-
Period: 450 to 1066
The Old English Period
Old English period: Characterized by mostly medical, legal, and religious documents; old English was the period where the Anglo-Saxon people produced mostly epic poems. -
731
Ecclesiastical History of the English People by Bede
First great historic collection of religion in England. -
800
Beowulf
The first great work of english poetry. -
Period: 1066 to 1500
Middle English Period
This is the era where English can be recognized as the language we have today. It was a secular period that saw the beginning literature without the involvement of gods or creeds. -
1108
Culhwch and Olwen
The first english written story about King Arthur. -
1207
Lawamo Ballads
A form of oral literature with the use of music. -
1312
Epic poem of Piers Plowman
Poems about farm animals acquiring heavenly powers. -
1375
The Green Knight by Sir Gawain
Poem about the Great Round Table. -
1469
The Tale for Death of King Arthur
Compiles the narration that ended with the King Arthur's death. -
Period: 1500 to
The Renaissance Period
Also called the golden era for literature, it saw the works of Shakespeare and Milton; this period is characterized by the extensive use of playwrights. -
1510
Thomas More and his Humanism
Based on christian values, writes a the philosophical reflection of humanism -
1564
Shakespeare is born
One of the greatest writers of english literature. -
Period: to
The Neoclassical Period
This period was characterized by the plays of comedies and the use of satire. It is said to be the cradle era for novels, which led to the romantic period. -
John Milton Publishes Lycidas
A collection of poems dedicated to King Edward -
The Beginning of English Realism
Famous with Locke and Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe -
Samuel Johnson's English Dictionary
The first Magisterial English Dictionary -
Period: to
The Romantic Period
A period characterized by the ode to love and spiritual transcendence. English novels started having a more rigorous creation since critics and academics started seeing literature as more than a craft. -
The Songs of Innocence by William Blake
A collection of poems where innocence is said to be the purest form of the soul -
Walter Scott Wrties The Lay of the Last Minstre
A romantic novel characterized for the use of poetry and a high volume of pages. -
Period: to
The Victorian Period
Named after Queen Victoria, it was a period of great social inspiration, people started moving from the rural areas to the great urbanized cities. Writes were deeply inspired by the role of politics in novels. -
Peter Mark Roget Publishes the first Theasaurus
A dictionary for synonyms of english -
Oscar Wilde Publishes The Picture of Dorian Gray
A novel with philosophical and metaphorical forms. -
Period: to
The Edwardian Period
Characterized by a period of peace, and happiness, it led to a new form of literature based on the plays from the neoclassical period, the drama. Great novelist such as James Barrie and Alfred Noyes made this period possible. -
John Buchan publishes Prester John
A novel full of adventures stories. -
Period: to
The Georgian Period
A period ruled by King George, it is said to be a period of experimentation for novelists; it saw the beginning of a more scientific era, and phisophy was becoming more important for the development of the soul. Novelist tried to portray ideas of change in their works. -
Compton Mackenzie publishes Sinister Street
the first volume of Mackenzie's autobiographical novel. -
Period: to
The Modern Period
Scholars divide this period with the first great world war, it was a period where literature followed the path of globalization, English authors say potential in the styles of the Russian and the Japanese, which were then incorporated in the form of English sagas. -
Virginia Woolf publishes Mrs Dalloway
A novel about a high-society woman. -
Agatha Christie's Publishes Murder at the Vicarage
Makes the first appearance for one of her most famous characters, Miss Marple -
T.S Elliot Poems about cats
in Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats -
Georger Orwell publishes Animal Farm
One of the biggest authors of political opinion makes his first appearance. -
Period: to
The Postmodern Period
This period is characterized by the influence of the politically correct movement, also known as the pc culture; novelist portray their ideas of fairness and unfairness through the use of conflict, this is seen the rise of the feminist literature. -
Peter Shaffer's play about Mozart premiere in London
A play about the life of Mozart, first official best selling play in UK. -
Gender Trouble by Judith Butler
The most renowed feminist book -
Harry Potter Saga
The most popular saga in the world, it was also adapted into films. -
Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Series
Best selling book of 2008, was then adapted as a film and got the Pulitzer award for best novel of fiction. -
The Hunger Games
A series of books written by Suzanne Collins, best selling novel adapted to a film -
Elizabeth Alexander
For her re-introduction of classical poetry in the modern world, with works such as Praise Song for the Day
