'' English literature is a broad term for all English-language literature that has been produced throughout history.

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Literary History

2. 2
Introduction to English Literature
 Literature is the reflection of life. It mirrors the society in which it is
generated. The word literature comes from the Latin word ‘litaritura’
meaning “writing organized with letters”. We classify literature according
to language, origin, historical period, genre, and subject matter.

3. Major Periods’ in the history of English
Literature
 The major eight (8) periods in the history of English literature are:
 The Anglo-Saxon or Old English Period (450–1066)
 The Anglo-Norman or Middle English period (1066–1500)
 The Renaissance Period (1500–1660)
 The Neoclassical Period (1660–1798)
 The Romantic Period (1798–1837)
 The Victorian Period (1837–1901)
 The Modern Period (1901-1945)
 The Contemporary Period (1945–Tod
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4. A Brief Overview & Timeline of British
Literary Periods
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5. 1. The Anglo-Saxon or Old English
Period (450-1066 AD)
 Angles and Saxons were the ancestors of the English race. After the fall of the Western
Roman Empire in the early 5th Century, three Germanic tribes—the Angles, Saxons,
and Jutes—saw an opportunity to fill in the power gap and started migrating to
Britain. The Anglo-Saxons were fearless, adventurous, and brave people. By 670 A.D.
they had occupied the major part of the country, and the land of Anglos or Angloland—
present day England—became their permanent abode.
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6. 2. The Anglo-Norman or Middle
English Period (1066-1500 AD)
 The literature of this period comes under the category of Norman-French Literature or Anglo-
French Literature. Since the Anglo-Norman period belonged to the Middle Ages or Medieval
times in Britain History, we also call it the Middle English period in the history of English
literature.
 The Norman Conquest brought a radical change in English culture, law, language, and
character. English became the language spoken only by the poor and powerless. While
Norman-French became the language of the rich. It also became the symbol of social status
and prestige. The Anglo-Normans wrote mainly to cater to the taste of Norman rulers.
Moreover, only the monarchs and courtiers of that time had a right to encourage the literary
writings.
 The Normans brought with them their soldiers, artisans, traders, chroniclers, minstrels, and
scholars. With their help, they wanted to revive knowledge, record memorable events,
celebrate victories, and sing of love and adventure. In addition, the most popular forms of
writing for the Anglo-Normans were chronicles, religious and didactic writing, poetry,
romances and drama.
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7. 3. The Renaissance Period (1500–1660)
 The Renaissance Period in the history of English literature is also known as
the Elizabethan Period or the Age of Shakespeare. It is, in fact, the ‘golden age’ in the
history of English literature. After the Middle Ages in Europe came the Renaissance,
meaning revival or rebirth. As a result, the darkness of the middle ages was replaced by
the enlightenment of the human mind with the ‘Revival of Learning’, which the Renaissance
prompted.
 The major characteristic of the Renaissance was its focus on Humanism i.e. man’s concern
with himself as an object of observation. The Renaissance actually started Italy by Dante,
Boccaccio, and Petrarch. However, it became popular in Europe during the Elizabethan
Period. Beside focusing on the ‘study of mankind’, Renaissance had numerous subordinate
trends which were actually the significant aspects of Humanism. These include:
 The rediscovery of classical antiquity, particularly of ancient Greece.
 The rediscovery of the external universe, and its importance for man.
 The problems of human personality.
 The enhanced sensitivity to formal beauty, and the cultivation of the aesthetic sense.
 The belief that men are responsible for their own actions.
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8. The Renaissance Period…….
 During the Renaissance Period the most important achievement in
English literature was in the field of drama.
 Shakespeare’s works include non-dramatic poetry consisting of two
narrative poems, Venice and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece, 154
sonnets, and 37 plays.
 William Shakespeare is called the ‘Father of English Drama.’
 Marlowe has been rightly called “the Father of English Dramatic
Poetry.”
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9. 3.1. The Puritan Age (1600-1660)
 In the 17th century came the decline of the Renaissance spirit. The writers of that time either
imitated the Elizabethan masters or paved new paths. The 17th century’s literature is divided into
