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Period: 450 to 1100
1. Old English
The Old English or Anglo-Saxon period refers to the time in England from the 5th century to the 11th century AD, before the Norman Conquest of 1066. During this period, the Germanic tribes known as the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes migrated to England from continental Europe, bringing with them their language, culture, and traditions. -
700
Beowulf (unknown author)
The Anglo-Saxon society was highly hierarchical, with kings at the top and slaves at the bottom. They were known for their love of storytelling and poetry, and the poem reflects this through its use of alliteration and the repetition of key phrases. They were divided into a number of small kingdoms, which were often in conflict with one another and were initially pagan, but they gradually converted to Christianity from the 7th century onwards. -
890
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (anonymous)
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a compilation of annals that were compiled and renovated over various centuries, initiated in the 9th century. It offers a useful historical record of the Anglo-Saxon period in England, and as such, exhibits the social, cultural, political, and religious background of the time. -
Period: 1100 to 1500
2. Middle English
The Middle English period belongs to the time in England from the 11th century to the late 15th century, after the Norman Conquest of 1066 and before the Renaissance. During this period, the English language experienced considerable changes in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation, including cultural, social, and political advancements. -
1380
Troilus and Criseyde by Geoffrey Chaucer.
The poem echoes the medieval belief of courtly love, which highlighted the loyal behavior of knights and the reverent admiration of women, and also reproduces the growing status of the vernacular language (in this case Middle English) and shows the wavering of the 14th century, counting the Hundred Years' War, and the political disputes within England. Religiously, displays the influential Christian worldview of the time, with notes to biblical stories and Christian morality. -
1387
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer.
The tales reproduce the political tensions of the time, involving the conflicts between the Church and the state, and indicate the influential Christian worldview of the time, with characters struggling with issues of sin, salvation, and morality. Chaucer’s tales frequently feature personalities from different social classes and occupations, highlighting the variety of medieval society. The tales also manifest the impact of classical literature, specifically the works of the Roman poet Ovid. -
1400
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (anonymous)
The poem reflects the medieval ideals of the aristocracy, which pointed out the good value of courage, reliability, and honor, and echoes the political frictions of the time, including the battles between England and Scotland, and the brawls among the English aristocracy and the emerging middle class, moreover manifests the impact of Christian mysticism, mostly the concept of the quest for spiritual excellence. -
Period: 1500 to
3. Renaissance
This period was noticeable by a prospering literary, creativity and innovation, as writers pursued to explore new ways and ideas that showed the shifting cultural and intellectual landscape of the era. -
The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser
The majority of society were laborers/farmers, and also patriarchal, with men positioned on power and influence. This was the age of William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, and Ben Jonson, among others. England was also involved in disputes during this period, including fighting with Spain and Ireland, and had just parted ways from the Roman Catholic Church and established the Church of England, which was Protestant in its beliefs -
Sonnets by William Shakespeare
Shakespeare's sonnets were written through a time of great social transformation in England. This era saw the increase of a new middle class, as well as the spread of the social movement, It was marked by a charm with the arts and literature, the theater was especially popular, but there were still political strains and conflicts, including the religious rivalry between Protestants and Catholics. -
The Tempest by William Shakespeare
Explores ideas of power, colonization, and the conflict between several cultures and worldviews. The play can look into a suggestion of the social, cultural, political, and religious transformations in England at the time, as well as observations on the wider human experience of authority, freedom, and the search for meaning. -
The Diary of Samuel Pepys by Samuel Pepys
There was significant progression in commerce, leading to the increase of the middle class and raising interest in education and learning, with the creation of new academies and schools, likewise emphasizing reason, science, and individualism, the theater, and arts were thriving at this era as well as political corruption and scandals, the tension between parliament and the monarchy, besides there were conflicts between Anglicans, Puritans, and Catholics. -
Period: to
4. Restoration
lasted from 1660 to 1700, was a time of great social, political, and cultural change, marked by the restoration of the monarchy after the puritanical rule of Oliver Cromwell. -
Paradise Lost by John Milton
The poem was written during the reign of Charles II, who attempts to institute a strong centralized government and suppression political disagreement. Likewise explores topics of autonomy, impulse, and the fight between good and evil. -
Absalom and Achitophel by John Dryden
The poem was written on a period of religious tension and battles in England, with constant discussions and conflicts among Anglicans, Puritans, and Catholics, as well as the appearance of novel religious movements, such as Quakerism and the Nonconformist movement, also shows Dryden's personal opinions and experiences, as he was a follower of the monarchy and the Anglican Church. -
The Way of the World by William Congreve
The arts were prosperous at this time, with the arrival of new forms of literature, music, and art, also was written during the period of William III and Anne, It is a comedy of manners, satirizing the social rules of the high classes. he was a member of the upper class and had experienced the social fluctuations and conflicts of his time. -
Period: to
5. 18th Century
This period is referred to as the Age of Enlightenment or the Age of Reason. It was a time of intellectual and social transformation that witnessed the growth of the novel as a literary category, the expansion of literary criticism, and the arrival of a new middle class. -
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
The novel was written during a time of increasing interest in travel and exploration, as new lands and peoples were discovered. At this time emerged new religious movements, such as Methodism, which also look at themes of survival, isolation, and individualism, and analyzed the changing attitudes and manners of his time. -
Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
Gulliver's Travels reflects the religious conflicts of the time. Swift was a member of the Anglican Church, and he was critical of the growing influence of the dissenting Protestant sects, moreover, this shows the political instability, mainly the tension between the Whig and Tory parties. Swift was a Tory, and he uses the novel to satirize the Whigs, who he believed were responsible for much of the country's problems. -
