INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE

“History of English Literature”

Supporting Lecturer :
Vivian Lisma Lestari M.Pd.

Arranged by :

Ghesika Herra Kusnandara 11200140000023

Fajrotussyifa 11200140000024
Azzam Fathin Tirtawiraja 11200140000028

ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTEMENT

FACULTY OF TARBIYAH AND VOCATIONAL SCIENCE
UNIVERSITY ISLAMIC STATE SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH JAKARTA
2022
 TABLE OF CONTENT
I. The Anglo-Saxon or Old English Period (450-1066 AD) ....................................4
A. Anglo-Saxon Poetry ..................................................................................... 4
B. The Anglo-Saxon Prose ................................................................................4
C. The Decline of Anglo-Saxons ...................................................................... 5
II. The Anglo-Norman or Middle English Period (1066-1500 AD) ........................5
A. Women Writers ............................................................................................ 5
B. Poetry—Lyrics/Ballads ................................................................................ 6
C. Religious Upheaval ...................................................................................... 7
D. Prose— Romance, Arthuriana, and Malory .................................................7
E. Rise of Drama ...............................................................................................8
III. Periode Renaissance (1500-1660) ..................................................................... 8
A. Elizabethan Drama ....................................................................................... 9
B. Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) ...............................................................9
C. William Shakespeare (1564-1616) .............................................................10
D. Ben Johnson (1573-1637) .......................................................................... 11
IV. The Puritan Age (1600-1660) ..........................................................................11
V. The Neoclassical Period ....................................................................................12
A. The Restoration Period ...............................................................................12
B. The Restoration Poetry ...............................................................................13
C. The Restoration Drama and Prose ..............................................................13
D. The Classical or Augustan Age (18th Century) ......................................... 14
E. The Age of Pope (1700-1744) .................................................................... 14
F. The Age of Johnson (1744-1784) ............................................................... 15
VI. The Romantic Period .......................................................................................15
VII. The Victorian Period (1837–1901) ................................................................ 16
A. Early Victorian Period ................................................................................16
B. Later Victorian Period ................................................................................ 17
VIII. The Modern Period (1901-1945) .................................................................. 17
Transition from the Victorian Period to the Modern Period ...........................18
IX. Literature of the Modern Period ...................................................................... 19
 A. Modern Period : Artistic Features .............................................................. 19
B. The Pillar of Modernism ............................................................................ 19
X. The Contemporary Period (1945 – Today) .......................................................20
A. The Novel from 1950s and 1960s .............................................................. 20
I. The Anglo-Saxon or Old English Period (450-1066 AD)
The language that these Anglo-Saxon invaders brought to England,
together with certain Latin and Celtic vocabulary, became known as Old
English. The first phase of English literature was known as Anglo-Saxon
literature. From the 5th century AD until the Norman Conquest of 1066,
literature written in Old English in Anglo-Saxon England was included in this
time.
To today's English speakers, the Old English spoken by Anglo-Saxons
appears unintelligible. However, many words from the past have persisted in
current English, such as "day," "year," "kiss," "love," and "arm."
A. Anglo-Saxon Poetry
Anglo-Saxons loved to sing songs about battles, gods, and ancestors.
These religious, battle, and agricultural songs, on the other hand, represented
the start of English poetry in ancient England.
Instead of being written, Anglo-Saxon poetry was sung. As a result,
there are only a few traces of it remaining. Beowulf is the most well-known of
them. It's the very first epic poem written in English. Beowulf is a valiant
warrior who tells a story about his exploits. In truth, this poem is chock-full of
allusions and connections to historical events and kings' and nations' fates.
Following their conversion to Christianity, Anglo-Saxon poets began
writing religious poetry. As a result, religion occupies a significant amount of
Anglo-Saxon poetry. Caedmon and Cynewulf were two of the most
prominent Anglo-Saxon religious poets. Caedmon's Hymn, in which he
praises God, is well-known. Juliana, The Fates of the Apostles, Crist, and
Elene were among Cynewulf's most famous religious poetry. Among these,
'Crist' is the most popular, recounting the story of an event in Jesus Christ's
life.
B. The Anglo-Saxon Prose
The Anglo-Saxons replaced Latin prose with English which observed
all the rules of ordinary speech in its construction. The famous Anglo-Saxon
king, Alfred the Great, translated most of the famous Latin Chronicles in
 English. However, the second famous prose writer of the Anglo-Saxon period
was, no doubt, Aelfric. He was actually a priest. Among his famous writings
were Lives of the Saints, Homilies, and Grammar. Moreover, compared to
other contemporary prose writers of the period, Aelfric’s prose was easy and
alliterative.
C. The Decline of Anglo-Saxons
Until the Norman Conquest in 1066, the Anglo-Saxon era thrived. The
Anglo-Saxon period came to an end with the defeat of Harold, the last of the
Saxon monarchs, by William, the Conqueror of Normandy, France. Their
reign lasted roughly from 450 A.D. to 1066 A.D. in history.

