ENGLISH LITERATURE

ASSIGNMENT
SUBMITTED BY: MUBASHIR SHAHID.
SUBMITTED TO: SIR RAJA KAMRAN.
DATE: JULY, 20

Old English Period – Anglo Saxon Period (670-1100):

The Old English Language also known as Anglo Saxon was the earliest form of English. It was
spoken from about 600 A.D. to 1100 A.D. Special studies is needed to read Old English since is
completely different from the modern English. Anglo-Saxon literature was in oral form and later
in the seventh century, it appeared in the written form. In old English poetry descriptions of sad
events and cruel situation are commoner than those of happiness.

The earliest literature was start from the Anglo-Saxon of the Angles and Saxons. Before they
occupied Britain, they lived along the coasts of Sweden and Denmark. They were fearless,
adventurous, and brave. They kept the British coast in terror. They were lived in tribes. They sang
at their battles, gods and their heroes like Beowulf. This was the starting of the English literature.

Poetry:
The greatest old English poem is Beowulf. This first English epic was written in the seventh
century and the name of the author is still unknown. It is a story about the heroic adventures of a
hero, Beowulf, in about 3000 lines. The story takes place in Denmark. Beowulf was a young
warrior form southern Sweden who went to Denmark to help King Hrothgar.

Though Beowulf is an old English poem, it has achieved a special position in old English literature.
This poem gives an interesting picture of life and the attitude of people in those old days. It tells
about the heroic deeds and fierce fights and the sufferings of people. It describes about the life of
the hall and the terrible creatures with which Beowulf has to fight and defeat. This poem has
alliterative and stressed poetic lines without rhyme. Each half line has two main beats. Things are
being described indirectly and in a combination of words.

Characteristic of Anglo-Saxon literature:

Anglo-Saxon poetry used several devices, including:

Metaphors: A comparison without “like” or “as”

Similes: A comparison using “like” or “as”

Alliteration: Repetition of the initial consonant sound in

a line of poetry.

Caesura: A pause in a line of poetry.

Kenning: a descriptive phrase or compound word that substitutes a noun.

Repetition.

Stories were often filled with violence and gore.

Most stories were about heroic warriors prevailing in battle.

Characters were driven by fate and their courage was tested.

Important writers:
Caedmon.

Aldhelm

Bede

Cynewulf

Alferd

The Epic:

Beowulf is the most well-known Anglo-Saxon poem, and is a form of poetry called the epic. Epic
poems were a very common form of Anglo-Saxon Literature. An epic is a long, narrative poem
that celebrates a hero’s deeds. Epics were told in the tradition of oral storytelling.

Renaissance - Elizabethan Period (1500-1600):

The Renaissance Period in English literature is also called the Elizabethan Period or the Age of
Shakespeare. The middle Ages in Europe were followed by the Renaissance. The word renaissance
means 'rebirth.' The world was emerging from the Middle, or 'Dark,' Ages. The movement actually
began in Italy and spread to England, and the English Renaissance occurred from 1500 AD to 1688
AD.

One key characteristic of the Renaissance was the idea of the divine right of kings to rule. Another
was the development of humanistic ideas, such as the dignity of man. The essence of this
movement was that “man discovered himself and the universe”, and that “man, so long blinded
had suddenly opened his eyes and seen”.

Characteristics of Elizabethan Period:

The chief characteristic of the Renaissance was its emphasis on Humanism, which means man’s
concern with himself as an object of contemplation. This movement was started in Italy.

This movement which focused its interest on ‘the proper study of mankind’ had a number of
subordinate trends. The first in importance was the rediscovery of classical antiquity, and
particularly of ancient Greece. With the revival of interest in Greek Classical Antiquity, the new
spirit of Humanism made its impact on the Western world. The first Englishman who wrote under
the influence of Greek studies was Sir Thomas More.

The second important aspect of Humanism was the discovery of the external universe, and its
significance for man. But more important than this was that the writers became deeply interested
in the problems of human personality. During the Elizabethan period, under the influence of
Humanism, the emphasis was laid on the qualities which distinguish one human being from
another, and give an individuality and uniqueness. Shakespeare, a more consummate artist, carried
Humanism to perfection. His genius, enabled him to see life whole, and to present it in all its
aspects.

