The presentation highlights the major periods or the eras of English Literature dated from Anglo-Saxon till 20th century i.e. the Modern Era. It shows the political, social, economic background of the ages.

1. Major Periods Of English Literature
Presented By –
Muskan Solanki

2. What is Literature’ ?
It is the art of Written work.
It literally means “Things made from letters”.
Literature is commonly classified as having two major forms
Fiction & Non-fiction
 and two major techniques –
Poetry & Prose
 It may consists of texts based on factual information or
imagination .
 Literature can also be classified according to historical
periods , genres and political influences.

3. Important historical periods in English Literature -
 450-1100 (7th-11th century) – Anglo Saxon & Norman Literature
Or Old English Literature
1350-1400 (Later 14th Century) – The age of Geoffrey Chaucer
 1400 – 1550 – Early Renaissance Or The Revival Of Learning
1550 – 1620 – The age of Elizabeth Or The age of Shakespeare
 1625 – 1660 – The age of Milton
1660 – 1700 – The age of John Dryden
1700 – 1750 – The age of Alexander Pope
1750 – 1798 – The age of Transition or Age of Dr. Samuel Johnson
1798 – 1850 – The age of Wordsworth
1850 – 1900 – Victorian age
 20th century – Modern age

5.  Anglo Saxon literature encompasses literature written in old english during 600 year
Anglo-Saxon period of England
 These works include genres such as epic, poetry, hagiography, sermons, Bible
translations, legal works, chronicles, riddles and others.
400 surviving manuscripts texts with little in common.
Frequently reflect non-English influence.
Among the most important work of this period is the poem Beowulf, “The Wanderer”
 A writer of this time was Bede.
 His famous book “The history of the English church ”
Anglo Saxon is classified under the following four heads-
 Personal and Elegiac poems
 War songs
 the riddles
 The Epic poems

7.  Geoffrey Chaucer was born in London sometime around 1343.
 He is also known as the Father of English Literature and is widely
considered the greatest English poet of the middle ages.
 He achieved fame during his lifetime as an author, philosopher,
alchemist and astronomer.
 His works include The Canterbury Tales, The Book of the Duchess,
The House of Fame, the Legend of good Women.
 This period was of great political, social, religious and literary
activity.
 other famous poets of this era were John Gower, William Langland
etc.

9. A period from the early 1300’s to roughly 1600 when there was a
renewed interest in history literature and art.
Renaissance = “Rebirth”
Renewed study of ancient Greece and Rome
Europe’s economic recovery

10. Origins
 The period coincided with the decline of medieval European
civilization.
 It was both a political and economic movement as well as a
cultural and artistic one.
 The Renaissance was a period of commercial, financial,
political, and cultural awakening, first in Italy and then in
northern Europe.
 The northern Italian cities led a commercial renewal;
especially cities such as Venice, Genoa, and Milan.

12.  The Elizabethan Age of English Literature coincides with the reign of Elizabeth I,
1558 - 1603.
 During this time, medieval tradition was blended with Renaissance optimism.
 Lyric poetry, prose, and drama were the major styles of literature that flowered during
the Elizabethan Age.
 Some important writers of the Elizabethan Age include William Shakespeare,
Christopher Marlowe, Edmund Spenser, Sir Walter Raleigh, and Ben Jonson.

13. General characteristics of Elizabethan literature -
It was mainly dominated, however, by the spirit of romance
 it was also full of the spirit of dramatic action
 influenced by the literature of Italy
 literary spirit was all pervasive
 the period has the great variety of almost unlimited creative force,
 period of experimentation

14. Shakespeare (1564-1616)
• considered to be the greatest playwright in the world.
• invented a lot of words and invented expressions that we still use today!
• understood the human personality.
• wrote about individuals: Hamlet, Macbeth, Julius Caesar, Othello, Romeo &
Juliet.
• wrote comedies: Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer’s Night Dream
• wrote tragedies: Romeo & Juliet, Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth, Othello
• was a Renaissance humanist: He wrote about people and understood human
nature.

16.  It was also known as Puritanism.
 Decline in Literature
 The output of poetry is much smaller
 There is a mass decay in exaltic poetic servour of
previous age.
 Expansion of Prose

17. Two Classes of poets in this Period -
Metaphysical Poetry Cavalier Poetry
Started by John Donne They were secular poets
Deal with thought development &
blend of passion
Deal with subject of love
Lyrical in nature They followed Ben Johnson
Full of learnt imagery & striking
conceits
There work is simple, highly
polished & graceful structure
Major Poets – John Donne,
Crashaw, Vaughan, Marvell..
Major works – The Anniversary,
The Elegy, The songs & Sonnets
and Poetry.
Major Poets – Herrick, Thomas
Carew, Richard Lovelace, Sir John
Suckling…
Major Works – The night piece of
Julia, Ask me no more Rapture,
Going to the vast, Ballad upon a
wedding .

19.  Break from the Elizabethan Tradition
 Imitation of the ancients
 Imitation of the French. Famous French Writers are Pascal, Bossuet,
Matherbe, Corneille, Racine, Moliere.
 Development of Poetry
Satire was cultivated with great assiduity
 Great Satires of Dryden are-
Absalom and Achitophel
Medal
Mac Flecknot

21.  Also known as Augustan Age and New-Classical age
 The age of reason and good sense
 Religious and Philosophical thought of the age
 The French influence
 First Follow Nature
 The main works of Pope are –
The Rape of the lock
Essay on Criticism
The Essay on Man

23.  An era of change from pseudo classicism to romanticism,
 French revolution of 1789 was the climax to long deeply diffused unrest,
 categorized by mild renaissance of learning,
 rise of middle class,
 characterized by rapid growth of democracy,
 stress was laid on individual worth of man,
 in poetry we find co existence of double tendency,
 poets completely abandoned the classical tradition and became the fore bearers of era of
romanticism

25.  Constitute an era of rapid social change took place
between 1776-1832.
 Progress of social change accelerated by war with France
which lasted till 1815,
 Series of scientific inventions gave England a new and
vast revolutionary industry
 agriculture and scientific methods of farming evolved

27. o Region of Queen Victoria extends from 1837-1901,
o Era of material influence, political consciousness, democratic reforms ,
industrial and mechanical progress
o crime and war stir in England,
o poor living condition were there
o social reformers took initiative for poor,
o age of humanitarian consideration,
o education expanded,
o still religious and moral were important and had great importance

29.  new writers rejected the doctrine of art for art sake and supported art for life sake,
 took action for better living of poor,
 poor became raw material of writing,
 economic and social changes, rapid industrial expansion led to agriculture depression,
poets used hard dry use of exact word and produced poetry that is hard and clear

30. Thank You