In the late part of the 1400's, along with the taking over of the throne by Henry VII, England entered a stage that is known today as the Renaissance. Many aspects of English culture changed during this period of learning and rebirth. Many of these changes could be seen in the work that the authors of this time period were doing. Several prominent characteristics of literature are apparent during the Renaissance. One of the most prominent is realism.
             Realism is defined as "a way of representing life that emphasizes ordinary people in everyday experiences. During the Renaissance the use of realism really took flight and was seen in almost every, if not all, pieces of literature. It was especially seen in the prose and the poetry of the time period. The prose of the time period used many different subjects. The subjects included things such as philosophy, travel, and history. The writers also wrote in many different styles and forms. Two styles that stood out were the plain style and the Ciceronian style. Because of the use of many subject and the various styles, the literature was really able to reflect the common man. The poetry that was written during the Renaissance also contained an abundance of the use of realism. The writers experimented in writing and began writing pastoral poems and using allegories in the poems that they wrote. Pastoral poetry shows and reflects the rural life of the people in England, and it shows the aspect of everyday society that was not commonly seen in previous works of literature. By using allegories in poems, the author could show the underlying meaning of the aspects such as the social, moral, and religious. Once again the use of realism is apparent in the poetry by the representation of ordinary people and everyday life.
             Realism is seen in many works of the Renaissance period. Two of the more popular pieces of literature of this time are Paradise Lost and Dr. Faustus. In Paradise Lo...