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450
Old English, C450 until C 1066
The oldest form of the english language was spoken and written in Anglo-Saxon Britain, with a largely germanic vocabulary and very different from modern english.
Example: In England laws was wrritten in old English in the seven century, Bible translation by Bede in the eight century, the literature was marked by germanic component, specially epic poems, the most stant out is Beowulf, the first great work germanic literature. -
1066
Middle English 1066 – 1500
This period was marked by signicicant changes in the Engilsh Language, because the Norman Conquest and the way that the language was changing durin the Old English period, the Engilsh Middle had changes in the grammar and vocabulary. Much of the literature was imitative
example: the courtly poem Sir Gawain and the green Knight tells of a mysterious visitor to the round table of king Arthur, Morte d'Arthur an English account of the French tales of King Arthur by Thomas Malory (1469). -
1500
English renaissance 1500 – 1660
Was a cultural and artistic movement in England, it is considerd to be the division between the middle ages and the modern period. In literature this period, placed its greatest emphasis on humanism, individuality and the authors willingness to satirize institutions such as such and state and in the writing of secular rather than religious works.This period is divided in the Elizathan, Jacobean, Caroline and Puritan era. Main authors:William Shakespeare,Chistopthe Marlowe, John Milton,JohnDonne. -
Period: 1558 to
Elizabethan (1558-1603)
It Is considered the golden age of the history of England, during this period England experienced peace and prosperity, while the arts flourishe, the time period is named after queen Elizabeth I, who ruled Engalnd during this period.
This era is one of the most spendid ages of engilsh literature, its characterized by drama and poetry.
Example: included poets such as Edmun Spenser with his epic poem "The Faerie Queene" -
Period: to
Jacobean 1603-1625
It was a period marked by puritanism, Jacobean leterature was often dark in mood, which questioned the stability of the social order.
Example: the satirical voice of the english playwryight Ben Jonson is heard in Volpone. -
Period: to
Caroline Era 1625-1660
Is an era of the poetry of three classes or schools: methaphisycal, cabaliers and puritan school poetry.
In this era Prose bacame strong, but the main literay product of the age was methaphisycal poetry. -
Period: to
Commonwealth Period (1649-1660)
In this period there was no monarch in England,since king Cahrles I has been beheaded during the civil war and the puritan leader Oliver Cromwell came to power. Puritan ideas previled and they believed in the simplicity of the life and didn't approve of the sonnests and love poems written on the previous period, the theater was closed, however some forms of art such as opera were encouraged, they tended to suppress literary art, but still authors John Milton emerged. ex: Aeropagitica -
Restoration age (1660-1700)
This period was called Restoration, because manarchy was restored in England, and Charles II, the son of the Cahrles I who had been defeated and beheaded, returned to Engalnd from his exile in Frence and became the king.
Literature was marked by the brak with the Renaissance Era, corruption and moral laxity of the time were reflected in the literature,highlighting realistic poetry, drama, prose, and comedy manners.
Example: absalom & achitophel by John Dryden,(1681). -
18th Century 1700-1798
Also called the Ega of Reason or Englightenment, this period included obseving human nature and nature itself, considered unchanging and constant. This period is also known as the Neoclasical Era. This period is divided between Augustan and Age of Sensibility. -
Period: to
Augustan
British style of literature produced during the reigns of queen Anne, king George I and George II, its name cames from the roman emperor Augustus. In this era poetry, melodrama and satire develop rapidly. The main writers were Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift. The rationalism era.
Example: the greatest verse satire was "Rape of Look" by Alexander Pope. -
Period: to
Age of Sensibility
This period was called "Age of Sensibility" in recognition of the high value that many Britons came to place on explorations of feeling and emotion in literature and other arts.
It gave the sentimental novel or the novel of sensibility which highlights sentimentality and sensitivity. The novels were based on emotional response.
Example: among the most famous sentimental novels in English is, Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith (1766). -
Romanticism 1798-1837
Romanticism was an artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe toward the end of the 18th century. (Unknown, 2014).
Romantic literature was characterized by love of nature, distrust of reason and rejection of tradition authority.
This era was influenced by art, music and philosophy.
It was also characterized by its grat poets, the promotion of the historical novel and the beginnig of gothic or horror novel.
Example: Ivanhoe written by Walter Scott. -
Victorian 1837-1901
The Victorian era describes the period between 1837 and 1901, when Queen Victoria was on the throne.
Victorian writers considered concrete truth as one of the motives of literary creation. Literay realism.
Example: Charles Dickens with his first novel, The Pickwick papers. -
Modern Literature 1901-1940
Modernism is an era characterized by the thought, discussion and genre of art and literature that breaks with the clasic or avant-garde of the Victorian era.
The literature of this period was marked by eperimentalism.
The most important novelists of the era were: Joseph Conrad, Eduard Forster, Henry James, James Joyce and Virginia Woolf.
Example: Ulysses by James Joyce. -
Post Modern 1940-2000
This period is characterized by development of postestructuralist theory and literary criticism, the use of metafiction, sel-reflexivity, intertextuality, unrealiable nation and the use of political and historical themes in their nations.
Notable writers of this period: Joseph Heller, Samuel Beckett, Anthony Burgess, John Fowles, Penelope M. Lively.
Example: John Fowles' The French Lieutenant's women. Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metafiction
