Old and Middle English Literature Overview

Period: 450-1150 AD
Language: Anglo-Saxon; influenced by Latin and Norse.
Key Texts:
- Beowulf: Epic poem recounting the hero's battles against Grendel, Grendel's mother, and a dragon.
- The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle: Historical record of events in England.
Themes: Heroism, fate (wyrd), conflict, and the Christian faith.
Characteristics: Use of alliteration, caesura, elevated diction.

Period: 1150-1500 AD
Language: Emergence of Middle English; influenced by Norman French.
Key Texts:
- The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer: A collection of stories told by pilgrims, reflecting a variety of social classes.
- Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: Arthurian romance exploring chivalry and honor.
Themes: Courtly love, morality, social criticism, religion.
Characteristics: Use of iambic pentameter, increased realism, character development, dialogue.

Period: 1837-1901
Characteristics: Reflects the values and issues of the Victorian era, including social reform, gender roles, and industrialization.
Key Authors:
- Charles Dickens: Explores social injustices in works like Great Expectations and Oliver Twist.
- Thomas Hardy: Themes of fate and rural life in novels like Tess of the d'Urbervilles.
- George Eliot: Realist novels focusing on moral issues, particularly in Middlemarch.
Genres: Novels, poetry, essays, and social commentary became popular.

Period: 1500-present
Key Developments:
- Great Vowel Shift: Major alteration in pronunciation during the 15th century.
- Printing Press: Increased literacy rates and standardized spelling.
- Influence of Latin, Greek, and other languages: Expands vocabulary.
Characteristics: Simplification of grammar, loss of inflections, rise of fixed word order.
Dialects: Emergence of regional dialects and varieties, including American, Australian, and Indian English.

Period: 14th-17th centuries
Key Features:
- Rebirth of classical learning and exploration of humanism.
- Drama flourished, with a focus on the human condition.
Key Authors:
- William Shakespeare: Prolific playwright and poet, known for tragedies like Hamlet and comedies like A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
- Christopher Marlowe: Known for blank verse and dramatic works such as Doctor Faustus.
- John Milton: Explores themes of divine justice in Paradise Lost.
Themes: Individualism, beauty, the nature of humanity, religious conflicts, and political power.

Spanning 450-1150 AD, Old English literature was written in Anglo-Saxon, a language influenced by Latin and Norse.
Key texts include Beowulf, an epic poem about a hero's battles, and The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a historical record.
Themes explored include heroism, fate (wyrd), conflict, and the influence of Christianity.
Characteristics of Old English literature include alliteration, caesura, and elevated diction.

The period 1150-1500 saw the emergence of Middle English, influenced by Norman French.
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, a collection of stories reflecting different social classes, exemplifies Middle English literature.
Other significant texts include Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, an Arthurian romance exploring chivalry.
Middle English literature featured themes such as courtly love, morality, social criticism, and religious beliefs.
Literary characteristics included iambic pentameter, increased realism, character development, and dialogue.

Victorian literature, encompassing the years 1837-1901, reflects the Victorian era's values and concerns, such as social reform, gender roles, and industrialization.
Charles Dickens, known for his portrayals of social injustices in works like Great Expectations and Oliver Twist, was a prominent Victorian author.
Other notable Victorian authors include Thomas Hardy, famed for his exploration of fate and rural life, and George Eliot, whose realist novels focused on moral issues.
Victorian literature embraced novels, poetry, essays, and social commentary.

The period from 1500 to the present witnessed significant developments in the English language.
The Great Vowel Shift, a major pronunciation change, occurred during the 15th century.
The invention of the printing press significantly increased literacy rates and standardized spelling.
Influences from Latin, Greek, and other languages enriched the English vocabulary.
Modern English features simplified grammar, a loss of inflections, and a fixed word order.
The evolution of English has resulted in regional dialects and varieties, including American, Australian, and Indian English.

Spanning the 14th to 17th centuries, the Renaissance marked a period of renewed interest in classical learning and humanism.
Drama flourished during this time, focusing on the human condition.
William Shakespeare, a prolific playwright and poet, produced works like Hamlet and A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Other key authors include Christopher Marlowe, known for his dramatic works like Doctor Faustus, and John Milton, who explored themes of divine justice in Paradise Lost.
Renaissance literature addressed themes of individualism, beauty, the nature of humanity, religious conflicts, and political power.