History of British Literature A Brief Outline

History of British Literature

A Brief Outline of British Literature Old English (Anglo-Saxon) Literature • Middle. English Literature • The Renaissance • The Seventeenth-Century • The Eighteenth-Century • Romanticism • Victorianism • Modernism • Post-1945 Contemporary literature

The Anglo-Saxons Who were they? w “Anglo-Saxon” is the term applied to the English-speaking inhabitants of Britain from around the middle of the fifth century until the time of the Norman Conquest, when the Anglo-Saxon line of English kings came to an end.

The language spoken by the Anglo-Saxons at the time of their migration to Britain was probably more or less uniform. Over time, however, Old English developed into four major dialects: 1. Northumbrian, spoken north of the river Humber 2. Mercian, spoken in the midlands 3. Kentish, spoken in Kent (in the far southeastern part of the island); 4. West Saxon, spoken in the southwest.

Anglo-Saxon (Old English) Period (5 th century-11 th century)

w The significant literary genres were: Ø Chronicle Ø Formulaic Poetry Ø Epic Poem (Tribal Scop)

Some significant literary work in this period: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Ecclesiastical History of the English People and Caedmon Hymn by Bede Anglo-Saxon Chronicle by Alfred the Great Deor’s Lament The Battle of Maldon Beowulf (Lone Surviving Epic of English Literature)

w Some significant literary work in this period are came from ANONYMOUS WRITERS

w V. The Age of Romanticism (1798 -1830) 1. Pre-Romanticism : a. William Blake b. Robert Burns c. William Wordsworth 2. Romanticism a. P. B. Shelley b. G. G. Byron c. J. Keats 3. Jane Austen’s novels

w VI. The Victorian Age (1832 -1901) 1. industrial revolution 2. realism a. Charles Dickens b. Thomas Hardy c. Bronte sisters d. George Eliot 3. aestheticism a. Oscar Wilde

Beowulf w Most representative work in Anglo. Saxon Period containing more than 3000 lines, is a national epic of the Anglo. Saxon and English people It is the story of a Scandinavian warrior or knight probably in the sixth century, who comes to help a neighboring tribe, the Danes, who are being attacked by a monster.

We study English history to understand the CONTEXT of Beowulf, and we study Beowulf to understand the world which was OLD ENGLISH. Social significance: 1. Beowulf reflects the features of the tribal society of ancient times. The Non-Christians’ only hope was fame and commemoration in poetry. 2. Embodiment of an ancient hero: simple by deeds, faithful to his people, brave in actions.

3. The English Conquest swarms of pirates invaded Britain simultaneously: In the 7 th century, seven kingdoms a united kingdom: “England”, “the land of Angles”, with Angles the most numerous and a language “ Anglo-Saxon”= “Old English”. The tribal society feudalism, “kingship” 4. Religion Anglo-Saxons were heathen people. Anglo-Saxons believed in old mythology of Northern Europe. In the 7 th century, Anglo-Saxons were Christianized.

plot: nephew of King of Geats in Denmark hearing King of Danes in great trouble Grendel, a monster carries away King of Danes’ warriors from a hall Beowulf sails for Denmark with 14 companions after a feasting welcome, Beowulf and 14 men lie down in the hall waiting for the monster Beowulf grapples the monster single-handed, hand to hand combat, the monster retreats mortally wounded the monster’s mother the she-monster comes to avenge the death, Beowulf following the bloody trail to a lake Beowulf plunges into water, finds her, follows her into a hall under the waves by chance finding a big sword left by giants of old time Beowulf cuts off her head and the monster’s too. After a celebration, Beowulf sails home to Geats land becomes king and reigns over his people for 50 years. A fire dragon comes out of its den and belches forth its fire to burn the people old Beowulf bids farewell and goes to seak the dragon with 11 companions. single-handed fighting, the sword failing to bite, Beowulf is enveloped in flames. at last the dragon is killed. But the hero is hopelessly wounded. the poem ends with the funeral of the hero. The Book of Exeter is the largest surviving collection of poetry.

6. The Norman Conquest establishment of feudalism in England. w In 1066, Duke William came and got crowned as king of England. w High hand rule: w Normans= master=speak French=writing in Latin and French w Saxons=servant=Old English= no written literature. w In the Anglo-Norman period, the prominent kind of literature, Romances, were at first all in French. w At the end of the 14 th century, English became Dominant once more.

