English Literature During Different Periods

English Literature During Different Periods Development of English Literature Nov 2, 2018 in Literature Main Periods and Gernes of English Literature English literature is considered to be one of the richest literatures in the world. It is the literature of a great nation inhabiting an island in the west of Europe. It goes without saying that literature is the reflection of nation and society, so changes which have come about from the early to the modern times have influenced English literature in a variety of ways. Thus, English literature has passed through definite periods: the Anglo-Saxon, or Old English period, Middle English and Modern English. Naturally, each of them has its own characteristic features, which are to be compared in four areas: genre/type of literature, literary techniques and styles, important themes and patterns, and heroes and characters. Anglo-Saxon literature was composed between 650 and 1100, and it developed both in poetry and in prose. However, poetry was considered to be a dominant genre, and there were two types of poems: heroic and Christian ones. Heroic poetry was influenced by pre-Christian Germanic Myth. Among the most popular genres were the epic (Beowulf), dream vision (The Dream of the Rood by Cynewulf), riddle, gnomic poetry, charms and other verses. Speaking about prose, it needs to be mentioned that it was written in Latin before the reign of King Alfred, who translated the most significant Latin texts and encouraged writing in the vernacular language. Middle English literature covers the medieval period, and it was composed in 1100 to 1500. The literature of this period was influenced by the domination of French culture, which took place after the Norman Conquest. The early Middle English period was characterized by the further development of poetry. The good examples were the Orrmulum (verse translation of the Gospels) and The Owl and the Nightingale (the first example of a debate poem). The prose of this time continued the tradition of the Old English period (saint's lives genre). Among completely new genres in literature were the romance, the fabliau, the moral tale and the animal verse. The dream vision was also still popular. Geoffrey Chaucer developed the genre of frame story and moral tale.