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Periods of English Literature Chart

Periods of English Literature Chart - FOR ALL ENGLISH LITERATURE STUDENTS

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114 views2 pages

Periods of English Literature Chart

Periods of English Literature Chart - FOR ALL ENGLISH LITERATURE STUDENTS

Uploaded by

sagunthala99769
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We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Periods of English Literature Chart

The history of English literature is a fascinating journey through centuries of


creative expression and cultural evolution. Spanning from the oral traditions of the
Anglo-Saxon era to the fragmented narratives of the postmodern period, it is
divided into distinct periods, each with its unique characteristics, themes, and
influential authors. These periods reflect the societal, political, and intellectual
changes of their time, showcasing how literature has evolved to mirror human
experiences and aspirations.

Below is periods of English Literature chart that highlights the major periods of
English literature, offering a concise overview of this rich literary heritage .

so stick to the fight when you're hardest hit - it's when things seem worst, you must
not quit.

Period Time Key Characteristics Notable Authors


Frame
Old English 450– Heroic and religious themes; Anonymous (Beowulf),
(Anglo-Saxon 1066 oral tradition; poetry like Caedmon, Cynewulf
Period) Beowulf.
Middle 1066– Courtly love, chivalry, Geoffrey Chaucer (The
English Period 1500 religious allegories; a shift Canterbury Tales),
towards written literature. William Langland, Sir
Thomas Malory
The Renaissance 1500– Revival of classical learning, William Shakespeare,
1600 humanism, and exploration; Christopher Marlowe,
drama and poetry flourished. Edmund Spenser, John
Donne
The Neoclassical 1600– Order, reason, classical Alexander Pope,
Period 1785 ideals, satire, and moral Jonathan Swift, John
instruction dominate. Dryden
The Romantic 1785– Focus on nature, emotion, William Wordsworth,
Period 1832 imagination, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge,
individualism; reaction against Lord Byron, John Keats
industrialization.
The Victorian Age 1832– Themes of morality, social Charles Dickens, George
1901 reform, industrial progress; Eliot, Thomas Hardy, the
realism and gothic influences. Brontë sisters
The Edwardian 1901– Transition from Victorian E.M. Forster, H.G. Wells,
Period 1914 morality; themes of social Rudyard Kipling
class and industrial change
emerge.
The Georgian 1910– Pastoral themes in poetry; Siegfried Sassoon,
Period 1936 reflection on pre-WWI Rupert Brooke, John
nostalgia; bridge to Masefield
modernism.
The Modern Early Experimental forms, T.S. Eliot, Virginia Woolf,
Period 20th disillusionment after WWI, James Joyce, W.B. Yeats
century focus on inner psychology
and urbanization.
The Postmodern Mid-20th Fragmentation, intertextuality, Salman Rushdie,
Period century metafiction, and diverse Margaret Atwood, Don
global voices. DeLillo, Kazuo Ishiguro

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