two periods—The Puritan Age or the Age of Milton (1600-1660) and the Restoration Period or
the Age of Dryden (1660-1700). Up to 1660, Puritanism dominated the 17th Century. John Milton
was the greatest representative of the Puritan spirit. The Puritan movement in literature is also
called the second Renaissance because of the revival of man’s moral nature. It stood for
people’s liberty from the shackles of the despotic ruler and introduced morality and high ideals in
politics.
 this period was rich in prose as well. Among the great prose writers of the Puritan Age include
Francis Bacon, Milton, Robert Burton, Jeremy Tayler, Sir Thomas Brown and Clarendon. During this
period we find English prose developing into a magniloquent and rich instrument capable of
expressing all types of ideas, such as scientific, philosophical, poetic, religious and personal.
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10. 4. The Neoclassical Period (1660-
1798)
 The period between 1660 and 1798 is roughly marked as the Neoclassical
Period in the history of English literature. Moreover, this time period is
divided into two parts: the Restoration Period or the Age of Dryden (1660-
1700), and the Classical Age or the Augustan Age (18 Century).
The Classical Age is further divided into two distinct periods–the Age of
Pope (1700-1744) and the Age of Johnson (1744-1784).
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11. 4.1. The Restoration Period (1660-
1700)
 The period from 1660 to 1700 is called the Restoration Period because monarchy was
restored in England, and Charles II came back to England from his exile in France and
became the King. It is also known as the Age of Dryden because Dryden was the most
significant literary figure of the age. The Puritans who were previously controlling the
country were finally defeated. As a result, a reaction was launched against whatever
they held sacred. All restraints and discipline were casted away, and a tide of indecency
and frivolity swept the country. Since Charles II and his followers had enjoyed a gay life
during their exile in France, they introduced same foppery and looseness in England as
well.
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12. 5. The Romantic Period (1798-
1837)
 The most flourished period in the history of English literature is
the Romantic Period. It was a revolt against the Classical school of the
18th Century. Wordsworth, Coleridge, Southey, Shelley, Keats, and
Byron belonged to this period. The Romantic Age was basically the age
of poetry. With the publication of Lyrical Ballads, Wordsworth and
Coleridge introduced a new form of poetry in opposition to the poetry of
the Classical school.
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13. 6. The Victorian Period (1837–
1901)
 Beginning in the second quarter of the 19th Century, the Victorian
Period is so long as well as complicated. Moreover, there are numerous
great writers who flourished during that period. That’s why, for the sake of
convenience, the Victorian Period is divided into two further periods—
Early Victorian Period (1837-1870) and Later Victorian Period (1870-
1901).
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14. 7. The Modern Period (1901-1945)
 From the beginning of the 20th Century started the Modern Period in
English literature. The most significant feature of Modern literature was
that it opposed the general attitude of Victorian writers and people to life
and its problems. During the first decade of the 20th Century, the young
people regarded the Victorian age as hypocritical, and the Victorian
ideals as superficial, mean and stupid. This rebellion hugely affected
modern literature which was directed by moral values, spiritual ideals as
well as mental attitudes that were dramatically opposed to those of the
Victorians.
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15. 8. The Contemporary Period
(1945–Today)
 After World War II, new trends appeared in English literature. Although poetry was the
most memorable form to come out of World War I, the novel was the form which told the
stories of World War II. This was because mass media, cinema, newspapers, and radio
had changed the way of information and entertainment. There were many writers who
wrote about war. For instance, Henry Greene’s novels— Nothing (1950), The End of
Affair (1951), and A Burnt-out Case (1961) deal with war. These novels explore regions
of human unhappiness in many different areas of the world.
 Then came Samuel Beckett, best known for his plays, who described interior feelings of
lonely souls in his works. In this regard came his novels Murphy (1938) and How It Is
(1961). Similarly, the novels of George Orwell also possess political intention. As a
socialist, Orwell believed in equality. His famous works are Animal Farm (1945),
and Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949).
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