Divisions of World Literature

1. English Literature
2. American Literature
3. European Literature
4. Latin American Literature
5. Asian Literature
6. African Literature

Epic poem - This is a long narrative poem usually about a hero and his deeds. A well-known example
is Beowulf.
In the age of heroes comes the mightiest warrior of them all, Beowulf. After destroying the overpowering demon
Grendel, he incurs the undying wrath of the beast's ruthlessly seductive mother who will use any means possible
to ensure revenge.

thou = you (subject, singular, informal) e.g. "Thou wast in the next room."

ye = you (subject, plural) e.g. "Ye all came forth from the room."

thee = you (object... "to you" ) e.g. "I saw thee in the other room."

thine or thy = your (possessive, singular) e.g. "That is thy room."

Sonnet - This poem has fourteen lines that follow a rhyme scheme. A well-known example is Sonnet 18 of
William Shakespeare. It starts with the famous line, Shall I compare thee to a summers day?

-derived from the greek word sonneto which means sound or a little song

Understanding Iambic Pentameter

iambic pentameter
noun
PROSODY
1. a line of verse with five metrical feet, each consisting of one short (or unstressed) syllable followed by
one long (or stressed) syllable, for example Two households, both alike in dignity.

When we speak, our syllables are either stressed (stronger emphasis) or unstressed (weaker emphasis).
For example, the word remark consists of two syllables. "Re" is the unstressed syllable, with a weaker
emphasis, while "mark" is stressed, with a stronger emphasis.
In poetry, a group of two or three syllables is referred to as a foot. A specific type of foot is an iamb. A foot
is an iamb if it consists of one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable, so the word remark is
an iamb.
Pent means five, so a line of iambic pentameter consists of five iambs five sets of unstressed syllables
followed by stressed syllables.

Drama - This piece of writing tells a story through dialogue, and it is performed on stage.

How Drama Started?

1. Mystery Plays mystery of god word used by clergy to inform illiterate English to understand the bible
2. Miracle Plays Clergy acted the bible stories outside the cathedral, where PAGEANT invented, a huge
movable box with two storeys for costume and stage. It will be shown in the various town by cycle.

13th century they hired actors

3. Morality Play 14th century- Faith, truth, charity, and good deeds are the major characters on the stage, and at
the same time, opposite characters such as falsehood, covetousness, worldy flesh, and the devil the antagonist

15th century any theater must be ebuilt outside the city wall due to morality issues. Shakespeare develop The
Globe. a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599
by Shakespeare's playing company

Novel - This is a long prose narrative usually about fictional characters and events, which are told in a
particular sequence.
English Literature
English literature is one of the richest, most developed, and most important bodies of literature in the
world. It encompasses both written and spoken works by writers from the United Kingdom.
1. Old English Literature (600 - 1100)
Old English, the earliest form of the English language, was spoken by the Anglo-Saxons, a Germanic tribe
living in Britain during the fifth century. One significant work written in Old English is Beowulf, the longest
epic poem in Old English. It is known for its use of kennings, which are phrases or compound words used to
name persons, places, and things indirectly.

A kenning is a figurative expression that replaces a name or a noun. Often it is a compound of two words and
the words are hyphenated. Kennings are usually associated with Old Norse, Icelandic, and Anglo Saxon
poetry.

Bean counter = a CPA or accountant

Bookworm = someone who reads a lot

Tree swinger = monkey

Tummy slider = penguin

2. Middle English Literature (1100 - 1500)

Middle English is a blend Old English and Norman French, the French dialect spoken by the Normans
(people of Normandy). The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, the father of English literature, is a fine
example of literature written in Middle English.

The Canterbury Tales (Middle English: Tales of Caunterbury) is a collection of 24 stories that runs to over
17,000 lines written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer between 13871400

Normandy was part of the German occupied zone of France. The Channel Islands

3. Elizabethan Literature (1558 - 1603)

The Elizabethan period is the golden age of English literature. Also, it is the golden age of drama. Known as
the Bard of Avon, William Shakespeare wrote his plays during the period. His best plays include Hamlet,
King Lear, Macbeth, Othello, and The Merchant of Venice. Also, he wrote 154 sonnets, many of which are
the best loved and the most widely-read poems in the English literature. (golden age- great success)

Why? Since the Elizabethan era was a time of peace and prosperity, it was a time of progress, which is a
central reason why the era is called the Golden Age of England. ... Since, during this time period, England
became such a wealthy nation, more money could be invested in the arts and exploration. This era was led by
Queen Elizabeth I, the sixth and last ruler of Tudor. Queen Elizabeth I was considered by many to be
England's best monarch.
4. The Romantic Period (1800 - 1837)
This period is the golden age of lyric poetry. Poetry became the expression of the poets personal feelings and
emotions. A few notable works of poetry of the period is Lyrical Ballads by William Wordsworth

Wordsworth called poetry the spontaneous overflow of powerful feeling,

Robert Southey (17741843) was another of the so-called "Lake Poets",

5. The Victorian Period (1837 - 1900)

In the history of the United Kingdom, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's
reign
A huge growth in population. During Victoria's reign, the population of England more than doubled, from
14 million to 32 million.
There were also some significant improvements in technology.
era are changing world views.
And finally, there were poor conditions for the working class.

The period saw the rise of the novel. Charles Dickens, considered to be the greatest English novelist of the 19th
century, wrote Great Expectations. This novel was published as a serial in a weekly periodical from December 1860
to August 1861.

about the struggles of the poor and the battle between right and wrong. His characters were really vivid but not
terribly nuanced, so it's pretty obvious from the get-go who's good, who's bad, who can be reformed, and who can't.

6. Twentieth Century (1900 - 2000)

The death of Queen Victoria in 1901 and the accession of Edward VII seemed to confirm that a franker, less
inhibited era had begun.

The Edwardians

The 20th century opened with great hope but also with some apprehension, for the new century marked the
final approach to a new millennium.

For many, humankind was entering upon an unprecedented era. H.G. Wellss utopian studies, the aptly titled
Anticipations of the Reaction of Mechanical and Scientific Progress upon Human Life and Thought (1901) and A
Modern Utopia (1905),

Technological advances during the 20th century allowed cheaper production of books, resulting in a significant rise
in production of popular literature and trivial literature, comparable to the similar developments in music. The division
of "popular literature" and "high literature" in the 20th century is by no means absolute, additional Literay criticisms

Popular Literature - Popular literature includes those writings intended for the masses and those that
find favour with large audiences.

High Literature - Like high literature or art book or art novel/ intended for personal pleasure

English literature is a very large body of diverse literature that encompasses works by writers from the
United Kingdom.