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450
Old english period
• Began with a Germanic tradition of the Anglo-Saxon settlers.
• Its reference is to poetry and prose written in Old English in early medieval England.
• Most of the poetry is preserved in four manuscripts.
• This period reflects the cultural and social values of the time, focusing on themes such as heroism, destiny, loyalty and the struggle between good and evil.
• This period marked the beginning of English literature as we know it today. -
Period: 450 to 1066
Famous writers of Old English literature
Old English literature has no individual authors; many works were transmitted orally and then transcribed by monks and scribes. The most famous work that references Old English literature is “Beowulf”, an epic poem, one of the greatest works of Anglo-Saxon literature. -
1066
The Anglo-Norman or Middle English period
• Followed the Old English period and lasted from 1066 to 1485 AD.
• Its main influence was the Norman conquest of England in 1066.
• In this period, English literature shifted from Old English to Middle English, influenced by Norman-French language and culture.
• Saw the emergence of new literary genres such as romances, allegorical poetry, and morality plays. -
Period: 1066 to 1500
Notable works of literature from the Middle English period
Works that reflect the changing linguistic landscape and cultural influences of this era are: Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and William Langland's Piers Plowman. -
1500
The Renaissance and Reformation period
• It is identified by a revival of interest in classical knowledge, humanism and religious reform.
• Its literature depicted the changing cultural and religious landscape of Europe, focusing on individualism, secularism and the questioning of traditional authority.
• It was a period of great intellectual and artistic growth, identified by the birth of literary creativity and the revision of traditional beliefs and values. -
Period: 1500 to
Notable literary figures of the Renaissance and Reformation
Writers who produced plays, which explored themes such as humanism, morality and the complexity of the human experience, are: William Shakespeare, John Milton and Christopher Marlowe. -
The Neoclassical Period
• It as the revival of classical themes that were inspired by the works of ancient Greek and Roman writers.
• The writers intended to give the clarity, order and sobriety of the works of Antiquity.
• Used to emphasize reason, logic and rationality, as well as social values, morals and ethics.
• This period returned to classical principles and a desire for order, reason and harmony in artistic. -
Period: to
Key figures of the Neoclassical Period
The authors of the works reflected the values and ideals of the time are: John Dryden, Alexander Pope, Jonathan Swift and Samuel Johnson. -
The Romantic Period
• It emerged in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
• This period was a reaction against neoclassical ideals.
• It celebrated emotion, connection to nature, imagination and individualism.
• Writers generally idealized the past and explored themes such as love and the search for beauty and truth. -
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Prominent figures of the Romantic Period
Writers who created works based on lyrical beauty, emotional intensity and a deep connection to the natural world are: William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley and John Keats. -
The Victorian Period
• This period had a strong sense of morality, social responsibility, and concern for progress.
• Frequently writers were confronted with the difficulties of a rapidly changing society.
• There was tension between tradition and modernity.
• It reflected a growing interest in realism and social criticism.
• There was a diversity of voices and styles, depicting the complex social and cultural landscape of the time. -
Period: to
Prominent figures of the Victorian Period
Writers who created richly detailed narratives are: Charles Dickens, Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë, George Eliot, and Thomas Hardy. -
The Modern Period
• It was a time of great social, political, and cultural movement which profoundly influenced the literature of the time.
• Its main characteristic was a break with traditional literary forms and conventions.
• It had an emphasis on experimentation and innovation.
• Writers of this period pushed the boundaries of narrative structure, language and style.
• Techniques such as stream-of-consciousness narration, fragmented narratives and non-linear storytelling. -
Period: to
Key figures of the Modern Period
Novelists who experimented with narrative form and language to create works that challenged traditional notions of storytelling include: Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, Franz Kafka, and Marcel Proust. -
The Postmodern Period
• It emerged as a response to the perceived limitations and restrictions of modernist literature.
• Characterized by skepticism towards global narratives.
• It has self-reflexivity and metafictional elements
• Writers often draw attention to the constructed nature of their texts, challenging readers' assumptions about truth and fiction and frequently incorporate parody and intertextuality in their works.
• In this period there is a sense of irony, absurdity and playfulness. -
Period: to
Prominent figures of the Postmodern Period
Some authors who use techniques to explore themes such as the relativity of truth or the fragility of identity and some themes regarding technology and current affairs are: Jorge Luis Borges, Italo Calvino and Thomas Pynchon.