II. The Anglo-Norman or Middle English Period (1066-1500 AD)

After the Norman Conquest, many Anglo-Saxon nobles were
dispossessed and a new French-speaking aristocracy came to power. After the
Norman Conquest, many Anglo-Saxon nobles were dispossessed and a new
French-speaking aristocracy came to power. Of course these cultural shifts
did not occur in all places overnight. However, over time, the Norman nobles
cultivated a taste for continental styles of literature such as Courtly Love,
Romance, and the matter of Arthur, while older fashions, such as
Germanic/Heroic literature, fell into disuse. Later in this period, speakers saw
the rise of a more standard form of English, based primarily upon the dialects
of London. Meanwhile, many authors wrote in French because it was the
prestige language of the court, such as Marie de France and Wace.
A. Women Writers
A brief note on women writers: in the Old English period, nearly all
vernacular texts, prose or poetry, have come to us anonymously, so there is no
sure way to assess if or how many women were “authors”; yet the likelihood
is low, given that most writing took place in all-male monasteries, and texts
do not mention female poets. In the Middle English period though, we have a
clearer picture because named authorship came to be considered important—
major works by women include The Book of Margery Kemp, the first
autobiography in English, Julian of Norwich's Showings, a series of mystical
and theologically rich visions, and the works of Marie de France. It should
also be noted that a great deal of literature was being produced during this
time in a dialect of English up in Scotland as well, though for brevity, we will
only mention the “Scottish Makars” William Dunbar, Robert Henryson, and
Gavin Douglas in passing.
B. Poetry—Lyrics/Ballads
There are a great number of anonymous lyric poems and ballads found
in manuscripts from this entire period. These tend to be short pieces written in
rhymed couplets that reflect on such topics as the cycle of nature, religious
reflections, or romantic laments.
The fourteenth century is quite pivotal for England, as well as for the
whole of Europe. Between 1347 and 1350, a plague, commonly called "The
Black Death" ravaged the whole of Europe, with upwards of 30% of the entire
population dying from the disease in that short period of time and left
enormous gaps in social institutions. or instance, manual laborers came to be
paid much much higher wages after the plague because there were so few to
work the fields. This social instability gave the merchant classes an
unprecedented amount of power and social mobility. In the latter half of the
fourteenth century, two of the era's most famous poets emerged from this
urban merchant background: Geoffrey Chaucer and John Gower. Chaucer is
famous for his Canterbury Tales and Gower for Confessio Amantis. Each is a
collection of tales united by a frame narrative. This style of tale was an
innovation borrowed from Meditterranean authors such as Giovanni
Boccaccio.
Among Chaucer’s shorter works are the Parliament of Fowls, The
Book of the Duchess, and many others. In the century after his death,
Chaucer’s admirers and poetic imitators were many, for he was quite popular
in his day. They include John Lydgate, Thomas Hoccleve, and John
Skelton—such authors helped solidify Chaucer’s position as “Father of
English Poetry”, which is, of course, a contestable title, given how much
poetry came before Geoffrey. This is not to say that he was not utterly
influential for later English literature, merely that he was not first.
C. Religious Upheaval
The social upheaval of the era was no stranger to religion. Up to this
point, the Catholic Church, centered upon the Vatican in Rome, had been the
dominant leading voice for the Western Christian faith. However, voices of
dissent began to crop up during this period, many of which rallied around an
Oxford scholar and theologian named John Wycliffe, who promoted the
translation of the scriptures into plain English. His hope was that people could
inform themselves on matters of belief, rather than having to rely upon priests
to translate and interpret Latin scripture for them. Those who held such
opinions came to be called Lollards, and they were often considered radical
enemies of the faith, subversive to the authority and unity of the Church. The
writings of William Langland vividly portray the spiritual concerns of the day.
Meanwhile, although poets like Chaucer and Langland were
concerned with national and global matters, some poets looked back with
nostalgia upon the past, and turned to regional identity as a source of solace
amidst all the chaos of the era. The Pearl Poet, so called because his works are
anonymous, left us with two poems considered the crowning achievements of
the Alliterative Revival. Gawain and the Green Knight tells an Arthurian tale,
but alters it by telling it in a deliberately archaic form highly reminiscent of
Anglo-Saxon poetry.
D. Prose— Romance, Arthuriana, and Malory
The continental genre of Romance is a type of narrative that is focused
on a knight's quests and adventures in the service of his lady. Such tales,
wildly popular with the nobility, are notable for their narrative innovation and
for their fantastic material. It should be noted that the use of "Romance" as a
phrase does not necessarily connote the presence of romantic lovers' plots but
moreso to the open-ended adventurous quality of the tales. These tales are
often centered upon the adventures of the court of Arthur at Camelot and the
exploits of his knights.
 The invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in 1455
and its importation to England by William Caxton was a major game changer
for literature. It empowered English as a prestige language as well as making
books much more affordable in general. Among the earliest printed works
was Thomas Malory's Morte d'Arthur, a lengthy chronicle-style account of
Arthur's life story and many adventures. Other important prose works
included the scientifically progressive work of Roger Bacon, and the major
historical/encyclopedic translations of John Trevisa.
E. Rise of Drama
This era also saw a resurgence in the popularity of drama. Early on,
this form consisted of two major types: Morality Plays and Mystery Plays.
The former aim to impart moral, ethical, and spiritual truth by means of
dramatizing an allegorical life. Famous examples include the plays Everyman
and Mankind. The latter include the York Cycle of plays, held yearly for the
summer Feast of Corpus Christi in the northern city of York. This cycle
consisted of a series of plays, each sponsored by a local guild and each
presented on its own pageant wagon(s). The plays dramatized the whole story
of the Bible, from creation to the second coming of Christ and it could take as
long as 12 hours of continual performance, one station at a time, for the whole
cycle to unfold across the city. There were also traveling shows such as the N-
town plays.

