Redefining a Period Style : "Renaissance", "Mannerist" and "Baroque" in Literature

A study questioning current assumptions concerning the inter- relationships between concepts of historical periods and the criteria commonly employed to define and differentiate varieties of literary style.

Of particular concern is the application (or, frequently, misapplication) of terms and values derived from the visual arts to the arts of discourse, where they are often used so loosely that they become meaningless.