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The "Middle" Ages were followed by the Renaissance, a time in which art and literature flourished. Thomas More, the first English humanist of the Renaissance, was born in London during this period. More's style is simple because of its colloquial language but a deeper look into his irony hints at deep dissatisfaction with the current thought and desire for change. "Utopia" (which in Greek means "nowhere") is the name of More's fictional island of perfected …

…In writing Utopia, More was attempting to spark people's attention and effort to reverse the downward spiral of European society. More used "Utopia" as a blueprint for radical change and a call towards preserving medieval and Christian beliefs, practices, and values. More did not intend his vision of Utopia to be followed literally, and never thought it could be. More did, however, wish to give an example of a "perfect" society which Europe could emulate.