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450
ERAS- OLD ENGLISH 450-1066
450-1066 Much of the first half of this period—prior to the seventh century, at least—had oral literature. A lot of the prose during this time was a translation of something else or otherwise legal, medical, or religious in nature; however, some works, such as Beowulf(C..800). Beewolf, the first great work of Germanic literature mingles the legends of Scandinavia with the experience in England of Amgles and Saxons. -
Period: 731 to
HISTORY OF ENGLISH LITERATURE REFERENCES
. Burgess, Adam. "A Brief Overview of British Literary Periods." ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/british-literary-periods-739034.
English literature: 731 - 2000 - Oxford Reference. (2013, September 24). Retrieved from http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780191737053.timeline.0001 -
1066
MIDDLE ENGLISH 1066-1500
1066-1500 The Middle English period sees a 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. The era extends to around 1500. Much of the Middle English writings were religious in nature; however, from about 1350 onward, secular literature began to rise. 1469- Thomas Malory, compiles Morte d' Arthur- an English account of the French tales of King Arthur. -
1500
ENGLISH RENAISSANCE 1500-1660
Recently, critics and literary historians have begun to call this the “Early Modern” period, but here we retain the historically familiar term “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). -
1558
ENGLISH RENNAISSANCE- ELIZABETH AGE 1558-1603
The Elizabeth Age was the golden age of English drama. Most worthy authors: Francis Bacon, Edmund Spenser, Sir Walter Raleigh,and William Shakespeare. Shakespeare's central character in Hamlet expresses both the ideals of the Rennaissance and the desilusion of a less confident age. -
ENGLISH RENNAISANCE -THE JACOBEAN AGE 1603-1625
The Jacobean Age is named for the reign of James I. It includes the works of John Donne, Shakespeare, Michael Drayton, John Webster, Elizabeth Cary, Ben Jonson, and Lady Mary Wroth. -
ENGLISH RENAISSANCE- THE CAROLINE AGE 1625-1649
The Caroline Age covers the reign of Charles I (“Carolus”). John Milton, Robert Burton, and George Herbert are some of the notable figures.1637. John Milton's Lycidas is published in memory of a Cambridge friend, Edward King. -
ENGLISH RENAISSANCE- COMMONWEALTH PERIOD 1649- 1660
This is the time when Oliver Cromwell, a Puritan, led Parliament, who ruled the nation. At this time, public theaters were closed (for nearly two decades) to prevent public assembly and to combat moral and religious transgressions. 1650 The poem of Massachusets author Anne Bradstreet are published in London under the tittle of The Tenth Muse Lately Spring up in America. -
THE NEOCLASSICAL PERIOD 1600-1785
The Neoclassical period 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. 1719. Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe with its detailed realism can be seen as the first English novel. -
THE ROMANTIC PERIOD 1785-1832
The beginning date for the Romantic period is often debated. Some claim it is 1785, immediately following the Age of Sensibility. Others say it began in 1789 with the start of the French Revolution, and still others believe that 1798, the publication year for William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s book Lyrical Ballads is its true beginning. 1813 Pride and Prejudice, base on a youthful work on 1797 called firsr Impressions, is the second Janes Austen's novel to be pusblished. -
THE VICTORIAN PERIOD 1832-1901
This period is named for the reign of Queen Victoria, who ascended to the throne in 1837, and it lasts until her death in 1901. It was a time of great social, religious, intellectual, and economic issues, heralded by the passage of the Reform Bill, which expanded voting rights. 1837 Charles Dicken's first novel, Oliwer Twist, begins monthly publication (in book form, 1839) -
THE EDWARDIAN PERIOD 1901-1914
This period is named for King Edward VII and covers the period between Victoria’s death and the outbreak of World War I. Although a short period (and a short reign for Edward VII), the era includes incredible classic novelists such as Joseph Conrad, Ford Madox Ford, Rudyard Kipling, H.G. Wells, and Henry James (who was born in America but spent most of his writing career in England) 1904 Henry James publishes his last completed novel, The Golden Bowl. -
THE GEORGIAN PERIOD 1910-1936
The Georgian period usually refers to the reign of George V (1910–1936) but sometimes also includes the reigns of the four successive Georges from 1714–1830. Here, we refer to the former description as it applies chronologically and covers, for example, the Georgian poets, such as Ralph Hodgson, John Masefield, W.H. Davies, and Rupert Brooke. -
THE MODERN PERIOD- 1914
The modern period traditionally applies to works written after the start of World War I. Common features include bold experimentation with subject matter, style, and form, encompassing narrative, verse, and drama. W.B. Yeats’ words, “Things fall apart; the center cannot hold,” are often referred to when describing the core tenet or “feeling” of modernist concerns. 1914.James Joyce's novel Portrait of The Artist as Young Man begins serial publication in a London journal The Egoist. -
THE POSTMODERN PERIOD 1945-
The postmodern period begins about the time that World War II ended. Many believe it is a direct response to modernism. Some notable writers of the period include Samuel Beckett, Joseph Heller, Anthony Burgess, John Fowles, Penelope M. Lively, and Iain Banks. Many postmodern authors wrote during the modern period as well. 1949 George Orwell publishes NINETEEN-NINETY-EIGHTY FOUR-, a novel sets in a terrifying totaliarism state of the future, watched over by The Big Brother.
