Time Line

Renaissance: This was the

Romanticism: Emerged in the Realism: A mode of writing that Naturalism: Aesthetic movement of the
rebirth of literature, art and
1790’s. Romanticism placed strong gives the impression of recording late 19th century. The movement was
learning. Progressively
emphasis on the following faithfully an actual way of life. inspired by the principles and methods
transformed European culture.
characteristics: Freedom of the Attitude that generally rejects of Natural Science, especially
Strongly influenced by the
individual self expression, sincerity, idealization, escapism, and other Darwinism. Extended the Tradition of
rediscovery of classical Greek
spontaneity, and originality. extravagant qualities of romance. Realism.
and Latin literature. Accelerated
by the development of printing. Writers: William Blake, Pushkin, Writers: George Eliot, Honore de Writers: Emile Zola, Stephen Crane,
Poe Balzac, Gustave Flaubert Theodore Dreiser
Writers: Sidney, Spenser,
Shakespeare

1450 1780 1790 1800 1900 1980 1990 1990

Enlightenment: A Post Modern: Literary

Classicism: Aesthetic movements since about Modernism: In the arts, a
philosophical movement.
attitudes and principles 1980’s that have challenged radical break with the Past
Emphasized the use of reason
manifested in the art, the philosophy and practices and Concurrent search for
to denounce previously
architecture, and literature of Modern Arts or literature. new forms, of expression.
accepted doctrines and
of Ancient Greece and Emphases on devices such as This era was characterized
traditions. Those traditions
Rome. Characterized by: pastiche and parody and the by industrialization, rapid
and doctrines brought about
Form, simplicity, stylized technique of the social change, advances in
several humanitarian reforms.
proportion, restraint, antinovel. science and the social
Ideas concerning God,
enduringly valid, formal sciences.
reason, nature, and man were
elegance, and correctness. Writers: Kurt Vonnegut,
blended into a worldview. Writer: T.S. Eliot, James
Angela Carter, Peter Ackroyd
Writers: Homer, Juvenal, Joyce, Virginia Woolf
Writers: John Locke, Thomas
Aristotle
Hobbes, Jeremy Bentham