Period: to
6. Romanticism
Lasted from the late 18th to the mid-19th century, was characterized by a revitalized fascination in emotion, nature, and individualism. It was a time of political and social disruption, evidenced by the French Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, and the spread of capitalism. -
Lyrical Ballads by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge
The collection highlights the value of nature and the rural landscape and celebrates the lives of common people. Wordsworth and Coleridge were both fascinated by searching the internal lives of people, and they use their poems to discover the human experience. -
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
The poem echoes the rising perception of the threats and violence of colonialism, exploration, and expansion, and also reflects the Romantic interest in the mystic, the mysterious, and the supreme, as well as the conflicts between individualism and authority. -
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The novel exhibits the societal expectations and difficulties assigned to women to marry well to secure financial stability and social ranking. This is exemplified in the character of Mrs. Bennet, who is fascinated with marrying off her daughters to wealthy suitors, and in the various courtship and marriage plots that take place throughout the novel. -
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The novel reproduces the concerns about the transformations and innovations during the Industrial Revolution, with the displacement of workers and the social trouble that followed, also enlightens the Romantic movement's appeal with the supernatural, the mysterious, and the strange, and moreover represents the controversies nearby the increase of scientific rationalism. -
Period: to
7. Victorian Era
Victorian literature displayed the values and fears of the time, including matters of social class, gender roles, industrialization, and imperialism. Many writers discovered these themes through the novel, which became the leading literary structure of the period. -
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
This represents the severe social class scheme of the Victorian era, where people were supposed to stay within their class boundaries. England was experiencing a transformation from an agrarian society to an industrial one. The relevant religious institution was the church. -
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The novel reproduces the Victorian era's focus on self-improvement and education. Education was seen as a means of social mobility, and additionally explores subjects of individual religiousness and the quest for a personal bond with Divinity. -
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
The novel makes emphasis on hard work and self-improvement, also there was a growing perception of social issues such as poverty and inequality. -
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Reflects the high-class society in England, where status was prized. The characters in the novel are representatives of the prosperous elite and experience a life of comfort and privilege. -
Dracula by Bram Stoker
The novel reflects the gender roles and societal expectations, women were expected to be submissive, while men were likely to be dominant. The novel's themes of horror, mystery, and the supernatural were popular among Victorian readers and the characters in the novel fight with their belief in the encounter of evil and the mystical. -
Period: to
8. Modernism
This period was a literary and cultural movement that appeared in the early 20th century and lasted until the mid-20th century. It was distinguished by a denial of traditional values and conventions, an emphasis on personal experience, and a attraction with modernity and technology. -
Ulysses by James Joyce
Joyce wrote it when there were meaningful improvements in science and technology, including the advance of electricity, the telephone, and the automobile. this era was significant by a change to modernism in literature and the arts, moreover, this period was led by the Catholic Church. Joyce's characters battle with interrogations of faith, morality, and sexuality inside the framework of this dominant religious culture. -
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
The novel is located in the aftermath of World War I, which had a deep effect on the social, cultural, and political scenery of Europe. Woolf's novel travels the ways in which the war affected the lifestyle of British people, specifically in terms of its impact on gender roles, mental health, and the class system. -
Narnia: The with and the wardrove
Consists of seven books in total. "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" was written during a time of restoration and renewal in England after the devastation of World War II and represents the values of this generation with the boys taking the leadership role and the girls being more passive. -
Period: to
9. Posmodern
Is characterized by a rejection of conventional narrative and literary conventions, and a welcome of experimentation and hybridity. It reflects a broader cultural shift towards pluralism and relativism, and a questioning of established authorities and hierarchies. -
I know Why the caged bird sings by Maya Angelou
Angelou expresses her live through among marginalized groups and the challenges she faced as a young black girl, and the cultural identities of African Americans during this period, including their musical, literary and oral traditions, also replicates the political context of the rights movement, which gained momentum in the 1950s and 1960s -
Harry potter and the philosopher's stone by J.K. Rowling
The novel deals with social class and stages, principally through the characters of Harry Potter and his wealthy, fortunate social group at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft. Also shows the political context of the 1990s, mainly in Britain, where there was rising concern about social disparity and the need for greater social justice and handle themes of good vs. evil. -
Period: to
The contemporary period
Refers to the period after World War II, from the late 1940s to the present day. This period is marked by a diverse range of styles and themes, reflecting the cultural, social, and political changes that have occurred during this time. The feature of contemporary literature is its focus on individual experience and subjectivity. Many contemporary writers explore themes such as identity, sexuality, gender, race, and ethnicity, often in complex and nuanced ways. -
The hunger games by Susan Collins
The novel exposes a split society where the wealthy citizens of the Capitol live in luxury while the poor who live outside regions battle to live. This social organization creates divisions between different groups of people, moreover reveals the cultural identity of the USA, specifically in its representation of the Capitol as a decadent disproportionate city. -
Cormoran strike by J.K. Rowling.
The series addresses social class and privilege, mainly through the character of Cormoran Strike, the son of a celebrated rock star but raised in poverty, while also reflecting the cultural identity of modern London, mostly in its reference to London In the characterization of varied people, cities and the unique zones and landmarks that make them singular.