III. Periode Renaissance (1500-1660)

The Renaissance Period in the history of English literature is also
known as the Elizabethan Period or the Age of Shakespeare. It is, in fact, the
‘golden age’ in the history of English literature. After the Middle Ages in
Europe came the Renaissance, meaning revival or rebirth. As a result, the
darkness of the middle ages was replaced by the enlightenment of the human
mind with the ‘Revival of Learning’, which the Renaissance prompted.
The major characteristic of the Renaissance was its focus on
Humanism i.e. man’s concern with himself as an object of observation. The
Renaissance actually started Italy by Dante, Boccaccio, and Petrarch.
However, it became popular in Europe during the Elizabethan Period.
A. Elizabethan Drama
During the Renaissance Period the most important achievement in
English literature was in the field of drama. The dramatists of this golden
period include William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, Ben Johnson,
Lyly, George Peele, Thomas Kyd, Robert Greene and others. All these writers
produced prolific works. However, the greatest among all Elizabethan
dramatists was Shakespeare in whose hands the Elizabethan drama reached its
climax. He took English drama to the level which could not be surpassed till
today.
The main characteristics of the Elizabethan drama include–revenge
themes, internal conflicts, good versus evil, melodramatic scenes, hero-villain
protagonists, tragic-comedy, presence of supernatural beings such as ghosts
and witches and the use of blank verse. Here are some famous dramatists of
the Elizabethan Period.
B. Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593)
There was a famous group of dramatists in the Elizabethan Period
known as ‘University Wits’. It was actually a professional set of literary men.
Of all the members of this group Marlowe was the greatest, while other
dramatists such as Lyly, Peele, Greene, Lodge, and Nash were minor artists.
Nevertheless, Marlowe’s contributions to the Elizabethan drama were
remarkable. Although his plays were different from Shakespeare’s in content
and style, yet he raised the subject-matter of drama to a higher level. It was
Marlowe who gave beauty, dignity, and poetic glow to the drama. There is no
doubt that he did the groundwork on which Shakespeare built the grand
edifice. Therefore, Marlowe has been rightly called “the Father of English
Dramatic Poetry.”
Marlowe’s first play Tamburlaine appeared in 1587 and took the
public on a storm due to its impetuous force, sensitivity to beauty, and
splendid command of blank verse.
C. William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
It was Shakespeare, the greatest of all Elizabethan dramatists, who
took English drama to the highest peak of fame. He was, indeed, a gifted man.
His brilliant imagination, keen insight, and a creative mind gave new life to
the old familiar stories and made them glow with tenderest feelings and
deepest thoughts. His style and versification were extremely remarkable. He
was not only the greatest dramatist of his time, but also a famous poet as well.
His sonnets, replete with passion and aesthetic sense, also possess a
significant place in the history of English literature.
Shakespeare’s works include non-dramatic poetry consisting of two
narrative poems, Venice and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece, 154 sonnets,
and 37 plays. His work as a dramatist extends over some 24 years (1588-
1612), and is divided into four periods. Let’s briefly overview this period:
1. 1577-1593: First Period
This period includes Shakespeare’s early experimental work. The
famous works of this period are: the revision of old plays as the three
parts of Henry VI and Titus Andronicus; his first comedies—The Two
Gentlemen of Verona, Love’s Labor’s Lost, A Midsummer Night’s
Dream, and The Comedy of Errors ; his first chronicle play—Richard
III; and his most famous youthful tragedy—Romeo and Juliet.
2. 1594-1600: Second Period
This period reveals Shakespeare’s development as a great thinker and
artist. The works of this period includes Shakespeare’s great comedies
and chronicle plays such as: The Merchant of Venice, Richard II, Henry
IV, King John, Henry V, Part I and II, Much Ado About Nothing, The
Training of the Shrew, As You Like It, The Merry Wives of Windsor,
and Twelfth Night.
3. 1601-1608: Third Period
This period includes Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies and somber
comedies. His main concern there is to reveal the darker side of human
personality and its destructive passions. The major works of this period
 are: Macbeth, Hamlet, Othello, Julius Caesar, King Lear, All’s Well
that Ends Well, Measure for Measure, Coriolanus, Anthony and
Cleopatra, Troilus and Cressida, and Timon of Athens.
4. 1608-1612: Fourth Period
This period includes Shakespeare’s later dramatic romances and
comedies. Here we see a decline in his power of thought and expression.
Still his plays are tender and gracious. The famous works of this period
are: The Winter’s Tale, The Tempest, and Cymbeline. He wrote all
these plays in collaboration with other dramatists.
D. Ben Johnson (1573-1637)
Ben Johnson was Shakespeare’s contemporary as well as a prominent
dramatist of his times. But he was just the opposite of Shakespeare. A
moralist, reformer, and a classist, Johnson in his works presented a true
picture of contemporary society. He wrote his plays in a realistic manner and
introduced his theory of ‘humour’. His famous comedies are: The Alchemist,
Bartholomew, Fair, Volpone, Every Man in His Humour, Every Man Out of
His Humour, and The Silent Woman.

