Literary History – A BRIEF Overview
The Anglo-Saxon Period
449-1066 A.D. (Normandy invasions)
Britons – early inhabitants of the British isles – were there before 449
449 – Germanic tribes began to invade the Britain
Jutes
Angles Norsemen/Vikings
Saxons
These tribes brought with them a common language – we call it “Old English.”
The tribes frequently fought, but shared a common heroic ideal and traditional heroes.
Heroes
- Men of courage
- Loyalty to the leader and tribe
- Fierce personal valor
Other Characteristics of the Anglo-Saxons
- Awareness of the shortness of life
- Valued ornamentation and artwork
- Time of great learning
- Christianity brought to Britain in 314 and rapidly spread – practiced Catholicism
Western civilization gets its traditions in law, conduct (manners), attitudes/outlook, language and literature from this period.
Characteristics of Anglo-Saxon literature
- Oral tradition
- Songs w/harps
- Scops and bards – professional poets and historians
- Time of knights, dragons, monsters, damsels in distress, King Arthur,
- Common themes –
· Heroic tradition (Beowulf)
· Elegiac tradition – mourning the passing of better times
The Medieval Period – Middle Ages
1066-1485 A.D. – began with the Normandy Invasion
- William the Conqueror (Duke of Normandy) invaded England
- Martial law put into effect, property seized
- Changed the culture and began the feudal system – most of the population were peasants
- Old English became Middle English – French/Latin influence
- Church played a large part in society but was quite corrupt
- Common law developed – right of the first son to inherit property
- Magnificent monuments and churches built during this time
Time of Chivalry – bravery and courage
- Code that includes loyalty to a king
- Also includes certain behavior and/or manners – including the keeping of one’s word
Period was characterized by wars and plagues
Literature in the Middle Ages
- Romances – chivalry w/magic (fairies, dragons)
- religious writings
- miracle plays
- morality plays – concerned virtues and vices
- Chaucer – first great literary figure to write using the English language
The Renaissance (Rebirth)
(1485-1660)
- encompassed the “discovery” of America
- began in Florence, Italy
- desire to return to Greek and Roman times
- marks the beginning of “modern times”
- art, music, literature flourished – printing press developed during this period
Monarchs
- Henry VIII
*killed or divorced many wives
*split from Catholic church
- Phillip – 9 years old (died young)
- “Bloody” Mary – reign of terror against Protestants
- Queen Elizabeth (1558-1603)
*time of peace and stability
*time of Shakespeare and Ben Jonson
- James I – Jacobean Era
*Puritans in America to escape persecution
The Restoration and the 18th Century
(1660-1798)
England
- wanted to establish society on a firm basis – disliked change
- wanted stability
America
- characterized by two strong forces: exploration and purification
- themes of early American lit
· meaning of America
· self-transformation
· religious
· society vs. the individual
- types of writing
· histories
· journals
· sermons
· religious poetry
- Literature during the American Revolution
· Focused on logic not only emotions
· American independence fought w/words and ideas, not just guns
· Persuasive
Romantic Period
(1798 – 1832)
In England and U.S.
- focused on imagination and nature
- called the “American Renaissance”
- lifted American writers to world importance
- spirit of optimism
- idea of “Utopia” developed
- transcendentalism – intuition (Emerson, Thoreau)
- anti-transcendentalists – evil exists – Hawthorne, Melville
Victorian Age
In U.S. and England
(1832 – 1900)
- Queen Victoria was the monarch
- England was the world’s wealthiest nation
- Stereotype is “time of repression”
- Elaborate dress and decoration – architecture
- Proper behavior
- Victorians loved to read
§ Charles Dickens
§ Gothic novels
§ Bronte sisters
In the United States
- Civil War 1860-1864
§ Literature prior to war dealt w/slavery and abolitionists
§ Literature after dealt some w/Indian issues
- realism began w/Mark Twain
Realism and Naturalism
1890 –1914 – in the U.S.
- reaction to the Romantic Period
- “Local Color” movement
§ dialect, customs, character types of a particular region
- attempted to depict life realistically
- industrialization/technological changes – America became wealthy
- Time of World Fairs, middle class begins
- Settlement of the West – some gold rushes
- Motion pictures, photography
Immigration
- by 1900, the 12 largest U.S. cities were populated 40% by immigrants and 20% by the children of immigrants
Reforms
- child labor
- womens’ rights
- alcohol
- industry – The Jungle
Literature
- lit became intermingled w/sociology, psychology, science, philosophy, reforms
- Utopian novels became popular
- Darwinism became a focus
Modern Literature
20th – 21st century
- turbulent time of great change
- science and technological growth
- conflicting currents of optimism and pessimism
British Literature
- Europe wrecked by world wars
- Fascism develops – great leaders using physical force
- Communism divides Europe
- Trend in literature is constant change and breaking of the rules
American Literature
- writing is complex and multicultural, like society
- question – does art shape culture, or does culture shape art?
- First half characterized by world wars and the Depression
- Racism continues to be a factor
Modern literature attempts to find a common ground in a world no longer unified in belief.