The Significant Literary Genres were: 1. 2. 3. 4. Elegy Religious Liturgy Lay or Lais Narrative or Arthurian Romance (King Arthur and his Knight of Round Table---to emphasize the loyalty to king and lords) 5. Fabliau 6. Ballads: Robin Hoods to show the fighting spirit, courage and energy of the English peasantry. (Subjects: young lovers’ struggle against feudalminded families; conflict between love and wealth; cruelty or jealousy)

Geoffrey Chaucer

Chaucer(1340 -1400) and The Canterbury Tales(1387 -1400) w founder of English poetry. w founder of English realism. w the first great poet writing in the English language.

Chaucer’s life (1344 -1400) 1) Born in 1343 in London 2) As a son of a wine merchant and deputy to the kings’ butler 3) Little known about his education, he could read French, Latin and Italian. 4) Went abroad several times for diplomatic and commercial missions. 5) In Italy, he met Boccaccio and Petrarch in 1372 -73, much influenced by the Italian humanists, such as Dante.

Chaucer’s main works w Three periods 1) French period translation work: Romance of the Rose narrative poem: The Book of Duchess (the name Chaucer was from French origin and meant shoemaker) 2) Italian period w The House of Fame w Parliament of the Birds w Troilus and Criseyde 3) English period w Canterbury Tales (unfinished)

The Canterbury Tales w A pilgrimage of 30 people on a route to and from Canterbury w In structure: prologue and 24 stories w The people represent all classes of the English society except the royalty and the poorest peasant. There is a knight, prioress, tradesman, drunken cook, plowman, doctor, lawyer, monks, nuns, sailor, miller, carpenter, an Oxford scholar, and in the center of the group, the wife of Bath, who is the owner of a large cloth factory.

Chaucer’s Contribution to English literature w introduced ( from France) the rhymed stanza of various types esp. the rhymed couplet of 5 accents in iambic meter instead of the old alliterative verse. w established English as the literary language of the country. w made the dialect of London the standard for the modern English speech. w His Canterbury Tales demonstrates a panoramic realistic view of the social reality near the end of the Middle Age by depicting vivid lives of people from all layers of society.

Renaissance Literature (1485 -1660) w “Renaissance” means “Rebirth”--Rebirth of interest in the Greek and Latin classics w Emphasis on humanistic education w Focus on the individual and cultivation of human potential w focus on individual consciousness and the Interior mind w Concern with and the development of a national language and literature

Significant Dates Ø 1492 – The discovery of America; an opening of entirely new world. Ø 1534 – The Act of Supremacy; the sundering of the English Church from Rome Ø 1558 – The accession of Elizabeth I; the beginning of an age of comparative toleration. Queen Elizabeth was a great advocate of peace and order. Ø The golden age of English literature.

w Renaissance and Elizabethan Era brought about interest in Classics, Humanism and nationalist feeling w Translations of Italian and French as well as Latin and Greek w Travel Literature w Lyrical Poems – Thousands of lyrical poems – Introduction of the Sonnet

Gradual Appearance of several literary features The drama assumed a commanding position in the writing of the day. William Shakespeare roll to fame and honor. The technique of poetry–the skill in the management of meter show great advancement. The rise of prose writing. There was a vast travel of body of travel literature. There was even an approach to prose fiction.

Significant literary genre 1. Sonnet 2. Elizabethan Lyric 3. Elizabethan Drama 4. Historical Poems 5. Pastoral Romance

Thomas More (1478 -1553) w Utopia (1516) A satiric prose fictional traveler’s report back from a supposedly ideal commonwealth. More was satirizing his own society by suggesting that this non -Christian commonwealth had attained a greater degree of peace and order than had his own England.

Christopher Marlowe (1564 -1593). w Dr. Faustus (1604) Play about a man of learning who strikes a bargain with Lucifer so that he can have forbidden knowledge and the power that brings.

William Shakespeare (1564 -1616)

The 17 th Century or the Puritan Period (1625 -1700) Ø Catastrophe struck Britain. The Civil War, the Black Plague and the great fire of London disrupted the otherwise orderly existence of the English people. Literature was permeated by the light hearted cavalier of the solemn Puritans. Ø The Period of Dissension and Calamity

The 18 th Century or the Period of Classism (1700 -1800) Ø Dawning of the age of reason Ø Literary mastered have their crafts and have written with sophistication and finesse. Ø Prose writing become popular. Ø The periodical and novel gained popularity and public acceptance.