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ENGLISH LITERATURE TIMELINE

By mannytheteacher
  • 1200 BCE

    I. CLASSICAL HOMERIC PERIOD (1200-800 BCE)

    I. CLASSICAL HOMERIC PERIOD (1200-800 BCE)
    This period is divided into four subperiods: Homeric (1200-800 BCE) There were no writers, legends were told from generation to generation. The works of Homer were the point of reference.
  • 800 BCE

    CLASSICAL GREEK PERIOD (800-200 BCE)

    CLASSICAL GREEK PERIOD (800-200 BCE)
    Classical Greek (800-200 BCE) Writers such as Plato, Socrates, Aristotle and so forth are responsible for the renowned Golden Age of Greece.
  • 200 BCE

    CLASSICAL ROMAN PERIOD (200 BCE-455 CE)

    CLASSICAL ROMAN PERIOD (200 BCE-455 CE)
    This period begins after Rome conquered Greece, the most representative writers of this period are: Horace, Ovid, Cicero and so many more.
  • 70

    PATRISTIC PERIOD (70-455 CE)

    PATRISTIC PERIOD (70-455 CE)
    Patristic Christianity takes over and writers from all over Europe produce masterpieces. Saints write in this period. Saint Augustine is the most representative.
  • 455

    II. THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD (455-1485 CE)

    II. THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD (455-1485 CE)
    This period comprises three subperiods: The old English (455-799 CE) It is also called the Dark Ages because the people who lived in Europe moved into England to escape the barbarian tribes. A good sample from this period is the poem, Beowulf.
  • Jan 1, 1066

    THE MIDDLE ENGLISH PERIOD (1066-1450 CE)

    THE MIDDLE ENGLISH PERIOD (1066-1450 CE)
    This period began with the invasion of England by the French. What followed was a period of French-influenced writers. Abelard is an important writer of this period
  • Jan 1, 1485

    III.THE RENAISSANCE AND REFORMATION (1485-1660)

    III.THE RENAISSANCE AND REFORMATION (1485-1660)
    This period subdivides into 5: The first one is the early Tudor (1485-1558). With the advent of the protestant kings protestantism dominated the scene. Edmund Spenser being a good exponent.
  • Jan 1, 1558

    ELIZABETHAN PERIOD (1558-1603)

    ELIZABETHAN PERIOD (1558-1603)
    This period was totally influenced by queen Elizabeth who imposed very tough and strict laws. The most remarkable writer of this period is Shakespeare.

  • JACOBEAN PERIOD (1603-1625 CE)

    JACOBEAN PERIOD (1603-1625 CE)
    This period was dominated by the latter works of Shakespeare. During the time the Jacobeans reigned in England

  • THE CAROLINE AGE (1625-1649 CE)

    THE CAROLINE AGE (1625-1649 CE)
    This period is characterized by the writings produced during the reign of king Charles I and his Cavaliers in England.

  • THE COMMONWEALTH/ PURITAN PERIOD (1649-1660 CE)

    THE COMMONWEALTH/ PURITAN PERIOD (1649-1660 CE)
    This period comprises the writings produced during the time that England was ruled by the Cromwell puritan laws. Thomas Browne is a good exponent.

  • IV. THE ENLIGHTENMENT (NEOCLASSICAL) PERIOD (1660-1790 CE)

    IV. THE ENLIGHTENMENT (NEOCLASSICAL) PERIOD (1660-1790 CE)
    Marked by America's independence from England, it followed logic instead of superstition. It is divided into three subperiods.

  • RESTORATION PERIOD (1660-1700 CE)

    RESTORATION PERIOD (1660-1700 CE)
    When the king of England is restored to the throne, French and Classical influences dominate. Some sample writer are John Locke and Moliere.

  • THE AUGUSTAN AGE (1700-1750 CE)

    THE AUGUSTAN AGE (1700-1750 CE)
    Writers of this period imitated the literature of Virgil and Horace. Some sample writers are Voltaire, Swift, and Pope.

  • THE AGE OF JOHNSON (1750-1790 CE)

    THE AGE OF JOHNSON (1750-1790 CE)
    This a transition period towards the Romanticism. Some writers move away from neoclassical influences. There are excellent writers in this period, some of them are Boswell, Cowper and Benjamin Franklin in America.

  • V. THE ROMANTIC PERIOD (1790-1830 CE)

    V. THE ROMANTIC PERIOD (1790-1830 CE)
    The writers from this period wrote about individuality, nature, and imagination. In America another period was happening: Transendentalism. some sample writers are Blake, and Shelley. There were Gothic writings which are the precursor of horror novels. Writers like Poe in America and Bram Stoker are good exponents of this period.

  • VI. THE VICTORIAN PERIOD (1832-1901 CE)

    VI. THE VICTORIAN PERIOD (1832-1901 CE)
    The books that were written during the reign of Queen Victoria were mostly sentimental novels. Some of the writers of this period are Charles Dickens, and Elizabeth Browning. By the end of the century movements like Aestheticism and the Decadence emerged with author like Oscar Wilde. Naturalists like Walt Whitman flourished.

  • VII. THE MODERN PERIOD (1914- 1945 CE)

    VII. THE MODERN PERIOD (1914- 1945 CE)
    Modern writers are considered those who wrote before the 2 world wars. Virginia Wolf, Robert Frost and some of them.An interesting fact is the so called Lost Generation or the Jazz Age.

  • VIII. THE POST MODERN (1945- PRESENT)

    VIII. THE POST MODERN (1945- PRESENT)
    This period has been characterized by multiculturalism and metafiction. More and more non-white writers have been recognized by winning the Nobel prize. Magic realism has flourished in this period with writers such as Garcia Marquez and Borges.