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450 BCE
Old English ( Anglo saxon-period)
The history of English Literature starts with the Germanic tradition of Anglo-Saxon settlers.
The first long narrative poems in the history of English Literature were Beowulf and Widsith.
Beowulf is be considered as the first English Epic poem and some of the other famous works produced during the Old English Literature -
1500
Middle English literature
Period that came bettween antiquity and renaissance and also called "The age of chivalry"
During Midddle ages two major religious spread throughout Europe ( Christianity and islam ) During the era of Medieval English Literature, the most esteemed works also include morality plays, miracle plays and interludes. ‘Everyman’ was a noted Morality play of the time and Miracle plays were taken from the Bible and were frequently performed in churches. -
1500
The Renaissance
The Elizabethan age represents the brilliant celebrity of all periods, and it's known as the golden age. The golden age in the history of English Literature was a dynamic age filled with intellectual and religious revolution.
The most recognizable form in Renaissance poetry was the sonnet, an intricately rhymed, 14-line poem derived from the Italian sonetto (“little song”) -
The neoclassical period
The Neoclassical period is also subdivided into ages. On it, we can found three ages,
The Restoration
The Augustan Age
The Age of Sensibility -
The Restoration (1660–1700)
Restoration comedies (comedies of manner) developed during this time under the talent of playwrights like William Congreve and John Dryden. Satire, too, became quite popular, as evidenced by the success of Samuel Butler. Other notable writers of the age include Aphra Behn, John Bunyan, and John Locke. -
The Augustan Age (1700–1745)
The Augustan Age was the time of Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift, who imitated those first Augustans and even drew parallels between themselves and the first set. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, a poet, was prolific at this time and noted for challenging stereotypically female roles. Daniel Defoe was also popular. -
The romantic period
During this period, authors wrote about life, love, and nature.
John Keats is possibly the most famous author of this period, students often study his many odes, especially one contemplating the unchanging nature and eternal youthfulness. -
Victorian Age
Victorian-era literature was characterized by depictions of everyday people, hard lives, and moral lessons. They were meant for more than just entertainment. Victorians were interested in the hero as well as folk art. Victorian novels often focus on these themes. -
Edwardian Period
During this period, writers explored class differences and experimented with old styles of satire, narrative poetry, and ballads, as well as enjoying the possibilities of realism. -
The georgian period
It was characterized by the two main genres of literature: hagiography and hymnography and its main characteristic of modern poetry was freedom.
The aesthetic principles of Georgianism included respect for formalism, as well as the bucolic and romantic theme; Georgian poetry has undergone three main periods of evolution: classicism, romanticism, and realism.
Thomas Peacock, Nightmare Abbey, Charles Lamb
(1910). -
The modern Period
Begins with the 20th century and remains till 1965.
There were various changes took place in the field of literature also during the modern period. The imaginative writing, verses, and structure of the verses of Victorian period became obsolete. -
Postmodern period
Most postmodern literature also rejects the idea of a single theme or meaning, choosing instead to have many meanings or forgo theme entirely.
This literature tends to reject the low limits between art and literature as well as the distinction between different genres, forms of writing, and narration.