Humanism; Prior to the Renaissance, arts and learning were all channeled through the Church. With the flowering of the Renaissance, there was a renewed interest in (acceptance) of secular humanism, as represented by interest in secular philosophy.
Interest in the sciences; Galileo, anatomical dissection as represented by Da Vinci
The Arts; Prior to the Renaissance, virtually all art was religious in subject and the Church was the major patron of the arts. Think of Michelangelo's heroic nude statue of David, a subject that would have been impossible to portray prior to the Renaissance.
What is “reborn”?
The Renaissance is known as a rebirth of classical ideas and in all actuality, a celebration or rebirth of humanism. The middle ages had lasted for over a thousand years. It was during this time Christianity was spread. Christianity, along with the Germanic culture of the tribes who invaded the Roman Empire, changed Europe forever. The Christian Church had a major influence in the everyday activities of everyone at that time. By 1500 people began to shine away preoccupation with the church. Instead, they focused more on the classical ideas that came before the onset of Christianity's influence. This is how the Renaissance started.
What is the beauty ideal?
Women of the Renaissance period did not concern themselves with things like a few extra pounds of weight. In fact, just the opposite was true. The ideal beauty of that era was more voluptuous than perhaps any other time in history. Paintings from the Renaissance period often focused on women who would today be considered fat. However, at that time, their figures and forms were considered the height of sexiness.
Revival of literary styles?
The dominant forms of English literature during the Renaissance were the poem and the drama. Among the many varieties of poetry one might have found in sixteenth century England were the lyric, the elegy, the tragedy, and the pastoral. Near