Lyly, << LIHL ee, >> John (1554?-1606), was an English writer. He was important in the history of prose style and the development of Elizabethan popular comedy of high literary quality. Lyly was born in Canterbury. He established his literary reputation with Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit (1578), a fashionable book combining essay and fiction. Its artificial style, called euphuism, set a new pattern for sophisticated English prose.
Lyly turned to playwriting as part of an unsuccessful effort to further his advancement at court. His comedies treat idealized love and flatteringly reflect attitudes of the Elizabethan courtier. Written to be performed by troupes of boy actors, they emphasize style, song, and witty dialogue. Campaspe (1584) and Endymion (1588) are typical of Lyly’s plays. Shakespeare’s romantic comedies show the influence of Lyly’s work. Lyly died in November 1606.
