Literature for Our Life

Periods of English Literature
By Yuli Rachmawati
0807347
Dik 3B

Historians have divided English literature into periods:

450-1066 : Old English (or Anglo-Saxon) Period

The very first written works, written in old English. In the early English, it couldn’t be much found, because the oral tradition was very strong culture and most literary works were written to be performed. During this period (more or less 600 years), these works include genres such as epic poetry, hagiography, sermons, Bible translations, legal works, chronicles, riddles, and others. Epic poems were very popular, for example, Beowulf, which has achieved national epic status in Britain and poem Cædmon's Hymn from the 7th century that becomes one of the greatest works of literature in English.
From the content, much Old English verse is the adaptation of the earlier Germanic war poems. Mostly, they were gotten from one generation to another orally. Even without their crudest lines, the Old English war poems still smell of blood feuds.

1066-1500 : Middle English Period

The literature in this period tended to secular literature. It consisted of religious writings, for example Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, the anonymous Sir Gawain and The Green Knight, and themes Malory’s Morte d’Arthur, etc.

1500-1660 : The Renaissance

Renaissance Literature refers to the period in European literature, which began in Italy during the 15th century and spread around Europe through the 17th century. Examples of the writings of this time are the works of William Shakespeare, who has been fundamental in the spread of Renaissance ideas.
This period is divided into four periods of time;
•1558-1603 : Elizabethan Age
In this period lyric, poetry, drama, and prose were the styles of literature. Some great writers are William Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, etc.
•1603-1625 : Jacobean Age
Literature became sophisticated and conscious of social abuse. Drama and prose were many. The great writers were Shakespeare, Francis Bacoon, etc.
•1625-1649 : Caroline Age
In this period it was produced a circle of poets (cavalier Poets).
•1649-1660 : Commonwealth Period (or Puritan Interregnum)
In this period it was produced the political writings by John Militon, Thomas Hobbes, etc

1660-1785 : The Neoclassical Period

The Neoclassical Period is divided into 3 periods, they are;
•1660-1700 : The Restoration
The greatest poetic form of this era was satire. Generally, this satire was publicized anonymously, because there were great dangers if someone was known publicizing it. While, prose in this period tended to Christian religious writing. But not only it, this period also began with fiction and journalism. This period was also the time of John Locke, who wrote some philosophical writings.
In this period, then drama became popular quickly. The most famous plays in this time are the unsentimental or "hard" comedies of John Dryden, William Wycherley, and George Etherege, which reflect the atmosphere at Court.

•1700-1745 : The Augustan Age (or Age of Pope)
The literature of this period tended to be about political. It is an age of scandal and outrage. The greatest poet of this age is Alexander Poe, James Thomson (Melancholy the Season), Edward Young (Night Thoughts). The style of this age was also mock-heroic. Pope’s Rape of the Lock and The Dunciad were the greatest mock-heroic poems. In prose, it developed English essay, it also means novel. In drama, it was famous about tragedy and comedy. Then, opera began to be popular.

•1745-1785 : The Age of Sensibility (or Age of Johnson)
During this period, literature is the age of enlightment (age of reason). In this age, a rational and scientific approach to religious, social, political and economic issues developed. It was inspired by the previous century such as, Newton, John Locke, and Descartes.

1785-1830 : The Romantic Period

Romanticism firstly appeared in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe. It is a complex artistic literary. Written works in this period emphasized their style to the strong emotion and irrationality. It was also used lots of symbolism. These points became the source of aesthetic. The famous writers in this period are Sir Walter Scott (Waverley etc.), William Wordsworth (The Prelude etc.), Samuel Taylor Coleridge (The Rime of the Ancient Mariner etc.), etc.


1832-1901 : The Victorian Period

Victorian literature is the literature that is produced during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901) and it also corresponds to the Victorian era. In this period, novel became the most popular and liked by public. It is often regarded that the 19th century as the high point of British literature. The example of the great Victorian novelists and poets are Thomas Carlyle (Sartor Resartus), Robert Browning (Men and Women etc.), Lewis Carroll (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland), etc.
The Victorian Period is also divided into:
•1848-1860 : The Pre-Raphaelites
•1880-1901 : Aestheticism and Decadence

1901-1914 : The Edwardian Period

Some of the written works in this period tended to social issues, based on the condition at that time, for example H.G Wells who attached injustice and selfishness. The best writers in this period who wrote fiction are John Galsworthy, H.G Wells, Arnold Bennet, etc. besides, public in this period liked novels and short stories.

1910-1936 : The Georgian Period

In this period, literature was influenced by two different civilizations, medieval eastern orthodox Christianity and the civilization of Persia. The greatest of this period was the epic poem by Shota Rustaveli, The Man in the Panther’s Skin. Georgian poetry tended to focus on rural subject and it was also traditional in technique and form.

1914-1945 : The Modern Period

The authors in this age have experimented with matter, style, and form. It also has produced achievements in all literary genres. The example of the poets: Yeats, T.S Eliot, Novelist: James Joyce, Virginia Wolf, Dramatists: Noel Coward and Samuel Becket. In addition, we can find some great writers in this period, they are Joseph Conrad (Heart of Darkness), Rudyard Kipling (The Jungle Book), W. B. Yeats (The Tower etc.), T.S. Eliot (The Wasteland), etc.

1945-present : Postmodern Period

This period is the continuation of modern period, at once against the enlightment ideas in that period. In this period literary writings are varied and crowded. Postmodernist writers are often inspired by early novels and story, for example, 1001 Arabian Nights. The style of this period is playful, parody, fragmentary and tends to reality. The example of the writers in this period is Kurt Vonnegut (Slaughterhouse 5 etc.), John Barth (Welcome to the Madhouse), Thomas Pynchon (Gravity's Rainbow etc.), etc.

References :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_English_literature

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance_literature

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080720191753AAD9pig

http://sairam-english-literature.blogspot.com/2009/04/periods-of-english-literature.html

http://www.google.co.id/gwt/x?ct=np&ei=yNLESu3cOZSljgS3__T1DA&source=m&u=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org?wiki/Postmodern_literature7whp=32267&wsc=da&wsi+f14a340dc6d4081

http://www.google.co.id/gwt/x?ct=np&ei=AsvESqaKMoK2qwPV8YnnAw&source=m&u=http%3A%2F%2Fenglisharticles.info/free-reading-articles/literature/literary-periods-of-english-liter.html