Introduction to english and american literature pd dr. Despite the frequent apocalyptic warnings concerning the decline of literature, the list of prominent contemporary writers in english is, in fact, remarkably long. For ease of study, literary scholars divide british into segments referred to as periods. Caroline is derived from carolus, the latin version of charles. English literature british and commonwealth description. The puritans influenced the english middle classes since the reign of james i and play a powerful force role in the social life of the age and initiated the movement for social and constitutional reforms. In spit e of all this, however, the designation commonwealth. The anglosaxon chronicle otherwise proves significant to study of the era, preserving a chronology of early english.
Commonwealth period or puritan interregnum 16491660. Department of english english offers a bachelor of arts in english, as well as minors in american studies, british studies, english for non english majors and creative writing, the master of arts in english and the master of fine arts in creative writing, and a doctoral program leading to a ph. Definitions from a handbook to literature, sixth edition. Perhaps the only thing that is common to commonwealth literature is the english language, yet it is english with a difference.
Poetry with alliteration and without rhyme, tradition of oral poetry, songs of lament, introduction of christian themes. Commonwealth of england simple english wikipedia, the free. Beowulf, the earliest literature, the national epic of the anglosaxon, one of. Commonwealth literature is rich in poetry and fiction but poor in. A short summary of characteristics of ages of british literature old english anglosaxon era 4501066 a.
This period produced the political writings of john milton, thomas hobbes political treatise leviathan, and the prose of andrew marvell. Commonwealth period which is also known as the puritan interregnum. Commonwealth and restoration literature free download as powerpoint presentation. Mar 01, 2019 a short summary of characteristics of ages of british literature old englishanglosaxon era 4501066 a. Also known as new english literature, it is a body of fictional works grouped together because of the underlying cultural history and certain recurrent patterns. Oct 29, 2015 in general, commonwealth literature is a vague term which defines english language works written in the former british colonies or place which had the status of dominions. Commonwealth writers commonwealth writers the regional winners of the commonwealth book prize 20 write about their favourite books from the prizes catchment area tue 28 may 20 08. The era ends in 1066, when norman france, under william, conquered england. History of english literature pdf included periods of. Three most important and remarkable writers of that period are william shakespeare, christopher marlowe, and ben jonson. English literature, body of written works produced in the english language by. English literature british and commonwealth spring 201920 the university of mississippi is accredited by the southern association of colleges and schools commission on colleges to award certificates and baccalaureate, masters, specialist, and doctoral degrees. After the execution of charles i on january 30, 1649, the commonwealth was declared an act declaring england to be a commonwealth by the rump parliament on may 19, 1649.
At the same time, the japanese forces installed a puppet government in manila headed by jose p. Although historians have delineated the eras of british literature in different. Some literary historians speak of the period as bounded by the reign of charles ii 166085, while others prefer to include within its scope the writings. The british empire imperialism postcolonialism literature. In a tradition of literature remarkable for its exacting and brilliant achievements, the elizabethan and early stuart periods have been said to represent the most brilliant century of all. In both coverage and approach, the examination resembles the historically organized survey of english literature offered by many colleges.
Womens writing in english list of commonwealth writers prizes. The association for commonwealth literature and language studies has 11 branches worldwide and holds an international conference every three years. Restoration literature english literary period britannica. Because the victorian period of english literature spans over six decades, the year 1870 is often used to divide the era into early victorian and late victorian. This article is focused on englishlanguage literature rather than the literature of england. The prose dialogue of the commonwealth and the restoration jstor. The commonwealth was the political structure during the period from 1649 to 1660 when england and wales, later along with ireland and scotland, were governed as a republic after the end of the second english civil war and the trial and execution of charles i. This age is named after charles i who reigned over england from 1625 to 1649. Indian literature in english may be said to have begun with the adoption of the english language as the centrepiece of an english language education poli cy for the country 1835. Thanks to the worldwide popularity of english, books in. While the exact number, dates, and names of these periods vary, the following lists conform to widespread acceptance. In the western tradition, the early periods of literary history are roughly as follows below. English literature dates back exceeding five centuries. Commonwealth writers commonwealth writers books the.