IV. The Puritan Age (1600-1660)

In the 17th century came the decline of the Renaissance spirit. The writers
of that time either imitated the Elizabethan masters or paved new paths. The 17th
century’s literature is divided into two periods—The Puritan Age or the Age of
Milton (1600-1660) and the Restoration Period or the Age of Dryden (1660-1700).
Up to 1660, Puritanism dominated the 17th Century. John Milton was the greatest
representative of the Puritan spirit. The Puritan movement in literature is also
called the second Renaissance because of the revival of man’s moral nature. It
stood for people’s liberty from the shackles of the despotic ruler and introduced
morality and high ideals in politics.
John Milton(1608-1674) was the most significant poet of the Puritan Age.
He was a great scholar of classical as well as Hebrew literature. A child of the
Renaissance, Milton was also a great humanist. As an artist we may call him the
last Elizabethan. Milton’s greatest poetical works are Paradise Lost, Paradise
Regained, and Samson Agonistes. Besides Milton, the poetry of The School of
Spencer, The Metaphysical Poets, and The Cavalier Poets also earned great fame.
But no one of them was as noblest and indomitable representative of the Puritan
spirit as John Milton.
Moreover, this period was rich in prose as well. Among the great prose
writers of the Puritan Age include Francis Bacon, Milton, Robert Burton, Jeremy
Tayler, Sir Thomas Brown and Clarendon. During this period we find English
prose developing into a magniloquent and rich instrument capable of expressing
all types of ideas, such as scientific, philosophical, poetic, religious and personal.

V. The Neoclassical Period

The period between 1660 and 1798 is roughly marked as the Neoclassical
Period in the history of English literature. Moreover, this time period is divided
into two parts: the Restoration Period or the Age of Dryden (1660-1700), and the
Classical Age or the Augustan Age (18 Century). The Classical Age is further
divided into two distinct periods–the Age of Pope (1700-1744) and the Age of
Johnson (1744-1784).

A. The Restoration Period

The Restoration Period, which lasted from 1660 to 1700, was named
when the monarchy was restored in England and Charles II returned from
exile in France to become King. Because Dryden was the most important
literary figure of the time, it is also known as the Dryden Age. The Puritans,
who had previously ruled the country, had finally been beaten. As a result,
they started a counter-offensive against anything they considered important.
All restrictions and discipline were thrown out the window, and the country
was overwhelmed by a wave of immorality and frivolity. Because Charles II
and his followers had lived a gay lifestyle in exile in France, they brought the
same irreverence and looseness to England.
 As a result, the Elizabethan spirit, with its patriotism, creative vitality,
and love of adventure and romance, was lost to the people. Furthermore, the
Puritan character, with its moral discipline and love of liberty, faded away.
This period's authors produced two significant contributions to English
literature. The first was realism, and the second was a proclivity for precision.
B. The Restoration Poetry
The majority of Restoration poetry was realistic and satirical. The
heroic couplet, of which Dryden was the master, was used extensively. He
was the most influential individual throughout the Restoration Period, and he
achieved enormous success in poetry, theater, and prose. He was, in fact, the
only poet of his generation worth noticing. He composed in a clear and strong
manner that provided the groundwork for England's classical school of poetry.
Dryden's poetry is also grouped into three categories: doctrinal poems,
political satires, and fables. Absalom and Achitophel, as well as The Medal,
are two of his most famous political satires. Religio Laici and The Hind and
the Panther are two of Dryden's most renowned theological compositions. His
tales, which are written in narrative form, give him the right to rank among
