records contain relatively little about his early years other than the dates upon which he received various titles.
This is a free page. This page contains 191 words. This
biography contains 7,107 words (approx. 24 pages at 300
words per page).
Read the rest of this Biography with our Henry VIII Access Pass.
