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450 BCE
Old English
This term is used to refer to English language spoken from 700 to about 1100, e.g., in England and Scotland. It's known as Anglo-Saxon period, too. Named for the Germanic people who invaded the south and east of Great Britain. This period starts with the migrations in 410 and it ends in 560, according to Bede the settlers in England came from of Jutland, Anglia, Frisii, as a result of migrations. -
Period: 400 BCE to 600 BCE
Example of Old English
"Oft Scyld Scéfing – sceaþena þréatum
monegum maégþum – meodosetla oftéah•
egsode Eorle – syððan aérest wearð
féasceaft funde – hé þæs frófre gebád•
wéox under wolcnum – weorðmyndum þáh
oð þæt him aéghwylc – þára ymbsittendra
ofer hronráde – hýran scolde,
gomban gyldan – þæt wæs gód cyning."
In this example, we can see the descriprion of a king or a warrior, where is noted that English is originated from Anglo-Frisian dialects brought to Britain. -
1066
Middle English
Middle English is the subsequent language of OE, beginning with the Norman Conquest and ending in 1500. this period was characterized by the formation of literary dialects, omission of the accent of the letter "e" at the end of the word and much influence by the Anglo-Norman words. The first Middle English text was found around 1150.
One example of Middle English is the poem Omulum by Orm. Or poems by authors like Chaucer or Gower, who wrote in Latin and French. -
1500
English Renaissance
It is one of the best eras of English literature, enriched in culture and art, it is said that it began in Italy and arrived a century later in England, through music and literature. In this period was developed the Elizabethan era, furthermore, divided into two sub period, Jacobean period (James 1st, 1603-1625) and Caroline period (Charles 1st. 1625-1649)
For instance, William Shakespeare, produced Renaissance plays in the theater. -
Puritan
Puritan or Age Milton, because of the literary figure John Milton, who was a Puritan. religion was very prevalenhought at this time, and most of the poetry that was made was for the purpose of glorifying God. Nevertheless, metaphysical poetry was created, focusing on nature and in the thought development. For instance, Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained, Faerie Queene, The Pilgrimss Progress, and other sonnets and works. -
Restoration Age
Restoration Age or The Age of Dryden. In this period, the willingness to exploit cultural resources was restored, accepting limitations and focusing on the human. Living events such as: The restoration of Carlos II in 1660, religious controversy and the revolution of 1688, situations that profoundly changed the way the English see life.
One example of this age is the poetry of John Dryden (with the work: Absalom and Achitophel) and Samuel Butler (Butler's Hudibras). -
18th Century
It divided into two sub period, Augustan and Age of Sensibility.
At this time there was an enormous growth of political literature, since the elections were approaching and skillful campaigns were made to persuade the public of the perfect candidate. It was a paper war, where even anonymous fallacies were debated.
For example, the works of Defoe, The Shortest-Way (1702) or the satirical Jonathan Switf with his contribution to the Examiner (1710) -
Romanticism
As its name indicates, in this period sentiment prevailed in its maximum expression, with poems being the main element. For example, the poems of Robert Burns, Alexander Pope, gave importance to the lyric, and some authors of relevance in this period were William Blaked (An island in the moon), William Wordsworth, Coleridge (The aeolian Harp), and so on. -
Victorian
Due to the reign of Victoria (1838-1901) the town suffered many inequalities, which generated chaos in society and the artists had to deal with such situations. This era is framed by numerous English novels, which were realistic and lengthy. Authors such as Charles Dickens brought humor to the situation, or William Thackeray (1848), Emily Brontë's (1847), George Eliot (1860), to name a few examples. -
Modern Literature
Modern literature is divided into two approaches: realism and radicalism, both developed in 1850. On the one hand, realism focuses on the plot being totally realistic, i.e., without any event that is unlikely. For instance, The play of Gustave Flaubert (Madame Bovary), this category includes realistic drama, e.g. Chekhov. On the other hand, modern radical literature is based on visual art, where works are presented as fleeting flashes. E.g. James Joyce (Ulysses), a master of radical prose. -
Post Moderns
It began after the Second World War, characterized by fragmentation, paradox, unreliable sources, very unrealistic plots, paranoia, etc. In addition, metafiction, distortion, faction, among other stylistic techniques are widely used in this stage of literature. For example, Thomas pynchon's gravity's rainbow or Vladimir Nabokov's Pale Fire. -
Period: to
Contemporary
It is the literary age that we are currently living in, where there are many authors who contribute to the beautiful art of writing, despite the setbacks that can occur in society, writers will always be immortal, because they leave a part of their life in the ink embodied in paper. Examples such as Anne Sexton (Courage), Eilliam Safire (Onomatopeia), Rita Dove (For the love of Books), etc.