the best story-tellers in verse in England.
C. The Restoration Drama and Prose
Due to the long distance with the past, restoration drama exhibited
wholly new patterns. It was heavily inspired by the new age, which lacked
lyrical sensibility, creativity, and an emotional attitude toward life. Instead, it
emphasized prose as a means of communication and took a realistic,
analytical, and critical attitude to human existence and its issues.
During the Restoration Period, the Comedy of Manners was the most
popular style of play. It depicted the aristocracy's sophistical lifestyle—its
insolence, gaiety, intrigue, and foppery. William Congreve was the most
popular Restoration dramatist. Love for Love and The Way of the World, for
example, are two of his best comedies. Dryden was the master of heroic
tragedy. Tyrannic Love, All for Love, and The Conquest of Granada are
among his most famous tragic dramas.
 The Restoration Period ranked higher than poetry and theater in terms
of prose. For the first time, a distinct literary style emerged. This approach
might be used for straightforward storytelling, practical business, and
argumentative exposition of complex subjects. Dryden was the most famous
promoter of the new prose style. John Bunyan, John Tillotson, William
Temple, Thomas Sprat, and Viscount Halifax were among the notable prose
authors of the time. John Bunyan, aside from Dryden, was the best prose
writer of his day. The Pilgrim's Progress is his most renowned book.
D. The Classical or Augustan Age (18th Century)
In English literature, the Classical Age or Augustan Age refers to the
18th century. It's also known as the Age of Reason or Good Sense. The
period's writers created works of significant importance and value. Precision
and realism, two of the Restoration period's defining features, were developed
even further. For the first time in the history of English literature, prose took
precedence over poetry in the 18th century.
The invention and development of the novel was the most essential
element of the 18th century. Great masters like Defoe, Richardson, Smollet,
Fielding, and others fostered and maintained this new literary genre, which
now occupies a significant position. All these writers laid the secure
foundation of this new form.
E. The Age of Pope (1700-1744)
The Age of Pope refers to the early part of the 18th century, when
Alexander Pope was the most powerful man in the country. The poetry of the
Pope era isn't particularly good. It does, however, have certain distinguishing
qualities, such as the development of a technically beautiful rhyme, the clarity
of its expression, and the completed art of sarcasm.
Alexander Pope (the best of all poets of the day), Matthew Prior, John
Gay, Edward Young, and others are among the great poets of this period.
Daniel Defoe, Jonathan Swift, Joseph Addison, and Richard Steele were,
nonetheless, the best prose authors of their day. The writing of this era has
traditional characteristics, such as vitality, clarity, and direct expression.
 F. The Age of Johnson (1744-1784)
The Age of Johnson refers to the second part of the Augustan Age,
which was dominated by Dr. Samuel Johnson. During this period, cracks in
the structure of classicism began to form, and there were strong signals of
insurrection in favor of the Romantic spirit. It was particularly evident in the
sphere of poetry. The Romantic Revival began with writers who expressed
romantic sentiments in their poetry. James Thomson, William Blake, Thomas
Gray, William Cowper, William Collins, and George Crabbe are among these
poets. The Age of Johnson is also known as the Age of Transition in English
Literature because of its Romantic impulses.
Samuel Johnson, Edmund Burke, and Edward Gibbon were the most
influential prose writers of the time. They were, without a doubt, the pillars of
Johnson's era, and they marked the height of English literature. The Romantic
Period followed the Johnson Era. When William Wordsworth and S.T.
Coleridge released the 'Lyrical Ballads' in 1798, the Neoclassical period came
to an end.

