John Dowland's Songs of Darkness

Paper Summary:

The paper discuses Anthony Rooley's thesis in "New Light on John Dowland's Songs of Darkness" that although John Dowland wrote many songs about melancholy, tears and despair, it is not necessarily a reflection of his own soul. The paper maintains that Rooley did an excellent job proving that Dowland's compositions do not have to be a reflection of his persona.

From the Paper:

"Throughout many of his musical pieces, John Dowland composed with a theme of melancholy and despair. During his time, this theme of despair was a big movement in England. In order to achieve this theme, composers such as Dowland used a descending tetrachord that was associated with melancholy and despair.
"Through his article, Anthony Rooley's main thesis is that even though John Dowland wrote many songs about melancholy and despair, that fact does not necessarily mean that it is a reflection of his own soul. Rooley states, "I hope to show that he carefully constructed and maintained an artistic 'persona' which suited his considered intentions. He was consciously posturing and his highly mannered art elaborated his 'impresa'" (Rooley, 6)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Grove Music Online Dowland, John. Peter Holmann & Paul O'Dette. 2008. Grove Music Online. 20 Apr. 2008 <http://www.grovemusic.com/shared/views/article.html?from=search&session_search_id=382483979&hitnum=1 ion=music.08103>.
• John Dowland. 08 Apr. 2008. Wikimedia Foundation Inc.. 20 Apr. 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dowland>.
• Rooley, Anthony. "New Light on John Dowland's Songs of Darkness." Early Music 11.1 (1983): 6-21. JSTOR. 19 Apr. 2008 <http://www.jstor.org/stable/3137501>.

More papers on John Dowland's Songs of Darkness:

• Analytical Essay # 29185 : "John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men"
• Analytical Essay # 141458 : "Human Nature in Conrad's "Heart of Darkness"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: