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450
Old English (Anglo-Saxon) (450–1066)
The first words in English, written in an Anglo-Saxon dialect known as ancient English, appeared in the early Middle Ages. The term Anglo-Saxon comes from two Germanic tribes: the Angles and the Saxons.This period of literature dates back to their invasion (along with the Jutes) of Celtic England circa 450. The era ends in 1066 when Norman France, under William, conquered England.
Epic poems became very popular and some, such as Beowulf, have come to this day. -
1066
Middle English (1066–1500)
The era extends to around 1500. As with the Old English period, much of the Middle English writings were religious in nature; however, from about 1350 onward, secular literature began to rise. Transition in the language, culture, and lifestyle of England and results in what we can recognize today as a form of “modern” (recognizable) English.
This period is home to the likes of Chaucer, Thomas Malory, and Robert Henryson. Notable works include "Piers Plowman", "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." -
1500
The Renaissance (1500–1660)
Recently, literary historians have begun to call this the "Early Modern" period, but the historically familiar term "Renaissance" is preserved. In 1476, William Caxton introduced the printing press in England. From that moment, literature began to flourish.
The poetry, drama and prose that were written during the reigns of Isabel I and Jacobo I constitute what is now called "English Renaissance". -
1510
1. The Elizabethan Age (1558–1603)
The Elizabethan Era witnessed the flowering of literature, especially drama: producing the so-called Elizabethan theater and the Italian Renaissance rediscovered the classics of Greek and Roman theater that began to displace the mystical themes discussed in the works written during the Middle Ages. -
1520
2. The Jacobean Age (1603–1625)
The Jacobean Age is named for the reign of James I. It includes the works of John Donne, Shakespeare, Michael Drayton, John Webster, Elizabeth Cary, Ben Jonson, and Lady Mary Wroth. The King James translation of the Bible also appeared during the Jacobean Age.
The theory of the four moods of the body (blood, phlegm, black bile and yellow bile); These moods correspond to the four elements of the universe: air, water, fire and earth. -
1540
3. The Jacobean Age (1603–1625)
The Jacobean Age is named for the reign of James I. It includes the works of John Donne, Shakespeare, Michael Drayton, John Webster, Elizabeth Cary, Ben Jonson, and Lady Mary Wroth. The King James translation of the Bible also appeared during the Jacobean Age. -
1560
4. The Caroline Age (1625–1649)
The Carolina era refers to the period in English and Scottish history named for the 24-year reign of Charles I (1625-1649). The term is derived from Latin for Charles, Carolus.
Carolina's period in Britain was an awkward peace, increasingly restless as the civil conflict between the King and supporters of Parliament worsened. -
1580
5. The Commonwealth Period (1649–1660).
The Commonwealth Period was so named for the period between the end of the English Civil War and the restoration of the Stuart monarchy. At this time, public theaters were closed (for nearly two decades) to prevent public assembly and to combat moral and religious transgressions. John Milton and Thomas Hobbes’ political writings appeared and, while drama suffered, prose writers such as Thomas Fuller, Abraham Cowley, and Andrew Marvell published prolifically. -
The Neoclassical (1600–1785)
It is called the Neoclassical period because of reverence for the works of classical antiquity. The period is often called the Age of Reason, and science was used to glorify God and his creation. ... And in 1662 the Royal Society was created to further scientific study. -
1. The Restoration (1660–1700)
Restoration comedies (fashion comedies) developed during this time under the talent of playwrights such as William Congreve and John Dryden. Satire also became quite popular, as evidenced by the success of Samuel Butler. Other notable writers of the time include Aphra Behn, John Bunyan and John Locke. -
2. The Augustan Age (1700–1745)
It was the time of Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift, who imitated those first Augustans and even drew parallels between them and the first set. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, a poet, was prolific at this time and stood out for challenging stereotypically feminine roles. Daniel Defoe was also popular. -
3. The Age of Sensibility (1745–1785)
Known as the Johnson Era, it was the era of Edmund Burke, Edward Gibbon, Hester Lynch Thrale, James Boswell and, of course, Samuel Johnson. Ideas such as neoclassicism, a critical and literary mode, and the Enlightenment, a particular worldview shared by many intellectuals, were defended during this time. -
The Romantic (1785–1832)
It began in 1789 with the beginning of the French Revolution, and others believe that in 1798, the year of publication of the book Lyrical Ballads by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge is its true beginning.
American literature has its own romantic period, but, generally speaking, when it comes to romanticism, it refers to this great and diverse era of British literature, perhaps the most popular and well-known of all literary eras. -
The Victorian (1832–1901)
It was a time of great social, religious, intellectual, and economic issues, heralded by the passage of the Reform Bill, which expanded voting rights. The period has often been divided into “Early” (1832–1848), “Mid” (1848–1870) and “Late” (1870–1901) periods or into two phases, that of the Pre-Raphaelites (1848–1860) and that of Aestheticism and Decadence (1880–1901). -
The Edwardian (1901–1914)
Although a short period (and a short reign for Edward VII), the era includes incredible classic novelists such as Joseph Conrad, Ford Madox Ford, Rudyard Kipling, H.G. Wells, and Henry James (who was born in America but spent most of his writing career in England); notable poets such as Alfred Noyes and William Butler Yeats; and dramatists such as James Barrie, George Bernard Shaw, and John Galsworthy. -
The Georgian (1910–1936)
The Georgian period generally refers to the reign of George V (1910–1936) but sometimes also includes the reigns of the four successive Georges from 1714–1830.
Today, Georgian poetry is typically considered the work of minor poets anthologized by Edward Marsh. The themes tended to be rural or pastoral in nature, treated with delicacy and traditionally rather than with passion (as found in previous periods) or with experimentation (as would be seen in the next modern period). -
The Modern (1914–?)
The modern period traditionally applies to works written after the start of World War I. Common features include bold experimentation with subject matter, style, and form, encompassing narrative, verse, and drama. W.B. Yeats’ words, “Things fall apart; the center cannot hold,” are often referred to when describing the core tenet or “feeling” of modernist concerns.
