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Period: 450 to 1066
Old English period
This period is characterised by the constant invasions to Britain, such as in 5th and 6th centuries, by the anglos, the saxons and jutes. There we can find the very first poetry written in old English landuage -
600
Caedmon
Caedmon poet writes some of the first rimmes in Old English. -
900
Cynewulf
Cynewulf poet from 9th century. Also, many writings of this era are based on war, conquest and bravery. Old English prose sees its borning. -
1000
Beowulf
Beowulf pem in Old English verse circa 1000. -
Period: 1066 to 1500
Middle English period
Corresponds to the medieval period.
The Normand conquest of England in 1066 traditionally signifies the beginning of 200 years of the domination of French in ENglish letters.
-The literary writings are in Old English
-Works of literature focuses on: sadness, change, loss and death. -
1343
Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer borns. Considered the most important poet from England in this period of time. © University of Connecticut, Ornulum manuscript. -
1385
King Arthur legends
One of the most famous legends of British literature. Perfect in war as in peace. -
Period: 1500 to
English Renaissance
Strong influence in English writing.
This era, sees the birth of great authors like William Shakespeare, Edmund Spencer or Francis Bacon.
Literature workings to highlight:
Romeo and Juliet (William Shakespeare)
The faerie Quene (Edmund Spencer)
Other author to have in mind: George Chapman and Thomas Wyatt -
James I
King James I of England. -
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare, portrayed in Chandos portrait (Artist authenticity not confirmed) -
Period: to
Puritan era
Literature during this period did not have unity of soul.
Considered very intellectual in one part, in the other, this era is considered the era of sins and total decay. Pilgrims had their travels during this period.
Shakespeare collected works first published (1620)
George Herbert (1593-1633)
Richard Crashaw (1612-1649)
Notable periods:
Jacobean period : James 1st 1603-1625
Caroline period: Charles 1st 1625-1649 -
Period: to
Restoration
King Charles II restores English, Scotish and Irish monarchies.
Also, London lives one of the worst plagues, the Great plague of London, from 1665 to 1666.
This era is definitively religious. -
King Charles II
King Charles circa 1675. Hendrick Danckerts royal collection© -
Period: to
18th century
We can say that the novel as we know it, borns here.
Notable writers:
Daniel Dafoe -► Robinson Crusoe
Jonathan Swift -► Gulliver travels
Henry Fielding -►Tom Jones -
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Period: to
Romanticism
In this period we have people as the romantics of lake school.
School of thought that values feeling and intuition over reason.
They were: William Wordsworth, Samuel T. Coleridge. Notable the exstences of Lord Byron (1771-1832)
Jane Austin with Pride and prejudice in 1813. -
Frenkestein
Ironically, one of the most well known masterpiece of this era, is the gothic novel of "Frankestein or modern Prometheus", written by Mary Shelley -
Period: to
Victorian literature
This era was characterised by the transition from romanticism to modern writing style.
We have outstanding authors like:
William Makepeace and his "Vanity Fair"
Oscarl Wilde and his "The importance of being Earnest"
Charles Dickens and his "David Copperfield"
Robert Louis Stevenson and his "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" -
Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens, English novelist, one of the most popular. Public Domain. -
Period: to
Modern literature
The most important characteristic of modern literature is that it is opposed to general attitude to life and its problems adopted by the Victorian writers. -
J. R. R. Tolkien
Famous by himself, gained a new fresh air with the "Lord of the rings" movie saga, directed by Peter Jackson. He is rememored by stories like "The Hobbit" from 1937 and his world wide known saga, "The Lord of the Rings". Even music has been influenced by his cosmovision, with examples of Summoning, Emin Muil or Caladan Brood more recently.
No copyright on this photo, public domain. -
Period: to
Postmodern literature
Situated after the WWII. This movement represents like modernism, a break with 19th century.
Some outstanting and remarkable writers are:
George Orwell with books like 1984 or animal farm.(1949)
William Goldin with Lord of the flies. (1954)
C. S. Lewis with his immortalised "Chronicles of Narnia" (1950-1956) -
Agatha Christie
One of the bes-selling authors of all the time, only surpased by the bible. She is remembered by her 80 novels, most of them of crime and police plot, starring by Hercule Poirot.
No ©, public domain picture. -
Period: to
Contemporary literature
With the arriving of the new millnium, is quite difficult to draw a line between the postmodernism and contemporary. Since contemporary is dsplaying an imitation of earlier literay styles and techinques, not much difference can be noticed. Topics such war, sex, fantasy, sci-fi, and pseudosciences, are filling the nearest kioskos and libraries through easy to consume readings and fashion statements -
David Mitchell
Mitchel in 2006, Creative commons license. English writer of novels and essays. Lives with his wife Keiko in Ireland
