History of English Literature (By Valeria Viña Leonardi)

1st Period - OLD ENGLISH

450

(450 - 1066)
This period is also known as Anglo-Saxon literature period.
One of the most important literary compositions from this period is the heroic poem Beowulf, the first great work of Germanic literature and is believed to have been composed between 700 and 750.

2nd Period - MIDDLE ENGLISH

1066

(1066 - 1500)
During this period, medieval romances, such as the tales of King Arthur, were very popular.
This particular period began with the Norman Conquest of 1066 when William the Conqueror invaded the island of Britain. English is used in the English Parliament for the first time.
John Wycliffe publishes his English translation of “The Bible”

3rd Period - ENGLISH RENAISSANCE

1500

(1500 - 1660)
Within the English Renaissance period is The Elizabethan period from 1558 to 1603, The Jacobean period from 1603 to 1625 of King James I and The Carolina period from 1625 to 1653 of King Charles I.
The English period began far later than the Italian and moved into Mannerism and the Baroque. By the time of Elizabethan literature, poetry and drama were included by some poets such as Edmund Spenser The Faerie Queene, William Shakespeare, Thomas Wyatt, and others.

4th Period - PURITAN

1653

(1653 - 1660)
During this period, the Puritan literature was mostly based on giving instruction from a Biblical point of view.
Puritan literature was a first-person narrative giving a personal point of view. So the authors used to write based on their own experiences. Puritans based they writing on a religion theme not on entertainment theme through sermons, poems, letters or historical narratives, highlighting the importance of God and the Bible.

5th Period - RESTORATION AGE

1660

(1660 - 1700)
In English literature, this period is called the period of Restoration, because monarchy was restored in England, and Charles II became the King. Poetry was the most significant form of literature through lyric, Epic poem etc. The prose was based on Christian religious writing but later on fiction and journalism.

6th Period - 18TH CENTURY

1700

(1700 - 1798)
The 18th Century period is divided into two periods the Augustan period from 1700 to 1750 and the age of sensibility from 1750 to 1758. The major writers of the age were Pope and John Dryden in poetry, and Jonathan Swift and Joseph Addison in prose. This period was based on prose, satire, good sense and poetry was not a protagonist. The Good sense was one of the most important protagonists of this period.

7th Period - ROMANTICISM

1798

(1798 - 1837)
This is the period of literature that shows the widest variety in style and content.
In England, the primary way of expression was poetry.
English poets Wordsworth and Coleridge jointly publish Lyrical Ballads, a milestone in the Romantic movement.
In 1813 Pride and Prejudice, is the second of Jane Austen's novels to be published.

8th Period - VICTORIAN

1837

(1837 - 1901)
In 1837 Victoria became queen at the age of 18.
This period is outstanding for the excellence of its prose. Most of its literature is seen as a bridge between Romanticism and Modern Literature.
-Charles Dickens' first novel, Oliver Twist (1837).
-The 19th century witnessed the novel led the literature in English.
-Lewis Carroll publishes Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, a story he had told Alice Liddell three years earlier

9 th Period - Modern Literature

1901

(1901-1940)
This period in English literature was a reaction against The Victorian culture which predominated during most of the 19th century. One of the most important and significant events during this period was the WWI which wiped out away all prior notions.
Virginia Woolf publishes her first novel, The Voyage Out, and alsoThe Waves, in which she tells the story through six interior monologues.
Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore and the others make their first appearance in A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh

10th Period - POST MODERNS

1940

(1940 - 2000)
During this period WWII took place.
Postmodernism has become recognized for its innovative techniques and impact.
Some writers are John Fowles and Julian Barnes and writers from the beginning of the XXI century are Martin Amis, Ian McEwan, and Salman Rushdie.
Some examples of the literature during this period:
C.S. Lewis, Narnia, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Martin Amis publishes his first novel, The Rachel Papers.