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Period: 450 to 1066
Old English or Anglo-Saxon period
The German tradition influenced the beginning of English literature through poetry, written in a metrical way, where the poems became cultural forms of expression, also, the kenning technique was used to express something with different words. Some characteristic authors were Cynewulf and Caedmon, within the oral tradition, special emphasis is placed on the translation of legal, medicinal and religious texts. -
680
Caedmon Hymm
Caedmon was the first Old English Christian poet, whose fragmentary hymn to the creation remains a symbol of the adaptation of the aristocratic-heroic Anglo-Saxon verse tradition to the expression of Christian themes. -
850
Cynewulf
Known for his religious compositions, is one of twelve Old English poets known by name, and one of four whose work is known to survive today, so he is considered one of the pre-eminent figures in Old English Christian poetry. Some of his famous poems are The Fates of the Apostles, Juliana, Elene, and Christ II (also referred to as The Ascension). -
990
The exeter book
The Exeter Book is generally acknowledged to be one of the great works of the English Benedictine revival of the tenth century with poems like Widsith, Juliana and The Phoenix. -
Period: 1066 to 1400
Middle English period
Beside of the church, literature was characterized by the medieval era with fables, verses and chivalry code, introducing biblical narrative and morality. Some famous authors were Geoffrey Chaucer, Robert Mannyng, Malory, Henryson, Richard Rolle, and someone anonymous authors. Other famous works are "Piers Plowman" and "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight". -
1200
Ormulun by Orm
Orm was a monk and his poem was about some biblical teachings. -
1303
Handling Sin by Robert Mannyng
Work also called Handlyng Synne, is a poem about a confessional manuel, which downloads an introduction to animated narratives. -
1390
Confessio Amantis by John Gower
The frame story as such is easily summarised. The narrator of this section, conventionally referred to as Amans or the Lover, wanders through a forest in May, as medieval lovers typically do, and despairs at his lack of success. He invokes Venus and Cupid, who promptly appear and demand to know the reason for his sorrow. -
1400
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales brings together the clergy, the nobility, and the peasantry on a common pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Becket. The group decides to tell stories on their way to lighten the mood and enjoy the trip. These stories range from moral to vulgar based on who tells them. -
Period: 1400 to 1520
The early Renaissance period
This period focus on religion, social and moral conduct, influenced by the bilingualism and pluralism (Latin, Anglo-Norman and French), theological reasons for comfort of the human. Some famous authors were John Gower or Geoffrey Chaucer, who was a Londoner of bourgeois origins, was at various times a courtier, a diplomat, and a civil servant. -
1470
The Flower and the Leaf
The Floure and the Leafe is an anonymous Middle English allegorical poem in 595 lines of rhyme royal, written around 1470. During some centuries it was mistakenly believed to be the work of Geoffrey Chaucer, considered one of his finest poems, however the name of the real author is not known but the poem presents itself as the work of a woman, and some critics are inclined to take this at face value. -
Period: 1520 to
The Renaissance period
In this period a lot of new ideas in science, technology, culture, art, and philosophy were explored or discovered. It came just after the bubonic plague, when people lost faith in the Catholic Church and turned instead to Humanism to enjoy life. Most of the works were about comedy, tragedy and drama, some of its most recognized authors were:- Shakespeare: The most important writer in the English language and world literature.
- Doone: The most important English metaphysical poet of the time.
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Period: to
The Restoration
It was an age of poetry as poems affected political events and immediately reflected the times. The people were dominated by the king with rational works about science and philosophy, characterized by the control of society and the dominance of materialism, some famous works were:- John Milton: Author of the epic poem "Paradise Lost".
- Defoe: A leading pioneer of the English novels.
- Samuel Johnson: Created "A Dictionary of the English Language", which was used for over a century.
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The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan
The work is a symbolic vision of the good man’s pilgrimage through life, to know the cost os salvation, as Christian's journey proves, the road to Heaven is not easy, the cost is great, and the true Christian must be willing to pay the cost no matter what At one time it was the second only to the Bible in popularity, The Pilgrim’s Progress is the most famous Christian allegory still in print. -
The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy by Isaac Newton
Known familiarly as the "Principia", Isaac Newton laid out in mathematical terms the principles of time, force, and motion that have guided the development of modern physical science. -
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding by John Locke
Presents an elaborate and sophisticated empiricist account of the nature, origins, and extent of human knowledge. Along with the works of René Descartes, it constitutes the foundation of modern Western philosophy. -
Period: to
The 18th century
In this period the industrial revolution led to a lot of changes, looking for the global expansion and power, so the literature reflected some economic and intellectual progress, as libraries increased the reading public, writing started to be considered a profession and the novels were the most famous type of work.
