HISTORY OF ENGLISH

LITERATURE
AN INTRODUCTION
(Lecture 1)
MA English
COMSATS Virtual Campus Islamabad
History Of English Literature/Lecture 1
MA ENGLISH

Semester 1

COURSE TITLE: HISTORY OF ENGLISH

LITERATURE

COURSE CODE: ENG-402

COMSATS VIRTUAL CAMPUS ISLAMABAD

History Of English Literature/Lecture 1
Introduction to the INSTUCTOR

KIRAN RUKHSANA

Academic Qualification

PhD Scholar (Applied Linguistics)

Masters In English Language and Literature (2006)
Masters in English Language Teaching (2008)

History Of English Literature/Lecture 1

Me!!! Instructor of History of English
Literature

MA English
First Semester

COMSATS VIRTUAL CAMPUS ISLAMABAD

History Of English Literature/Lecture 1

A Brief Sketch of the Course
History Of English Literature
Core Objective:

To make students aware of the historical development of

English Literature with its social, political, cultural and
economical background and its impact on literature
through different eras.

History Of English Literature/Lecture 1

A Brief Sketch of the Course (Conti)
The objective of this course is to inform students about
how English Literature has evolved historically and
how socio-cultural and political events have influenced
its development through ages.
Although the scope of the course is quite expansive,
starting from the age of Chaucer, the students shall
focus on early 16th to late 19th century Romantic
Movement.
Histories of Literature written by some British literary
historians will be consulted to form some socio-
cultural and political cross connections.
History Of English Literature/Lecture 1
A Brief Sketch of the Course (Conti)
The present course covers a reference to the multiple
factors from economic theories to religious,
philosophical and metaphysical debated that overlap
these literary works of diverse nature and time periods
under multiple contexts.
The reading of literature within its socio-cultural
context will help the readers become aware of the fact
that literary works are basically a referential product of
the practice that goes back to continuous
interdisciplinary interaction.

History Of English Literature/Lecture 1

Advantages of Teaching Literature
Literature can be very enjoyable to read.
- It provides examples of different styles of writing,
mirrors various authentic uses of the language.
- It is a good basis for vocabulary expansion.
- It fosters reading skills.
- It can supply an excellent jump-off point for discussion
or writing.
- It involves emotions as well as intellect, which adds to
motivation and may contribute to personal development.
- It is part of the target language culture and has value as
part of students’ general education.
Conti.
- It encourages empathetic, critical and creative
thinking. It contributes to world knowledge.
- It raises awareness of different human situations and
conflicts.
- It provides a basis for communicative activities
involving the 4 skills.
- It provides an opportunity for negotiation of meaning
which is essential for FLA.
Cultural Value

Stories have been of central importance to the human

race ever since it began, as far as we can tell. Cultures
are built on stories—histories, myths and legends,
fables, religions, and so on. If students are to
understand and participate in the culture to which they
belong, they must first learn about the stories that
culture has been built around. And while books aren’t
the only kinds of stories out there, they are one of the
most important.
Expanding Horizons

Everyone has a tendency to get so caught up in their

own lives that they forget what’s going on in the world
around them. And children and teens are particularly
prone to this. It’s a goal of education to expose them to
ideas from other cultures, to teach them about the
histories and peoples of other times and places.
Building Vocabulary

Having a large and wide-ranging vocabulary is

essential for a number of reasons. It helps with both
writing and reading abilities, of course, but it also
allows for more complex discourse. The larger your
vocabulary is, the more in depth and thoughtful
discussions you can have on important topics and
issues, both in and outside of the classroom. When
people speak they tend to use a fairly limited
vocabulary, so the best way to become exposed to new
words is to read.
Improving Writing Skills

Writing skills can be taught, to some extent. But the

number one way to become a better writer is to read
often. When you read you are being immersed in
language, in the way it sounds and feels when put
together in the right ways. Students who are
encouraged to read have a more intimate knowledge of
the ways in which language works, and so have an
advantage when it comes time for them to write. This
effect can even be made transparent by encouraging
students to try writing in a particular book or
author's style.
Teaching Critical Thinking

Education is supposed to give students the tools they

need to become a valuable part of society, and one
such tool is the ability to think critically. We want
them to not just passively consume whatever is around
them, but to analyze and criticize it as well. Literature
serves this goal in a couple of ways. Many novels
encourage critical thinking on their own, due to the
issues and themes they explore
Overview
In this class we will discuss

Literature
History of English Literature
Periods in the History of English
Literature
Division of Periods
History is nation`s biography
Its Literature is its
autobiography
Literature
Expression of life in terms of
truth and beauty.
Written record of man`s spirit,
thoughts, aspirations and
emotions
Qualities of Literature
Artistic quality
Suggestive quality
Permanent quality
Tests Of Literature

Universality
Style
Objectives of Literature

To teach
To delight
Aims in Studying Literature

To know humans

o Their souls
o Their actions
Importance of Literature

Every civilization is founded upon ideals

Every human action springs from an ideal
Literature preserves such ideals
Literature preserves civilizations and
human actions
History of English Literature

Not a chronological account of books

written in English language
History of English Literature

The literature of England is one of the highest

achievements of a great nation. It should not,
however, be read simply as a national expression.
It is a body of significant statements about abiding
human concerns. The language in which it is
written has evolved over hundreds of years and is
still changing. Several nations, including Canada,
the United States, and Australia, are indebted to
England for a literary heritage.
History of English Literature
Record of the relationship between a writer and those
who precede or succeed him/her.
Record of the relationship between age and age. It
records the rise, the growth and the decline of schools
and movements.
Record of the influence of individual writers on an age
and vice versa.
Record of both individual writers and their special
contributions to literature.
Aims of History of English Literature

To give a clear account of whole

transformation of literature from period to
period.
To make out the causes which have
produced such transformations.
To explain the successive changes in its
matter, form and spirit.
 Periods

A period is a certain length of time

during which a particular kind of taste
prevails.
A taste of an age differs from that of
others.
 Periods

A literature written in an age is marked by

various common features like its subject
matter, thought, tone, and style.
Each age had its own particular lines of
interest and its own particular way of
thinking and feeling about things.
Factors deciding a Period

Anything that brings fresh ideas and

interests into the life of an age.
Anything that modifies the thoughts and
feelings of a period.
Any change in the attitude towards men and
things.
Labels of Periods
The periods in the history of English literature are
usually labeled with epithets derived from history:

The Elizabethan Period

The Victorian Period
I. The Anglo – Saxon Period:
( 449 - 1100)
Britain before the Anglo- Saxons
The Germanic Invasions
Anglo- Saxon Society
Anglo – Saxon Literature
 II. The Medieval Period:
(1100 – 1500)
The Norman Conquest
The Reign of William the Conqueror
and the Feudal System
The Medieval Church
The Medieval Literature
III. The Renaissance Period:
(1500- 1600)
IV. The Puritan Age:
(1600 - 1660)
V. The Restoration Period:
(1660 – 1700)
VI. The Age of Pope:
(1700 - 1744)
VII. The Age of Johnson:
(1744 - 1784)
VIII. The Romantic Age:
(1798 - 1824)
IX. The Victorian Age:
(1832 - 1900)
X. Modern Literature:
(1900 - 1961)
XI. Post-Modern Literature:
The Present Age
SUM UP

What is Literature?
What is History of Literature?
What is a Period?
Reference Book

1. History of English Literature An Introduction By

Xavier Pradheep Singh. M. S. HEL Series - 16th July
2010
2. INA MITITELU, HISTORY OF BRITISH
LITERATURE FROM ORIGINS TO THE AGE OF
REASON, 2010
…………

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