ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -John Lyly, (born 1554?, Kent, Eng.-died November 1606, London), author considered to be the first English prose stylist to leave an enduring impression upon the language. As a playwright he also contributed to the development of prose dialogue in English comedy.

Detailed explanation-2: -Euphuism is a peculiar mannered style of English prose. It takes its name from a prose romance by John Lyly. It consists of a preciously ornate and sophisticated style, employing a deliberate excess of literary devices such as antitheses, alliterations, repetitions and rhetorical questions.

Detailed explanation-3: -He was best known during his lifetime for his two books Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit (1578) and its sequel Euphues and His England (1580), but perhaps best remembered now for his plays. Lyly’s distinctive and much imitated literary style, named after the title character of his two books, is known as euphuism.

Detailed explanation-4: -Lyly was a member of the school of writing called the “University Wits, ” and the publication of his prose work, Euphues, the Anatomy of Wit (1578) marked the beginning of his literary career, made him a best-selling author, and afforded him a reputation as one of the most prominent prose writers of the era.