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From about 440-450, Britain endured civil war, invasion, and famine, leaving many cities in ruin. http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/romanbritain/a/timeromanbrit.htm
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Old English literature consisted of poetry, prose, riddles, proverbs and displayed Pagan and Christian influences. http://www.bsu.by/Cache/pdf/209613.pdf
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Caedmon was a poet of the 7th century, the earliest known poet of British literature. His works were religious, focused entirely on the Old Testament. http://www.bsu.by/Cache/pdf/209613.pdf
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Around 600, Christianity is introduced to the Anglo-Saxons by St. Augustine. http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~kemmer/Words/chron.html
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Beowulf was originally an oral story, but it was written into an epic around the 11th century by an unknown transcriber. Beowulf is considered the first written work of British literature. http://www.bsu.by/Cache/pdf/209613.pdf
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In 1066, William of Normandy invaded and conquered Britain, becoming the first Norman King of England, http://www.britannia.com/history/time2.html
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Middle English literature reflected the Medieval culture and consisted of dramas, short poems, as well as religious texts. https://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/Q200-146
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Dante was a philosopher and writer who wrote The Divine Comedy, an epic poem that explores the three levels of Christian afterlife-Purgatory, Heaven, and Hell. http://www.biography.com/people/dante-9265912
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Geoffrey Chaucer penned several works around 1380. He is most well known for The Canterbury Tales. http://www.biography.com/people/geoffrey-chaucer-9245691
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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a medieval romance following the quests of Sir Gawain. It was written by a mysterious poet known as the Pearl Poet. http://metro.fas.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k15189&tabgroupid=icb.tabgroup84669
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Although the true identity of Sir Thomas Malory is unknown, Sir Thomas Malory is the author of the first English prose about King Arthur. The Arthurian legend was titled Le Morte d'Arthur. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/360463/Sir-Thomas-Malory
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In the Battle of Bosworth Field, Henry Tudor defeated Richard III. This was a decisive victory in the War of the Roses. http://www.britannia.com/history/time2.html
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Renaissance literature focused on imitating Classical literature and values as well as the spirit of exploration.
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Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the doors of the Catholic church, sparking the Protestant Reformation. http://www.britannia.com/history/time3.html
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One of the most quoted writers of all time, William Shakespeare was a playwright and poet who wrote tragedies, comedies, historical plays, dramas, and sonnets. http://www.biography.com/people/william-shakespeare-9480323#establishing-himself
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John Donne was a leader of metaphysical poetry. His poems included "The Flea," "Holy Sonnet: Death, be not proud," and "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning." http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/donne/donnebib.htm
http://www.biography.com/people/john-donne-9277090
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Edmund Spenser wrote The Faerie Queene, a series of books of poetry. The Faerie Queene represents Queen Elizabeth. Each book was meant to discuss a moral value, including holiness, temperance, and chastity. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/559324/Edmund-Spenser/6823/The-Faerie-Queene-and-last-years
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The King James Version of the Bible was published. http://www.britannia.com/history/time3.html
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The Neo-Classic literature emphasized logic and reason through parody, essays, satires, and fables. http://study.com/academy/lesson/neoclassical-literature-definition-characteristics-movement.html
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In March of 1665, the Bubonic Plague had reached Britain, killing over 100,000 people by December. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/civilwars_timeline_noflash.shtml
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Jonathan Swift was an author and essayist best known for his novel, Gulliver's Travels, and the satirical essay, A Modest Proposal. http://www.biography.com/people/jonathan-swift-9500342
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John Locke wrote Two Treatises of Government in 1690, proposing a social contract between government and its citizens. Locke's ideas in this work would have a major influence on Thomas Jefferson in writing the Declaration of Independence. http://www.history.com/topics/john-locke
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Daniel Defoe wrote Robinson Crusoe in 1719. It is an adventure story of a man shipwrecked on an island. http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/crusoe/summary.html
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Romantic literature focused on faith in the senses and employed themes of individuality, imagination,and intuition. http://www.odessa.edu/dept/english/dsmith/rom.lit.char.pdf
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The French Revolution began in 1789 when angry French stormed Bastille to overthrow the government. http://www.history.com/topics/french-revolution
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Jane Austen published her first work, Love and Friendship, in 1790, and later wrote Pride and Prejudice as well as Sense and Sensibility. http://www.biography.com/people/jane-austen-9192819#literary-works
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Britain joined the Anti-French coalition in efforts to defeat Napoleon Bonaparte following the execution of King Louis XVI. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/empireseapower_timeline_noflash.shtml
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Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem, "Rime of the Ancient Mariner," was published in 1798. http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/samuel-taylor-coleridge
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John Keats published his first volume of poems in 1817. He became a well known romantic poet.
