-
450
Old English (Anglo-Saxon) Period
The term Anglo-Saxon comes from two Germanic tribes: the Angles and the Saxons. This period of literature dates back to their invasion (along with the Jutes) of Celtic England circa 450. Much of the first half of this period—prior to the seventh century, at least—had oral literature. -
1066
Middle English Period
huge transition in the language, culture, and lifestyle of England and results in what we can recognize today as a form of “modern” (recognizable) English. much of the Middle English writings were religious in nature; however, from about 1350 onward, secular literature began to rise. -
1500
The Renaissance
This period is often subdivided into four parts, including the Elizabethan Age (1558–1603), the Jacobean Age (1603–1625), the Caroline Age (1625–1649), and the Commonwealth Period (1649–1660). -
The Neoclassical Period
It is also subdivided into ages, including The Restoration (1660–1700), The Augustan Age (1700–1745), and The Age of Sensibility (1745–1785). The Restoration period sees some response to the puritanical age, especially in the theater. Restoration comedies (comedies of manner) developed during this time under the talent of playwrights -
The Romantic Period
Some claim it is 1785, immediately following the Age of Sensibility. Others say it began in 1789 with the start of the French Revolution The time period ends with the passage of the Reform Bill (which signaled the Victorian Era) and with the death of Sir Walter Scott. American literature has its own Romantic period -
The Victorian Period
It's named for the reign of Queen Victoria.
It was a time of great social, religious, intellectual, and economic issues, heralded by the passage of the Reform Bill, which expanded voting rights. The Victorian period is in strong contention with the Romantic period for being the most popular, influential, and prolific period in all of English (and world) literature. -
The Edwardian Period
It is named for King Edward VII
he era includes incredible classic novelists such as Joseph Conrad, Ford Madox Ford, Rudyard Kipling, H.G. Wells, and Henry James -
The Georgian Period
It refers to the reign of George V (1910–1936) but sometimes also includes the reigns of the four successive Georges from 1714–1830. The themes and subject matter tended to be rural or pastoral in nature, treated delicately and traditionally rather than with passion or experimentation -
The Modern Period
It raditionally applies to works written after the start of World War I. Includes bold experimentation with subject matter, style, and form, encompassing narrative, verse, and drama. New Criticism also appeared at this time, led by the likes of Woolf, Eliot, William Empson, and others, which reinvigorated literary criticism in general. -
The Postmodern Period
It begins about the time that World War II ended. oststructuralist literary theory and criticism developed during this time.