Presentation on theme: "Anglo Saxon Period (450-

1066) Themes: heroism, fate, moral instruction

Genres: oral traditions, poetry Key Authors:
Beowulf poet, Exeter author Historical."—
Presentation transcript:
heroism, fate, moral instruction Genres: oral traditions, poetry Key
Authors: Beowulf poet, Exeter author Historical Context: Clans ruled
themselves. People first very warrior-like; later became farmers.
Literature’s Effects: Oral tradition unites myths of different groups.
Roman alphabet is introduced.

honor, religious devotion, chivalry Genres: oral traditions, frame stories,

plays Key Authors: Chaucer, Arthurian legends Historical Context:
Crusades begin; country forms Literature’s Effects: Church uses
literature to instruct population. Illiterate can hear and see stories.

human potential, love Genres: drama, poetry (metaphysical) Key

Authors: Shakespeare, Milton Historical Context: War of Roses ends.
Printing press invented. Literature’s Effects: Literature accessible to
middle class.

4 reason, harmony, stability Genres: poetry, satire, essays, letters Key

Authors: Pope, Swift, Defoe Historical Context: Half of male population
is literate. Factories begin to be built. Literature’s Effects: Emphasis on
the individual. Human beings seen as basically evil.

5 peace through nature, horror stories Genres: poetry, lyrical ballads,

novel (emerges) Key Authors: Wordsworth, Coleridge, Austen, Byron, M.
Shelley, Keats, Blake Historical Context: Middle class enters politics.
Literature’s Effects: Population critically examines society. Human
beings seen as basically good.

6 unfortunate life, city -vs- country, sexual promiscuity, aristocratic

villains Genres: novel, elegies, poetry, monologues Key Authors:
Dickens, Tennyson, Rossetti, Bronte Historical Context: Immense
industrial growth. Raise of countries and trade. Paper becomes
inexpensive. Literature’s Effects: Literature accessible to all.

7 loneliness, societal loss of values Genres: fantasy, free verse poetry,

speeches, novels Key Authors: Joyce, Yeats, Conrad, Orwell, Elliot
Historical Context: One million soldiers lost in WWI. Germany bombs
England in WWII. Literature’s Effects: Belief that one must seize the
moment before its gone.
8 open-mindedness, interpreting the past Genres: first person fiction,
narratives Key Authors: Stoppard, Follett, Rowling Historical Context:
Advances in communication make the world seem smaller.