English Literature: Anglo-Saxon & Medieval Periods

• English literature encompasses a vast body of written works produced in the English language.
• It includes literary texts from various countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and others.
• The history of English literature spans from the Anglo-Saxon period to the present day.

Anglo-Saxon Period (c. 450-1066)

• Old English literature began with the arrival of Germanic tribes in Britain.
• Key characteristics include oral tradition, alliterative verse, and heroic themes.
• Beowulf is the most famous work, an epic poem about a Geatish hero battling monsters.
• Other notable works include poems like "The Wanderer," "The Seafarer," and "The Battle of Maldon."
• Religious writings also emerged, such as the works of Cædmon and Cynewulf.

Medieval Period (1066-1485)

• The Norman Conquest in 1066 significantly impacted English literature and language.
• French became the language of the court and administration.
• Middle English literature emerged, blending Old English with French and Latin influences.
• Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales is a landmark work, offering a diverse collection of stories told by pilgrims.
• Other important works include Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a chivalric romance, and the morality play Everyman.
• Medieval romances, like Le Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory, gained popularity.

Renaissance (c. 1485-1660)

• The Renaissance marked a renewed interest in classical learning and culture.
• The invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg revolutionized the dissemination of knowledge.
• William Shakespeare is considered the greatest writer in the English language, with plays like Hamlet, Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet.
• Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson, and John Donne were other prominent playwrights and poets.
• Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queen is a significant allegorical epic poem.
• The King James Bible, published in 1611, had a profound impact on English language and literature.

17th Century

• This century saw significant political and social upheaval, including the English Civil War.
• John Milton's Paradise Lost is a major epic poem, retelling the biblical story of the Fall of Man.
• Metaphysical poets like John Donne, George Herbert, and Andrew Marvell explored complex themes with intellectual wit and elaborate conceits.
• Prose writers such as Francis Bacon and Thomas Hobbes contributed influential essays and philosophical works.
• The Restoration of the monarchy in 1660 led to changes in literary tastes and theatrical practices.

18th Century

• The Enlightenment influenced literature, emphasizing reason, order, and classical ideals.
• The rise of the novel is a key development, with writers like Daniel Defoe (Robinson Crusoe), Samuel Richardson (Pamela), and Henry Fielding (Tom Jones).
• Satire flourished, with Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels offering a biting critique of society.
• Samuel Johnson compiled the first comprehensive English dictionary, standardizing the language.
• The Graveyard School of poetry, including Thomas Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard," explored themes of mortality and melancholy.

Romantic Period (c. 1798-1837)

• Romanticism emphasized emotion, imagination, and the individual experience.
• Key poets include William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and John Keats.
• Wordsworth and Coleridge's Lyrical Ballads marked the beginning of the Romantic movement.
• Gothic novels, like Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, explored dark and supernatural themes.
• Jane Austen's novels, such as Pride and Prejudice and Emma, offered insightful social commentary with wit and irony.
• Sir Walter Scott's historical novels, like Ivanhoe, gained popularity.

Victorian Period (1837-1901)

• The Victorian era was marked by industrialization, social reform, and a strong sense of morality.
• Charles Dickens is a dominant novelist, known for his social commentary and memorable characters in works like Oliver Twist, Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities.
• The Brontë sisters (Charlotte, Emily, and Anne) produced enduring novels like Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and Agnes Grey.
• George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) explored psychological realism and social issues in novels like Middlemarch.
• Alfred, Lord Tennyson and Robert Browning were leading poets.
• The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, including Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Christina Rossetti, combined Romantic and medieval influences in their art and poetry.
• Thomas Hardy explored themes of fate and disillusionment in novels like Tess of the d'Urbervilles.

Modern Period (1901-1945)

• Modernism was characterized by experimentation, fragmentation, and a rejection of traditional values.
• Key novelists include James Joyce (Ulysses), Virginia Woolf (Mrs. Dalloway), and Joseph Conrad (Heart of Darkness).
• T.S. Eliot's "The Waste Land" is a seminal modernist poem.
• William Butler Yeats explored Irish identity and mythology in his poetry.
• The Lost Generation, including Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, captured the disillusionment of the post-World War I era.
• George Orwell's dystopian novels, Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four, offered critiques of totalitarianism.

Postmodern Period (1945-Present)

• Postmodernism is characterized by self-reflexivity, irony, and a questioning of grand narratives.
• Key novelists include Samuel Beckett (Waiting for Godot), Joseph Heller (Catch-22), and Thomas Pynchon (Gravity's Rainbow).
• Theater of the Absurd explored themes of meaninglessness and alienation.
• Contemporary literature reflects diverse voices and perspectives, including those of marginalized groups.
• Postcolonial literature examines the legacy of colonialism and its impact on cultures and identities.
• Magical realism blends fantastical elements with realistic settings.
• The rise of digital literature and new media forms continues to expand the boundaries of English literature.

Overview of English literature from the Anglo-Saxon to Medieval periods. Explores Old English literature's oral tradition, heroic themes, and key works like Beowulf. Covers the Norman Conquest's impact and the rise of Middle English literature.