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858
Old Literature Anglo Saxon Norman Conquest (A landmark)
People transmitted the poems and literary works orally during the period under consideration. Writing was not given much importance.
Beowoulf is one of the most important works of that age. -
1100
Middle Ages (1100-1500)
The most respected and famed writer of the middle age was Geoffrey Chaucer. His greatest works are mostly narratives
like The Canterbury Tales, The House of Fame etc. Medieval theatre included Mysteries, Miracle and Morality plays. -
1485
Tudor
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1500
The Renaissance
The Renaissance is the rebirth of culture and learning. The European scholars and writers found that Renassaince was doing good at Italy. William shakespeare is recognized. So, at around 1500 they brought the Renassaince literature in England. This age is one of the most important in the History of English Literature.
Another important periods are:
Tudor (1485-1603)
Elizabethan (1558-1603)
Jacobian (1603-1625)
Caroline (1625-1649)
Late Renaissance (Puritans) (1625-1660) -
1558
Elizabethan
This era was the period of newideas and new thinking. Three most important and remarkable writers of that period are William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, and Ben Jonson. -
Jacobian
The two primary contribution of this age in English literature
is the Revenge play and Metaphysical poetry. One of the greatest lyricists of that era was John Donne. He was famous for
his unconventional and metaphysical style of poetry -
Caroline
This era coincided with the age of Charles I (1625-1642). Some of the prominent writers of that era are George Herbert, Henry
Vaughan, Katherine Philips, John Donne etc. -
Late renaissance
The age is named 'Puritan Age' because of the Puritan dominance in England for the first time.
One remarkable figure was John Milton. Some of his
popular works are:
Paradise Lost (1667)
Paradise Regained (1671)
On Shakespeare (1632)
Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce (1643) etc -
Neo-Classical Age
People were interested in appearance, not in the being genuine. Having good
manners and doing the right thing to the public was essential.
This age is divided into three parts:
Restoration Period
Augustan Literature
Age of Sensibility -
Restoration age
The restoration age begins in 1660. In the restoration period, James II was restored to the throne. There was a complete
rejection of ideas. Most importantly, the Theatre closed down by the Puritans was restored. John Dryden, greatest of all the poets of this age, established heroic couplet in English Poetry. -
Augustan literature
The Augustan age was a Roman Empire age.
King Augustus was the emperor of that time. Some of the most famous Augustan writers are Virgil, Horace etc. Major poets of that age are Pope and Dryden. And on the other hand, Jonathan Swift was famous for his prose works. -
Age of sensibility
The age of Sensibility is also known as the age of Johnson. Two most famous writers of this period are Richard Brinsley Sheridan and Oliver Goldsmith. Sheridan was a love poet. Most of the literary works of this age talk about human feelings, classicism and Romantic revival. -
Romanticism
This period was mainly a reaction against the philosophy of Enlightenment period that dominated much of European Philosophy. Some of the most famous poets of the period are - John Keats, William Blake, William Wordsworth, Thomas Grey etc. -
19th Century Literature (1799 to 1900)
The 19th-century literature is merged with three ages. They are:
Romanticism (1798-1837)
Victorian Age (1837-1901)
Edwardian Age (1901-1910) -
The victorian period
The Victorian period was a time of contradiction, often referred to as the Victorian Compromise. Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, and David Copperfield are some of the most prominent authors. -
Edwardian Age
After the death of Queen Victoria, Edward VII came into the throne. His throne at England is known as the Edwardian age. -
Modernism
Literature from various parts of the world started spreading. New writers tried to impersonate the glory of British writers. -
Post modernism
In post-modernism, basically the history of English Literature of 5 geo-locations are being studied. They are African, Australian, Canadian, Caribbean and Indian Literature.
