Pdf an introduction to commonwealth literature harry. In the western tradition, the early periods of literary history are roughly as follows below. 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. What are the characteristics of all the english literary periods. 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. Following the tables, in chronological order, is a brief description of each period and major writers. This means chiefly 1 tracing in a general way, from period to period, the social life of the. A brief overview of british literary periods thoughtco. The literature of the commonwealth and the restoration james i. Pdf version by solitude among the most important works of this period is the poem beowulf, which has achieved national epic status in britain. Periods of english literature an overview css forums. Poetry with alliteration and without rhyme, tradition of oral poetry, songs of lament, introduction of christian themes. In spit e of all this, however, the designation commonwealth. 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.
English literature, body of written works produced in the english language by. What are the major literary periods in english literature. 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. 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. This age is named after charles i who reigned over england from 1625 to 1649. These periods are spans of time in which literature shared intellectual, linguistic, religious. The commonwealth era was interrupted when the japanese occupied the philippines in january 2, 1942. The poetries and dramas were prospered more, in particular. 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. His book, which presents the whole splendid history of english literature from anglosaxon times to the close of the victorian era, has three speci. Two poets of the old english period who wrote on biblical and religious themes were caedmon and cynewulf. This period produced the political writings of john milton, thomas hobbes political treatise leviathan, and the prose of andrew marvell.
Thanks to the worldwide popularity of english, books in. Sep 07, 2011 the commonwealth government, lead by manuel l. The following list follows the widespread practice of listing. The literature of the commonwealth and the restoration. The picture that emerges out of this variegated network is that of a group of writers in search of identity, unity, and modernity. Old english anglosaxon period 4501066 the term anglosaxon comes from two germanic tribes, the angles and the saxons. 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. Age 16251649, and the commonwealth period 16491660. English literature english literature the restoration.
Three most important and remarkable writers of that period are william shakespeare, christopher marlowe, and ben jonson. 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. Test scores should be compared only with other scores on the literature in english test. The reign of elizabeth i began in 1558 and ended with her death in 1603. The era ends in 1066, when norman france, under william, conquered england. English literature dates back exceeding five centuries. The association for commonwealth literature and language studies has 11 branches worldwide and holds an international conference every three years. 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 both coverage and approach, the examination resembles the historically organized survey of english literature offered by many colleges. Commonwealth period, also known as the puritan interregnum, of english literature includes the literature produced during the time of puritan leader oliver cromwell. History of english literature pdf included periods of. Commonwealth period or puritan interregnum 16491660. 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.
While the exact number, dates, and names of these periods vary, the following lists conform to widespread acceptance. 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. The principal english writers include addison, steele, swift, and alexander pope. Commonwealth literature, even though its imperial past and language form the basis of the concept of commonwealth literature. 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 seventeenthcentury the early seventeenth century english revolution and commonwealth period restoration the eighteenthcentury romanticism victorianism modernism post1945. Commonwealth writers commonwealth writers books the guardian. English literature is as diverse as the varieties and dialects of english spoken around the world. Powerpoint show about commonwealth and restoration era literature. The republics existence was declared through an act declaring england to be a commonwealth, adopted by the rump parliament on 19 may 1649. Middle english literature 1100 1500 geoffrey chaucer. For example, a 600 on the literature in english test is not equivalent to a 600 on the psychology test.
Early periods of literature these periods are spans of time in which literature shared intellectual, linguistic, religious, and artistic influences. A short summary of characteristics of ages of british literature old english anglosaxon era 4501066 a. 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. Commonwealth period which is also known as the puritan interregnum. Full text of english literature 525 mcq with option my. List of books and articles about commonwealth literature. Literary periods are spans of time for literature that shares intellectual, linguistic, religious, and artistic influences. Caroline is derived from carolus, the latin version of charles. This article is focused on englishlanguage literature rather than the literature of england. On american romanticism definitions from a handbook to literature, sixth edition c. Literary periods of british literature for ease of study, literary scholars divide british into segments referred to as periods. The writers of these colonies started to create their own works of literature in the english language greenblatt 1832. By 1901, public education was institutionalized in the philippines, with english serving as the medium of instruction. 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.
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. 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. 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 free. Despite the variety of authors of english literature, the works of william shakespeare remain paramount. Mar 01, 2019 a short summary of characteristics of ages of british literature old englishanglosaxon era 4501066 a. 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.
The british empire imperialism postcolonialism literature. English literature british and commonwealth description. Commonwealth writers commonwealth writers books the. In preparation for writing an essay or any other piece of work, your notes might come from a number of different. 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. English literature english literature the renaissance period. The history of britain in the postwar period is undoubtedly a history of. In a caribbean short story, for instance, the narrative may be in the queens english, while the dialogue may be in creole. Pdf literary periods of british literature muzafar. Why is it important for us to go back and recall the past actseducation of the philippines. 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. In academia, the term often labels departments and programmes practising english studies in secondary and tertiary educational systems.
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. The shared history of british presence has produced a substantial body of writing in many languages, known as commonwealth literature. 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. Pdf an introduction to commonwealth literature researchgate. For ease of study, literary scholars divide british into segments referred to as periods. Charles refused to call parliament together, raised money with. The anglosaxon chronicle otherwise proves significant to study of the era, preserving a chronology of early english.
Commonwealth literature is rich in poetry and fiction but poor in. This period is generally regarded as the greatest in the history of english literature. 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. Although historians have delineated the eras of british literature in different. The work of these writers hybridized their local traditions with their experiences of their time in the britsh empire greenblatt. 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. Sometimes the numbers, dates or the names of the periods seem to vary. Detailed literary periods of british literature illinois online high. Books in english are sold in all the commonwealth countries. The hostilities and atrocities which began in 1642, ended with the banishment of charles i in 1649. 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.
This age is also a part of the puritan age 16201660. In a tradition of literature remarkable for its exacting and brilliant achievements, the. The character of early american literature is strongly influenced by several factors. This often tumultuous period is marked by the middle english. Gre literature in english test total scores are reported on a 200 to 990 score scale in tenpoint increments. Periods of english literature an overview historians normally divide english literature into periods for convenience of discussion. What are the characteristics of all the english literary. The old english period or the anglosaxon period refers to the literature produced. In this period religious literature continued to enjoy popularity and hagiographies were written, adapted and. 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.
Restoration literature, english literature written after the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 following the period of the commonwealth. The following links, organized by literary period, are to the librarys catalog for works by author, title, literary movement, type of work, etc. Literary periods of british and american literature summary. 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.
The republics existence was declared through an act declaring england to be a. This was the most dramatic geographic shift of english literature in history greenblatt 1832. Commonwealth and restoration literature play theatre. Despite the frequent apocalyptic warnings concerning the decline of literature, the list of prominent contemporary writers in english is, in fact, remarkably long. Womens writing in english list of commonwealth writers prizes.
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. 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. This period is marked by the imitation of virgil and horaces literature in english letters. Anglo saxon old english period features earliest phase of english literature. This period of literature dates back to their invasion along with the jutes of celtic england circa 450. Full text of english literature 525 mcq with option my mahbub see other formats 525 mcq on english literature with option collected from.
Restoration literature english literary period britannica. The evolution and major trends in commonwealth poetry a. 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. Started with angles and saxons much before they occupied britain. At the same time, the japanese forces installed a puppet government in manila headed by jose p. Commonwealth and restoration literature free download as powerpoint presentation. The prose dialogue of the commonwealth and the restoration jstor.
Beowulf, the earliest literature, the national epic of the anglosaxon, one of. Commonwealth of england simple english wikipedia, the. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read. 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.