Some famous authors were Daniel Defoe and Jonathan Swift. -
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
It was an adventure novel, following how Robinson is cast away and spends 28 years on a remote tropical desert island near the coasts of Venezuela and Trinidad, encountering cannibals, captives, and mutineers before being rescued. The story has been thought to be based on real life, marking the beginning of realistic fiction as a literary genre, not only in literature but also in film, television, and radio, that its name is used to define a genre, the Robinsonade. -
Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
This book is both a satire on human nature and a parody of the “travellers’ tales” literary sub-genre, considere a keystone of English literature and one of the books that contributed to the emergence of the novel as a literary form in English. -
Period: to
The Romantic period
A cultural and political movement, the beginning of the French Revolution caused the exaltation of the individual to transmit their feelings about life, nature and love, with poems using everyday language. Some famous authors were John Keats, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Jane Austen and Mary Shelley. -
Lyrical Ballads by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge
The beginning of English Romanticism with a collection od poems like Coleridge’s haunting “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” and Wordsworth’s introspective “Tintern Abbey.” -
Pride and prejudice by Jane Austen
One of the most popular novels in the English language, Jane Austen called this brilliant work "her own darling child" and its vivacious heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, "as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print." The romantic clash between the opinionated Elizabeth and her proud beau, Mr. Darcy, is a splendid performance of civilized sparring. -
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Frankenstein tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment, the first edition was published anonymously. -
Period: to
The Victorian period
This period is related to the Queen Victoria, with the unification of romanticism and realism, characterized by social conviction, religious confusion and economic issues, going from romanticism to realism, from politics to passion and from optimism to pessimism. Some famous authors were Elizabeth and Robert Browning, Matthew Arnold, Charles Dickens, Charlotte and Emily Bronte, Thomas Hardy and George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans). -
A Christmas carol by Charles Dickens
The short novel was suddenly conceived and written in a few weeks but is one of the outstanding Christmas stories of modern literature. -
Alice's adventures in wonderland by Lewis Carroll
It was a widely beloved British children’s book due to its fantastical tales and riddles, it became one of the most popular works of English-language fiction. It was notably illustrated by British artist John Tenniel. -
The adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Doyle
Collection of short stories in the same sequence, with Holmes and Dr. Watson fighting for the social injusticies. -
Period: to
The 20th century
At this time, socially constructed knowledge is evidenced by constructivism, through fiction, poetry, milticulturalism and the reflection of history, due to the war and world in general, with psychological and philosophical influence, as well as different currents like individualism, symbolism, relativism, among others. Some famous authors were Hemingway, Eliot, Lewis, Rowling. -
1984 by George Orwell
It centres on the consequences of totalitarianism, mass surveillance, and repressive regimentation of people and behaviours within society. Orwell, a democratic socialist, modelled the authoritarian state in the novel on the Soviet Union in the era of Stalinism and Nazi Germany. More broadly, the novel examines the role of truth and facts within societies and the ways in which they can be manipulated. -
The complete short stories by Ernest Hemingway
It contains the classic First Forty-Nine Stories as well as 21 other stories and a foreword by his sons. -
Harry Potter by JK Rowling
A series of seven fantasy novels written by this british author about a young wizard and his friends as students of Hogwarts, and a conflict with Lord Voldemort. It includes fantasy, drama, fiction, mystery, adventure, horror and even romance with themes as madness, death and prejudice. The books have found immense popularity worldwide. They have attracted a wide adult audience as well as younger readers, and are widely considered cornerstones of modern literature. -
Period: to
The 21st period
Currently writing focuses on the search for identity, family and the search for good, most of the works focus on horror, fiction, romantic comedy and novels. Some of the most famous writers are:
- Suzzanne Collins: Writer of "The hunger games", a work recognized worldwide for its dystopian characterization of society.
-G.R.R. Martin: Writer and producer of "Game of thrones", a work of a historical and fantastic world. -
The Da Vinci code by Dan Brown
It is a gripping mystery thriller novel about the character Robert Langdon, exploring an alternative religious history and provoking a popular interest in speculation concerning the Holy Grail legend and Mary Magdalene's role in the history of Christianity. The book has, however, been extensively denounced by many Christian denominations as an attack on the Catholic Church, and also consistently criticized by scholars for its historical and scientific inaccuracies. -
The hunger games by Suzanne Collins
It is a series of young adult dystopian novels about Katniss Everdeen, a poor girl from district 12, who has to participate in a televised battle royal death match. It has a film adaptation famous worldwide, being a New York Times best sellers and US too.