This part traces the origins of English religious poetry within medieval worship and communal faith, emphasizing the inseparable bond between poetry and devotion. Miracle plays, hymns, and early sacred lyrics reveal a living faith sustained amid social and ecclesiastical turmoil. Through Spenser, Bacon, Donne, and the Elizabethan dramatists, poetry increasingly embraces personal reflection alongside theological inquiry. The section charts the movement from collective praise toward a more inward and responsive spiritual voice.
