Renaissance was the revival of classical literature and artistic styles in European history. The word is from French, meaning “rebirth”, and was first applied by the Swiss historian Jakob Burckhardt in 1860. Renaissance was the transitional period between the Middle Ages and modem times, covering the years 1350-1650. The Renaissance was a period of significant achievement and change.
The Renaissance began in northern Italy in the early 14th century, and was typified by the universal genius of Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519). In England, the Renaissance was usually thought of as beginning with the accession of House of Tudor to the throne in 1485.
The English Renaissance was largely literary, and achieved its finest expression in the so-called Elizabeth drama. Poetry was also extremely rich, and reached its peak at the beginning of the 17th century. And native English prose also developed with great vigor.
