Periods of English Literature by Wildan Nurul Aini

Name : Wildan Nurul Aini
Student Number : 0804507
Class : 3B




Generally, literature experience some changes and movement. This happen because many aspects give influence to the literature, for example developing language, cultural factor and so on. Because of this reason, the literature has its periods. So does English literature, it has its own periods classification. Various classifications have been made by people, but, one of them explains that periods of literature are:

• 450-1066 Old English or Anglo-Saxon Period
This period began when the invasion of Britain happened by Germany tribes until French, under William the Conquer attacked there. Some texts which is includes to this periods are anonymous magic charm, riddles, some poems such as “the Seaferer” and “the Wanderer”. But the most known is “Beowulf”, Germanic epic poem.

• 1066-1500 Middle English Period
This period happened when England was being subjugated by Norman Conquest in 1066. Here standard literary language was converted to modern English. There are some kinds of text in this period, such as secular kind with “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and Thomas Malory's Morte d'Arthur” and religious kind with”Piers Plowman”

• 1500-1660 The Renaissance
This period is divided become four period, they are the Elizabethan Age, the Jacobean Age, the Caroline Age, and the Commonwealth Period.
Elizabethan age happens around 1558 – 1603. Major style in this period is prose, poetry and drama. The most popular writer in this period is William Shakespeare.
The Jacobean Age happened in 1603 – 1625, produce many rich prose and drama.
The Caroline, happened in 1625 - 1649. The writer wrote with elegance of this period. One of product is “Cavalier Poets.”
The other period is Commonwealth period, happened during the time of Puritan leader Oliver Cromwell. This period produced the political written text of John Milton, Thomas Hobbes' political treatise Leviathan, and the prose of Andrew Marvell.

• 1660 – 1785 The Neoclassical Period of English literature
The literature was influenced by contemporary French literature, and well known as critical literature.

• 1700-1745 The Augustan Age (or Age of Pope)
The product has some characteristics, they are elegant and clear.
Popular writer of the Augustan Age include Jonathan Swift, Alexander Pope, and Daniel Defoe. In this period, there was born the first English Novel by Defoe.

• 1785-1830 The Romantic Period
Literature began in the late 18th century and ended until around 1832. The literature was born with spontaneous, free, and really imaginative. The writer in this period is Samuel Taylor, William Wordsworth, and so on.

• 1832-1901 The Victorian Period
It began when Queen Victoria take hold in 1832 till her death in 1901. Some of the most recognized authors of the Victorian era include Alfred Lord Tennyson, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, her husband Robert, Matthew Arnold, Charles Dickens, Charlotte Brontë, George Eliot, and Thomas Hardy. The literature is concerning and affected by social, politic, intellectual issues.

• 1880-1901 Aestheticism and Decadence
This style of literature opposed the dominance of scientific thinking and facing toward the controversy of art. The famous author is Oscar Wilde

• 1901-1914 : The Edwardian Period
Its time began from Victoria’s death until the beginning of World War I. The literary product reflects and comments on English a social condition that was lived in squalor. The example writer in this Period is George Bernard Shaw that comments barbaric the upper classes.

• 1914-1945 The Modern Period
It began at the beginning World War I. The writer of this period has experimented all genre of literary product. They mixed the literary genres and style. Example of writer of modern period are poets such as T.S Elliot,and novelist such as James Joyce.