This period of literature dates back to their invasion along with the jutes of celtic england circa 450. For example, a 600 on the literature in english test is not equivalent to a 600 on the psychology test. Test scores should be compared only with other scores on the literature in english test. This age is also a part of the puritan age 16201660. The republics existence was declared through an act declaring england to be a commonwealth, adopted by the rump parliament on 19 may 1649. The literature not only represents authors or writers from almost every part of the world but also it had untapped almost every major genre of writings that one could possibly imagine. The republics existence was declared through an act declaring england to be a. It assumes that candidates have read widely and developed an appreciation of english literature, know the basic literary periods, and have a sense of the historical development of english literature. Pdf literary periods of british literature muzafar. The seventeenthcentury the early seventeenth century english revolution and commonwealth period restoration the eighteenthcentury romanticism victorianism modernism post1945. Literary periods of british literature for ease of study, literary scholars divide british into segments referred to as periods. What are the major literary periods in english literature. These periods are spans of time in which literature shared intellectual, linguistic, religious. The character of early american literature is strongly influenced by several factors.
Gre literature in english test total scores are reported on a 200 to 990 score scale in tenpoint increments. Majors english literature british and commonwealth description a program that focuses on the literatures and literary developments of the englishspeaking peoples of the british isles and the british commonwealth, from the origins of the english language to the present. The principal english writers include addison, steele, swift, and alexander pope. Pdf an introduction to commonwealth literature researchgate. I am also grateful to my colleagues in the english department at birkbeck college for two terms of light teaching over a four year period which enabled me to complete certain parts of the text without significant interruption except for examination scripts. The reign of elizabeth i began in 1558 and ended with her death in 1603. For others, it excited the desire to celebrate kingship and even to turn the events of the new reign into signs of a divinely ordained. A brief overview of british literary periods thoughtco. On american romanticism definitions from a handbook to literature, sixth edition c. Periods of english literature an overview historians normally divide english literature into periods for convenience of discussion. Periods of english literature an overview css forums. Commonwealth writers commonwealth writers books the guardian.
The victorian period of english literature began with the accession of queen victoria to the throne in 1837, and lasted until her death in 1901. Commonwealth and restoration literature play theatre. The following list follows the widespread practice of listing. Following the tables, in chronological order, is a brief description of each period and major writers. The picture that emerges out of this variegated network is that of a group of writers in search of identity, unity, and modernity. What are the characteristics of all the english literary periods. Why is it important for us to go back and recall the past actseducation of the philippines.
The work of these writers hybridized their local traditions with their experiences of their time in the britsh empire greenblatt. Literary periods of british and american literature summary. English literature is as diverse as the varieties and dialects of english spoken around the world. The commonwealth era was interrupted when the japanese occupied the philippines in january 2, 1942. Age 16251649, and the commonwealth period 16491660. Powerpoint show about commonwealth and restoration era literature. Sep 07, 2011 the commonwealth government, lead by manuel l. Pdf version by solitude among the most important works of this period is the poem beowulf, which has achieved national epic status in britain. The commonwealth era is the 10 year transitional period in philippine history from 1935 to 1945 in preparation for independence from the united states as provided for under the philippine independence act or more popularly known as the tydingsmcduffie law. Restoration literature, english literature written after the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 following the period of the commonwealth. Charles refused to call parliament together, raised money with. The hostilities and atrocities which began in 1642, ended with the banishment of charles i in 1649. The important periods in the history of english literature the old english 450ad 1066ad the middle english 1066ad1500ad the renaissance period 15001600 the elizabethan period 15581603 the jacobean period 16031625 the caroline period 16251649 the puritan period 16491660 the restoration period. Commonwealth literature, even though its imperial past and language form the basis of the concept of commonwealth literature.
