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The Carolingian Renaissance (800- 850 CE) emerged in Europe. In central Europe, texts include
early medieval grammars, encyclopedias, etc. In northern Europe, this time period marks the setting of Viking sagas. -
After Norman Conquest (1066), Anglo-French became the language of highest social class and Anglo-Saxon (that later developed into Middle English) became the language of lower classes. English was introduced in law courts in 1362 and used for the first time in parliament in 1363. One of the key differences between Middle English and Anglo-Saxon literature is that the latter used heroic poetry and the formerly used romance verse.
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(The Renaissance took place in the late 15th, 16th, and early 17th century in Britain, but somewhat earlier in Italy and southern Europe and somewhat later in northern Europe.)
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This period is generally regarded as the greatest in the history of English literature. The age saw a
great flourishment in literature. The poetries and dramas were prospered more, in particular. Three most important and remarkable writers of that period are William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, and Ben Jonson. -
Jacobian Era comes just after the Elizabethan era. The two primary contribution of this age in English literature is the Revenge play and Metaphysical poetry. Revenge play signifies the plays where the victim is retaliated or avenged. These type of plays often results in the death of both the murderer and the avenger. These type of plays were extremely popular during the Elizabethan and the Jacobean era. Some of the best writers of plays of this kind are Thomas Kyd, Shakespeare etc.
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This era coincided with the age of Charles I (1625-1642). During that time, a civil war was fought between the supporters of the king (Cavaliers) and the supporters of the parliament(Roundheads).Some of the prominent writers of that era are George Herbert, Henry Vaughan, Katherine Philips, John Donne etc
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The age created a sort of confusion due to breaking up of old ideas. Some of the literary men had the tendencies to look backward for the old golden age, and some wanted to look forward for a better world with the throbs of hope and fresh vitality and youth. And in John Milton, the indomitable Puritan spirit finds its noblest expression.
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Most importantly, the Theatre closed down by the Puritans was restored. JoDryden, greatest of all
the poets of this age, established heroic couplet in English Poetry. He developed a new prose style that was suited to the practical needs of the age. -
The age of Sensibility is also known as the age of Johnson. Two most famous writers of this period are Richard Brinsley Sheridan and Oliver Goldsmith. Sheridan was a love poet. Most of the literary works of this age talk about human feelings, classicism and Romantic revival.
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This period was mainly a reaction against the philosophy of Enlightenment period that dominatedmuch of European Philosophy. Individual achievements are highly valued. Many of the Romantic writers believed that people regardless of wealth or social class must be able to appreciate art and literature.Some of the most famous poets of the period are - John Keats, William Blake, William Wordsworth, Thomas Grey etc.
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The 19th-century literature is merged with three ages. They are:
Romanticism (1798-1837)
Victorian Age (1837-1901)
Edwardian Age (1901-1910) -
The Augustan age was a Roman Empire age.King Augustus was the emperor of that time. Some of the most famous Augustan writers are Virgil, Horace etc. Major poets of that age are Pope and Dryden. And on the other hand, Jonathan Swift was famous for his prose works.
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The Victorian age was a time of great prosperity in the History of English Literature. This period made a lot of changes amongst people. The lowerclass became more self-conscious but on the other hand, the middle-class people got more power in them.
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Literature from various parts of the world started spreading. New writers were tried to impersonate the glory of British writers. Women at the time were suppressed in the literary sense. They were not allowed to write freely.
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In post-modernism, basically the history of English Literature of 5 geo-locations are being studied. They are - African, Australian, Canadian, Caribbean and Indian Literature.