VI. The Romantic Period

The Romantic Time is the most prosperous period in the history of English
literature. It was an uprising against the 18th-century Classical school. This time
produced Wordsworth, Coleridge, Southey, Shelley, Keats, and Byron. The
Romantic Period was mostly a period of poetry. Wordsworth and Coleridge
developed a new kind of poetry with the publishing of Lyrical Ballads, which
stood in opposition to the Classical school's poetry.

The Romantic poets emphasized language's simplicity and used common

people's vocabulary. They looked to the Elizabethan masters for inspiration,
including Shakespeare, Spenser, and others. The occurrences of ordinary life were
frequently the subject of their poems. The Romantic poets demonstrated that if the
little details of nature and everyday life are addressed properly, they can be just as
fascinating and significant as the grander features of nature and life.
 The Augustan style of writing was also rejected by Romantic prose
authors. They resorted to Renaissance writing, which was ponderous, poetical,
and flowery. Because the Romantic Age was marked by an excess of emotions, it
inspired a new genre of novel, the Gothic Novel, which quickly gained popularity
among a wide range of readers thanks to Gothic features such as supernatural
events, grim surroundings, and odd scenarios.

Difference Between Classicism and Romanticism

Classicism was a direct opponent of Romanticism. The Romantic Period

was the age of poetry, meanwhile the Classical Age was the age of prose. Poetry
became the suitable vehicle for the expression of the artist's thoughts, feelings,
and inventive process throughout the Romantic Period. The impersonal
components of existence were emphasized in Classicism, but Romantic literature
openly turned the emphasis of art to the intimate qualities of humans.

