Body of works written during the reign of Elizabeth I (1558–1603).
Probably the most illustrious age in the history of English literature, the Elizabethan era saw a flowering of poetry, produced a golden age of drama, and inspired a wide variety of splendid prose. The period encompasses the work of Edmund Spenser , Christopher Marlowe , William Shakespeare , and others. Though some patterns and themes persisted, the tone of most forms of literary expression, especially drama, darkened rather suddenly around the start of the 17th century. See also {{link=Jacobean literature">Jacobean literature .