English Literature

ANGLO SAXON SETTLERS: 449-1066

1066 BCE

Beowulf: heroic poem called the Scandinavian hero Beowulf, the highest achievement of Old English literature and the earliest European vernacular epic.

MIDDLE ENGLISH: 1066-1500

1500

Geoffrey Chaucer at court:
Chaucer's work was crucial to certify the literary use of the native language of the Middle English at a time when the absolute literary languages in England were French and Latin.
Among his various works are The Book of the Duchess, The House of Fame, The Legend of Good Women and Troilo and Criseyde. Today is best known for The Canterbury Tales.

EARLY MODERN ERA OR RENAISSANCE: 1558-1603

1558

"The English Renaissance" is the term used to describe the artistic and cultural movement that existed in England from the 16th to the 17th centuries. It is associated with the Pan-European Renaissance (according to the thoughts of some historians) that originated in Italy in the fourteenth century. That era of English cultural history is also known as "The time of Shakespeare" or "The Elizabethan era", referring to the most important author and monarch of the time.

The life of Shakespeare: 1564-1616

1564

Shakespeare is also important because of the great ability he had when using poetic language as well as dramatic resources. A true teacher who created school; and it is that we cannot deny that at present many quotes and aphorisms of Shakespeare are used in half the world, such as "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark", "What is in a name?" or "Now is the winter of our discontent."

Edmund Spenser: 1579-1596

1579

Edmund Spenser is considered one of the preeminent poets of the English language. The Faerie Queene, was written in honor of Queen Elizabeth I and in celebration of the Tudor dynasty. He is the originator and namesake of the Spenserian stanza and the Spenserian sonnet. he poem is deeply rooted in national politics of the late 16th century, and many of its allusions must have been of far greater interest to contemporary readers than to any generation since.

Marlowe: 1587-1593

1587

He was one of the first English authors to write in free verse, a style that became popular at the time and many referred to his verses as the "powerful lines of Marlowe."
His most famous works are Tamerlane the Great, the Jew of Malta and Doctor Faust, written between 1587 and 1589.
He approached extravagant and entertaining but also controversial themes and characters, such as the historical work of Edward II with the open homosexuality of its protagonist.

The sonnets: 1595-1598

1598

If Shakespeare had written not a single play, he would still rank among England's leading poets because of the 154 sonnets which he writes during the 1590s (they are not published until 1609). The beauty of the individual sonnets, many of them among the best loved poems in the English language, is enhanced by the mysterious personal relationships of which they give tantalizing hints.

EARLY MODERN ERA OR RENAISSANCE: 1558-1603

1603

Elizabethan literature
The Elizabethan era had a thriving literary production, especially in the field of theater. William Shakespeare was an outstanding author of poetry and plays, surely the most relevant figure that English literature has had in its history, but also other figures have had a relevant weight in the theater such as Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Dekker, John Fletcher and Francis Beaumont The urban comedy genre was also developed very often and admired.

RESTORATION 1660-1700

1700

The reopening of the theaters gave the opportunity to represent satirical works on the new nobility and the growing bourgeoisie. The mobility of society, which followed the social upheavals of the previous generation, provided the ideas for the creation of the comedy of manners. Aphra Behn was the first female novelist and professional dramatist. The allegory of John Bunyan, The Pilgrim, is one of the most read works of this period.