Furthermore, during the Classical Period, the heroic couplet was the only
form of poetry. During the Romantic Period, poets emphasized simple,
spontaneous diction. The Romantic movement's slogan was the poet's freedom
from the chains of literary norms. As a result, Romantic literature is a really
creative literature that focuses on man's highest creative power.

VII.The Victorian Period (1837–1901)

The Victorian Period, which began in the second part of the nineteenth
century, is both long and difficult. Furthermore, many outstanding writers
blossomed throughout that time period. As a result, the Victorian Period is split
into two parts: the Early Victorian Period (1837-1870) and the Later Victorian
Period (1870-1900).

A. Early Victorian Period

The earlier Victorian Period was controlled by middle-class
domination, an era of 'laissez-faire' or free commerce and unrestrained
competition. Robert Browning, Alfred Tennyson, Charles Dickens, Matthew
 Arnold, Carlyle, Thackeray, and John Ruskin were among the finest authors
of the time. All these poets, novelists, and prose authors, in spite of their
distinct characteristics, demonstrated the same attitude to modern challenges.
As a result, they create a homogeneous community with similar social,
literary, and moral beliefs.
B. Later Victorian Period
After 1870, the Later Victorian Period started. Christiana Rossetti,
Charles Swinburne, George Eliot, William Morris, Thomas Hardy, Oscar
Wilde, Pater, and others were among the most famous authors of the time.
Morris, Swinburne, and Rossetti were the founders of a new literary
movement known as the Pre-Raphaelite Movement in poetry. Later, the
Aesthetic Movement began as a response to this movement. Oscar Wilde,
Earnest Dowson, Arthur Symons, and Lionel Pigot Johnson were the main
characters. In the world of fiction, however, George Eliot, Thomas Hardy, and
Meredith established the groundwork for the 'Modern Psychological Novel.'
The Victorian era is characterized by a unique and complicated merger
of different opposites: Romanticism and Classicism. Its affinity for Classicism
stemmed mostly from its intellectual approach to life's issues, genuinely
moral attitude, and yearning for stability and balance. On the other hand, it
showed a deep connection with the Romantic spirit, which had not yet totally
exhausted itself but had suddenly stopped for the following reasons:
1. The premature deaths of Keats, Byron, and Shelley.
2. The disillusionment resulted from industrialization and material
prosperity.
3. The social and economic unrest.

VIII. The Modern Period (1901-1945)

The modern period in English literature begins in the twentieth century
and lasts until 1965. During this time, there was a sharp rupture from the previous
methods of engaging with the environment. Experimentation and individuality
were strongly prohibited in all earlier times, but with the advent of the modern
period, both of these traits became virtues. With the advent of modernism, there
were several cultural shocks. The blows of the modern era were World Wars I and
II. These conflicts began in 1914 and lasted until 1919, respectively, and 1939 to
1945. Everyone experienced trauma as a result of the world wars' aftermath.
Every civilian bore witness to the horrors of World War I. Uncertainty prevailed,
and no one knew where the world was going.
Transition from the Victorian Period to the Modern Period
A. Changes in Literature
Various developments occurred in the realm of literature throughout
the modern age. Victorian-era creative literature, poems, and poetry structure
become outmoded. Writers' work began to lose the enchantment that it had
possessed. Victorian writers' writings were getting putrid, and they were
failing to evoke the reader's soul. Art must be revitalized in order to re-
energize readers. However, the unexpected features and freshness in the
substance were absent in Victorian art works.
B. Declination of sentiments and values
People in the modern world value freedom and do not want to be
bound by parental control, but Victorians value family life and feel
themselves to be more of a family person. Furthermore, in modern times, the
sense of love was being restricted to sex; love had become less of a romance
and more like a hunger. Such things depict the decrease in modern people's
ideals, emotions, and sentiments. Literary works depict a similar way of living.
If authors attempt to write about Victorian-era subjects, their work will no
longer be memorable. As a result, you will find less passion in modern
writing for love, natural beauty, and feelings. Modern writers provide new
points of view that appeal to the traditional audience.
C. Age of Machinery
There is no question that machines has taken over the lives of modern
humans. The modern era is often known as the "machinery age." People have
grown overly materialistic as a result of the machines. There is no question
 that the invention of machines made contemporary man's existence more
pleasant. Living became more easier, and the manufacture of commodities
was greatly expedited. However, the downside of mechanical life is that man
has mechanically become like a clock, utilizing all of his/her energy
according to the time system rather than according to his/her own volition.
Such a modern-day atmosphere has caused significant hardship among the
people.