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Mary Shelley wrote the romantic gothic novel Frankenstein in 1818. http://www.biography.com/people/mary-shelley-9481497#love-and-horror
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In 1836, Dickens published the Pickwick Papers, beginning his fame as a writer. Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol, Great Expectations, and Hard Times. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/dickens_charles.shtml
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Novels became very popular in the Victorian era. Much of the literature focused on the newly emerging middle-class. http://classroom.synonym.com/characteristics-early-victorian-literature-4428.html
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Following the death of her uncle, William IV, Victoria inherited the crown at 18 years old. Under her rule, Britain changed greatly socially, politically, and economically. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/victorianbritain_timeline_noflash.shtml
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Lewis Carroll's classic novel, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was published in 1865.
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Modern literature employs self-consciousness and several narrators in one story, challenging the traditional methods of literature. http://coursesite.uhcl.edu/HSH/Whitec/terms/M/modernism.htm
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Queen Victoria died January 22, 1901. She was succeeded by Edward VII. Victoria had the longest reign of any British monarch.
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Britain entered WWI, joining France and Russia to create the Triple Entente. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/greatwar/g2/backgroundcs1.htm
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Virginia Woolf published her first novel, The Voyage Out, in 1915. http://www.biography.com/people/virginia-woolf-9536773#writings
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James Joyce's novel, Ulysses, was written in 1922.
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Britain declared war on Germany, beginnng Britain's involvement in WWII. http://myweb.fsu.edu/cupchurch/Resources/Timeline_ModBrit.html
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Orwell wrote Animal Farm in 1945 and the novel, 1984, in 1949. http://www.biography.com/people/george-orwell-9429833
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Post-modern literature differs from previous works in that it practices intertextuality between the text and texts from the past. It also introduced magical realism. http://study.com/academy/lesson/postmodernism-in-literature-definition-lesson-quiz.html
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WWII ended in Europe with Germany's surrender. http://myweb.fsu.edu/cupchurch/Resources/Timeline_ModBrit.html
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C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia was published in 1950. http://www.biography.com/people/cs-lewis-9380969#teaching-career-and-wartime-broadcasts
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British troops were sent to aid Americans in the Korean War. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml
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William Golding's Lord of the Flies was published in 1954. http://www.shmoop.com/lord-of-the-flies/
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JRR Tolkien published The Fellowship of the Ring in 1954. http://www.biography.com/people/jrr-tolkien-9508428#career-as-a-scholar-and-writer
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McEwan has earned international acclaim with his novels such as Atonement and Saturday. http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2408.Ian_McEwan
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Contemporary literature often deals with breaking down old boundaries and the struggle to find meaning in the world. It also questions human perception of the world. Contemporary works often shift from elevated language to lower level language. http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/literature/21l-488-contemporary-literature-british-novels-now-spring-2007/lecture-notes/contemp_lit.pdf
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Helen Fielding is the author of Bridget Jones's Diary.
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Best known for her Harry Potter series, JK Rowling is a famous author whose books began a trend of young adult fiction.
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Princess Diana of Wales died in a car crash in Paris. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml
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Islamic terrorists hijacked planes and crashed into the Twin Towers and Pentagon killing 3,000 people. This began the War on Terrorism. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml
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Britain gave military support to the US in their invasion of Iraq. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml
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King Alfred the Great translated many works from Latin. These works included several religious works such as The Pastor's Book and Baede's Church HIstory. http://www.bsu.by/Cache/pdf/209613.pdf
