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450
OLD ENGLISH 450 - 1066
This period was characterized by foreign invasions and internal struggles. Literature in this period consisted of prose, poetry, riddles and proverbs. Besides, a mixture between paganism and Christian traditions.
The most important and the longest is Beowulf “The Wanderer”. -
1066
MIDDLE ENGLISH 1066 - 1500
The content frequently is religious and for festivals.
Ex: The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer -
1500
ENGLISH RENAISSANCE 1500 -1660
This period was influenced by Aristotle, Ovid and other Greek thinkers. Besides, it was divided in three different moments called Elizabethan (1558 - 1603), Jacobian (1603 - 1660) and Carolina (1625 - 1653).
Ex: William Shakespeare, Francis Bacon, John Fletcher and Francis Beaumont -
1558
Elizabethan (1558 - 1603)
This was the most splendid age for poetry and drama (especially for the plays of William Shakespeare) -
Jacobian (1603 - 1660)
It was a period developed during the reign of James 1. Literature in this period was darker in mood. It usually questioned the stability of social order. Some of Shakespeare’s best tradegy plays date from this era. -
Carolina (1625 - 1653)
It was a fruitful period regarding creativity and religious poetry. This period was affected by the civil war which divided people into small groups (Supporters of King and supporters of Parliament.) -
PURITAN 1653 - 1660
After the civil war, the commonwealth could be set up and the monarchy was restored. Writers like William Bradford wrote about puritan life having spirituality as the main objective. -
Restoration Age (1660 - 1700)
The heart of this period is the attempt to come to terms with the political events which occurred in previous years. For this reason, this time was characterized by innovative and varied literature. -
NEOCLASSICAL PERIOD 1660 - 1785
Its authors emphasized the classical ideas of rationality. It was characterized by having well-structured texts in which emotions had to be controlled.
This period could be divided into three different moments called: Restoration Age (1660 - 1700), Augustan (1700 - 1750) and Age of Johnson (1750 - 1785)
Some of the most relevant authors in England were: John Milton (Paradise Lost), Alexander Pope (Essay on Man) and Jonathan Swift (Gulliver’s travels). -
Augustan (1700 - 1750)
The literature was emphasized on common sense and the reason. Therefore, writers gave less importance to emotions or imagination. -
Age of Johnson (1750 - 1785)
This period of time was the transition of British Literature towards Roman. So, authors were more interested in human freedom, folk literature and ballads. -
AGE OF SENSIBILITY 1750 - 1798
In this period sentimentalism was a fashion. In poetry and prose fiction. Thus, it was given importance to the ability to display feelings to shape social life and personal relations.
Important Writers
Samuel Johnson, James Boswell and Laurence Sterne. -
ROMANTICISM 1798 - 1837
It was characterized by its reaction against the scientific rationality of the industrial revolution. Literature in this period was emphatic on individuality, imagination, nature, mystery and supernatural things.
In England, the most important writers are: Robert Burns (To a mouse), Mary Wollstonecraft (Frankenstain). In America, some of the most well-known writers of this period are: Edgar Allan Poe (The Raven) and James Fennimore (The last of the Mohicans). -
VICTORIAN PERIOD 1837 - 1901
It was a period of stability and prosperity in Great Britain. As for this, the literature emphasizes realistic portrayals of common people. Sometimes, it was used to promote social changes. During this important period, some writers explored gothic topics.
Some important writers of this period are Charles Dickens (David Copperfield or Oliver Twist) or Lewis Carroll (Alice’s adventures in wonderland) -
MODERN LITERATURE 1901 - 1940
It is characterized by breaking the traditional way of writing. This movement brought a more open-minded way of thinking. Therefore, truth was not considered as an absolute thing, there was more concerned with the sub-conscious and, writers, stopped considering institutions as reliable.
Important writers of this period are: James Joyce Virgiania Woolf and Stevie Smith. -
POST MODERNS 1940 - 2000
Writers used irony and humor as a hallmark of their style. Some authors tended to mix elements of previous genres and styles to create intertextuality. Besides, writers used paranoia and temporal distortion in their works.
Some important writers are Samuel Beckett and William Burroughs. -
CONTEMPORARY 2000 -
This period refers to quality of writing and works as fiction novels essays and dramatic works. As for this, it is characterized by reality based stories and more character driven than a plot driven. Some genres of this time include short stories, fiction and young adult stories
Important Writers Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games) and Tayari Jones (Silver Sparrow),