IX. Literature of the Modern Period

A. Modern Period : Artistic Features
1. Modernism
Modernism is a distinct and complex movement that can be found
in almost every creative field. It started toward the end of the nineteenth
century. During this time, literature had its greatest revival of the twentieth
century. When the First World War ended, a number of modern literary
trends emerged, including dadaism, stream of consciousness, futurism,
cubism, expressionism, and imagism.
2. Basic Character of Modernism
The notion of psychoanalysis and irrational philosophy is the
cornerstone of modernism. "The dehumanization of art" is one of the
fundamental features of the contemporary age. Other key themes of
modernism are alienated, diseased, and distorted relationships between
men, between men and their own selves, between men and society, and,
most crucially, between men and nature.
B. The Pillar of Modernism
a) David Herbert Lawrence (1885-1930) – Sons and Lovers
b) James Joyce (1882- 1941) – Ulysses
c) Thomas Stearns Eliot (1888- 1965) - Murder in the Cathedral
d) George Bernard Shaw (1856- 1950) - Mrs. Warrant’ Profession
e) William Butler Yeats (1865- 1939) - The Land of Heart’s Desire
f) John Galaworthy (1867- 1933) - The Man of Property
X. The Contemporary Period (1945 – Today)
Following WWII, new tendencies in English literature emerged. Although
poetry was the most memorable genre to emerge from World War I, the book
recounted the events of World War II. This was due to the fact that mass media,
film, newspapers, and radio had altered the way people received information and
amusement. Many writers have written about war. For example, Henry Greene's
novels Nothing (1950), The End of an Affair (1951), and A Burnt-out Case (1961)
are all about war. These works are set in many parts of the world and examine
various aspects of human suffering.
Then came Samuel Beckett, widely renowned for his plays, who through
his works revealed the internal sensations of lonely beings. In this sense, his
books Murphy (1938) and How It Is (1939) were notable (1961). Similarly,
George Orwell's works are political in nature. Orwell, being a socialist, believed
in equality. His most renowned works were Animal Farm (1945) and Nineteen
Eighty-Four (1984). (1949).
A. The Novel from 1950s and 1960s
Without a doubt, each decade in the history of English literature
offered new forms of writing. In the 1950s, a new generation of writers
emerged, bringing with them new subjects and issues. Colin Wilson, John
Wain, Alan Sillitoe, Muriel Spark, Doris Lessing, William Golding, and
others are among these authors. Kingsley Amis' Lucky Jim was the most
popular comedic novel of the 1950s (1954). It was, in fact, one of the first
novels to take place at a university.
William Golding was a master storyteller of his day. In his novels, he
was always interested in the factors that shape human behavior. Lord of the
Flies (1954) and The Inheritors (1956) are two of his best-known works
(1955). The novel evolved in numerous ways beginning in the 1970s. The
four major directions were as follows:
 the focus on foreign and local regional voices.
 the focus on more female voices.
 the academic or campus novel.
 the coming of the kind of fantasy known as Magic Realism.
Thus, current British literature consists primarily of reality-based
fiction with strong characters and realistic subjects. Contemporary books are
often set in the present or modern age. Contemporary writers address issues
such as war, racism, identity, family, home, and the search for goodness in
mankind in their books and poems.
 REFERENCES

Notes, Elif. (2021). Introduction and History of English literature.

https://elifnotes.com/introduction-history-of-english-literature/

Mambrol, Nasrullah. (2018). A Brief History of English Literature.

https://literariness.org/2018/07/18/a-brief-history-of-english-literature/

Mark, Joshua. (2019, March 20). Medieval Literature.

https://www.worldhistory.org/Medieval_Literature/

Susan, White. (2019, June 22). Modern Period in English Literature.

www.allassignmenthelp.com/blog/modern-period-in-english-literature/