Despite the variety of authors of english literature, the works of william shakespeare remain paramount. May 28, 20 commonwealth writers commonwealth writers the regional winners of the commonwealth book prize 20 write about their favourite books from the prizes catchment area tue 28 may 20 08. Literary periods of british and american literature summary for ease of study, literary scholars divide british and american literature into segments referred to as periods. Started with angles and saxons much before they occupied britain. Since not only the english explored and claimed the territories, the beginnings of american literature are more or less connected also with french, spanish or dutch literatures as well. In academia, the term often labels departments and programmes practising english studies in secondary and tertiary educational systems. Old english literature, or anglosaxon literature, encompasses the surviving literature written in old english in anglosaxon england, in the period after the settlement of the saxons and other germanic tribes in england jutes and the angles c. Commonwealth period, also known as the puritan interregnum, of english literature includes the literature produced during the time of puritan leader oliver cromwell. Old english anglosaxon period 4501066 the term anglosaxon comes from two germanic tribes, the angles and the saxons.
Full text of english literature 525 mcq with option my. It will help you understand how the past events or laws shaped the present acts, education system, and theories. The old english period or the anglosaxon period refers to the literature produced. In general, commonwealth literature is a vague term which defines english language works written in the former british colonies or place which had the status of dominions. Sometimes the numbers, dates or the names of the periods seem to vary. This period is generally regarded as the greatest in the history of english literature. Detailed literary periods of british literature illinois online high. Books in english are sold in all the commonwealth countries. This means chiefly 1 tracing in a general way, from period to period, the social life of the. Early periods of literature these periods are spans of time in which literature shared intellectual, linguistic, religious, and artistic influences. List of books and articles about commonwealth literature. Two poets of the old english period who wrote on biblical and religious themes were caedmon and cynewulf. English literature english literature the restoration. In a tradition of literature remarkable for its exacting and brilliant achievements, the.
Full text of english literature 525 mcq with option my mahbub see other formats 525 mcq on english literature with option collected from. The literature of the commonwealth and the restoration james i. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. This period is marked by the imitation of virgil and horaces literature in english letters. His book, which presents the whole splendid history of english literature from anglosaxon times to the close of the victorian era, has three speci. Literary periods are spans of time for literature that shares intellectual, linguistic, religious, and artistic influences. Pdf an introduction to commonwealth literature harry. In this period religious literature continued to enjoy popularity and hagiographies were written, adapted and. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read. Middle english literature 1100 1500 geoffrey chaucer. This often tumultuous period is marked by the middle english. The history of britain in the postwar period is undoubtedly a history of.
Philippine literature in english has its roots in the efforts of the united states, then engaged in a war with filipino nationalist forces at the end of the 19th century. This was the most dramatic geographic shift of english literature in history greenblatt 1832. Anglo saxon old english period features earliest phase of english literature. Old english literature middle english literature the renaissance the seventeenthcentury the early seventeenth century english revolution and commonwealth period restoration the eighteenthcentury romanticism victorianism modernism post1945. For some, the restoration of king charles ii in 1660 led many to a painful revaluation of the political hopes and millenarian expectations bred during two decades of civil war and republican government.
The writers of these colonies started to create their own works of literature in the english language greenblatt 1832. The shared history of british presence has produced a substantial body of writing in many languages, known as commonwealth literature. In preparation for writing an essay or any other piece of work, your notes might come from a number of different. By 1901, public education was institutionalized in the philippines, with english serving as the medium of instruction. The evolution and major trends in commonwealth poetry a. The poetries and dramas were prospered more, in particular. The commonwealth of england was the republican government which ruled first england and then ireland and scotland from 1649 to 1660. Commonwealth of england simple english wikipedia, the. The literature of the commonwealth and the restoration. English literature english literature the renaissance period.
1152 1071 1161 402 1349 92 687 823 1568 404 1582 714 418 102 1215 1414 346 956 648 657 1120 390 1254 1272 1145 1491 1254