Elizabethan Drama:

During the Renaissance Period or the Elizabethan Period, as it is popularly called, the most
memorable achievement in literature was in the field of drama. The performances were the work
of amateur actors, school boys or students of the Universities and the Inns of Court. Their
significance lies in the fact that they brought the educated classes into touch with a much more
highly developed kind of drama, than the older English play.

Shakespeare (1564-1616):

The greatest of all Elizabethan dramatists was Shakespeare, in whose hands the Romantic drama
reached its climax. As we do not know much about his life, and it is certain that he did not have
proper training and education as other dramatists of the period had, his stupendous achievements
are an enigma to all scholars up to the present day. It is still a mystery how a country boy, poor
and uneducated, who came to London in search of odd jobs to scrape a living, could reach such
heights in dramatic literature. Endowed with a marvelous imaginative and creative mind, he could
put new life into old familiar stories and make them glow with deepest thoughts and tender
feelings.

There is no doubt that Shakespeare was a highly gifted person, but without proper training he could
not have scaled such heights. In spite of the meager material we have got about his life, we can
surmise that he must have undergone proper training first as an actor, second as a reviser of old
plays, and the last as an independent dramatist. He worked with other dramatists and learned the
secrets of their trade. He must have studied deeply and observed minutely the people he came in
contact with. His dramatic output must, therefore, have been the result of his natural genius as well
as of hard work and industry.

Major Writers:

John Milton

William Shakespeare

Edmund Spenser

Philip Sidney

Ben Jonson

Victorian period – Queen Victoria (1832-1900):

The Victorian Age in English literature began in second quarter of the nineteenth century and
ended by 1900. Though strictly speaking, the Victorian age ought to correspond with the reign of
Queen Victoria, which extended from 1837 to 1901.

The Early Period 1832-1848:

Even though Victoria took the throne in 1837, the Victorian Age really started with the First
Reform Bill of 1832. This Bill gave the vote to middle class men who owned land worth at least
10 pounds per year. It also redistributed Parliamentary representation to take seats away from the
sparsely populated countryside and give seats to the underrepresented cities.

But, things were still rough for the working and lower classes, who still weren’t allowed to vote.
And then England fell into economic despair during the 1840s. Depression hit, leading to
widespread unemployment, working class protests and rioting. All in all, the early years of the
Victorian Period were a step in the right direction, but there was still a long way to go.

The Middle Period 1848-1870:

Throughout the Victorian Era, London’s population exploded and the city became a world center
for banking, insurance, and shipping. England had developed a national railway system, and this
played a vital role in the country’s prosperity.

Many technological and scientific inventions were created, and Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince
Albert, oversaw the Great Exhibition of 1851, the very first World’s Fair! This was designed to
showcase the wonders of modern science and industry, and to highlight England’s confidence in
her present and future position in the world.

The Late Period 1870-1901:

During these years the British Empire reached the height of its power and influence, led by Prime
Minister Benjamin Disraeli. Imperialism paved the way for British thoughts of superiority in the
world, and Britain’s rule extended to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa, and
many other parts of the world.

Meanwhile, the newly wealthy middle class were building rows upon of fanciful late-Victorian
houses in the suburbs as their prosperity allowed them to “move up in the world.” The confidence
of the entire nation was shown with pomp and ceremony at the Queen’s two great Jubilee
celebrations.
But the winds of change were stirring. Germany’s emergence as a world power threatened the
English comfort and superiority, and the working classes were forming labor unions and moving
towards revolt, as their lives had not been significantly improved by the gradual, self-protective
reform created by the government.

Changes:

Growth of British Empire:

England grew to become the greatest nation on earth.

Empire included Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Africa, Kenya,
and India.

England built a very large navy and merchant fleet.

Imported raw materials such as cotton and silk and exported finished goods to countries around
the world.

By the mid-1800s, England was the largest exporter and importer of goods in the world. It was the
primary manufacturer of goods and the wealthiest country in the world.

Because of England’s success, they felt it was their duty to bring English values, laws, customs,
and religion to the “savage” races around the world.

Industrial revolution:

Factory systems emerged.

The shift in the English economy moved away from agriculture and toward the production of
manufactured goods.

Great Exhibition of 1851-Prince Albert-housed in the Crystal Palace exhibited hydraulic presses,
locomotives, machine tools, power looms, power reapers, and steamboat engines.

Famous writers:
Charles dickens

Thomas hardy

George Eliot

Oscar Wilde