BRIEF OUTLINE OF

ENGLISH LITERATURE
ENGLISH AND AMERICAN LITERATURE 2014-2015

OLD ENGLISH LITERATURE

Old English, or Anglo-Saxon, was written from
about 400/600 1100 A.D.
The greatest Old English poem is a long epic
called Beowulf, whose author is unknown.
Two Old English authors that are known by name
are Caedmon, the author of a short hymn, and
Cynwulf, the author of four long poems.

MIDDLE ENGLISH LITERATURE

Middle English was used from about 1100 to about 1500 A.D.
Poetry:
The most important poet of the time is Geoffrey Chaucer.
His greatest work is the Canterbury Tales.

Drama:
The three main types of medieval drama are mystery plays
(about Bible stories), miracle plays (about the lives of saints
and the miracles they performed), and morality plays (in
which the characters personify moral qualities (such as
charity or vice) or abstractions (as death or youth) and
which moral lessons are taught.

ELIZABETHAN LITERATURE
This is a literature written approximately during the time of
Queen Elizabeth (1558-1603)
Poetry:
The most important poets include Edmund Spencer (The
Faerie Queene), Walter Raleigh, and William Shakespeare.
Drama:
Drama is the greatest form written during the Elizabethan
age. William Shakespeare is considered one of the greatest
playwrights of all time. His best works include Hamlet, King
Lear, Macbeth, Othello, and Merchant of Venice. Other
important dramatists include Christopher Marlowe and Ben
Johnson.

THE AGE OF MILTON

The most important poet after the Elizabethan
period is John Milton. His greatest work is the epic
Paradise Lost.
One of the best poets of this period is Robert
Herrick, who is famous for his beautiful lyrics or
songs.

RESTORATION DRAMA
A great change in literature happened after
Charles II became king. After a period of closing,
the theatres were reopened and new forms of
drama appeared.
The main forms of drama of this period are the
heroic palys, as written by John Dryden; and the
comedy of manners, as written by Richard
Sheridan and William Congreve.

NEOCLASSICISM
The main characteristics of Neoclassicism are
1. Poetry should be guided by reason.
2. The role of the poet is that of the teacher.
3. Poetry should be written according to fixed
rules.
4. Poetry should use special diction.

The major representatives of this school are John

Dryden and Alexander Pope.

ROMANTICISM
The main characteristics of Romantic poetry are
1. Poetry is the expression of personal feelings and
emotions
2. Imaginations is a main source of poetry.
3. Nature in Romantic poetry is a living thing, a
teacher of man, and a healing power.
Some important Romantic poets are Wordsworth,
Keats, Byron, Shelley, and Coleridge.

THE VICTORIAN PERIOD

It includes the second half of the nineteenth century.
Poetry:
Alfred Tennyson and Browning are the major poets of the period.
Novel:
The Novel was the main literary production of the Victorian period.
This was the time of Dickens, Jane Austen, Emily Bronte, Eliot, and
Hardy.
Drama:
The best dramatist of the period is Oscar Wilde. His masterpiece is The
Importance of Being Ernest.

THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

As the result of the political changes and the world
wars, the sense of confidence in Victorian literature is
replaced by the loss of faith, suffering, and uncertainty
that modern literature expresses.
Stylistic experimentation and revolution against all
literary traditions are the mark of modern literature.
Some major literary figures include W.B. Yeats, T.S. Eliot
and W.H. Auden in poetry; Virginia Wolf and James Joyce
in the novel; and Samuel Becket in drama.

UNTIL NEXT MEETING

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