History BS Literature 2nd Semester (2018)

Ghazi Foundation Prof.
Naseer Ahmad Ghazi

Centre for Language Studies (C L S) Department of English,
Govt. Murray College, Sialkot
Department of English Language and literature

Govt. Murray College Sialkot
Course Out line BS programme
BS.Eng….Semester: 2
Course Code: Eng 115
Course Title: History of English Lit
Serial Course Outline

#
1 Background to Renaissance and Reformation
2 Introduction to Renaissance and Reformation
3 The development of the Sonnet; Petrarchan
Background, Thomas Wyatt, Henry Howard & Others
4 Elizabethan Drama, Prose and Poetry
5 Introduction to John Milton
6 Introduction to Metaphysical and Cavalier Poets
MID TERM EXAM
7 Augustan Literature: Augustan Satire, Mock Epic and
Prose
8 The Rise of Novel: From beginning till Jane Austen
Rise of Gothic Novel.
9 Introduction to Romanticism; Major Romantic figures
10 Victorian Literature: Novel and Poetry
11 Modern Literature: Drama, Poetry, Novel
12 Assignments ( To be prepared during the Session)
13 Presentation (Written as well as Class Presentation)
14 FINAL EXAMINATION (To be held by the University
in the College Campus)
1
Ghazi Foundation Prof. Naseer Ahmad Ghazi
Topic # 1
General Background to Renaissance and Reformation
Or
History of the Middle Ages
1 The early periods of English Literature are known as:
a) The ‘Anglo-Saxon’ period or ‘Old English period’ (450-1100).

b) The ‘Anglo-Norman’ period or ‘The Middle Ages’ (1100-1500).
2 The literature of the Anglo-Saxon period is centred on ‘Poetry’ that was mostly
religious and the famous names of that era were ‘Caedmon’ and ‘Cynewulf’, who
mostly wrote on ‘Christian Themes’.
3 The Anglo-Saxon period was also marked by the beginning of ‘English Prose’.
Though it started with ‘Chronicles’ in King Alfred’s time, but got success due to its
‘Religious instructions’ that continued even after this period. The two great pioneers
of prose were ‘Alfred’, the king of Wessex, who translated many ‘Latin chronicles’
and ‘Aelfric’, a priest who wrote ‘Religious Sermons’.
4 Some important works of Anglo-Saxon period are ‘Beowulf, Widsith, Waldera’ and
some others.
5 In the Anglo-Norman period, the most popular form of literature was the ‘Romances’
which were directed towards the praise of Monarch and other Royal or aristocratic
characters. Mostly those romances were imaginary or legendary tales related with the
stories of King Arthur, the War of Troy and even Alexander the great.
6 In the Middle Ages, ‘Miracle’ and ‘Morality’ plays also became important. The
drama was based on pure ‘Biblical themes’ and ‘Old Testament’, known as ‘Miracle
play’. Whereas the drama that showed the struggle between ‘Powers of good and evil
or the mastery of the Soul of man’ was called ‘Morality Play’.
7 The later part of the ‘Middle Ages’ is known as ‘The Age of Chaucer’; considered to
be the beginning of a new era in ‘language’ and ‘literature’
.
8 Some of the main historical events of that century were:
a) The beginning of hundred year war with France.

b) Black death, a vital disease, causing severe disaster.
c) Beginning of Lollard Movement. (For Christ’s sanctity started by John Wycliffe)
d) Peasants’ Revolt.
e) Use of English in schools, law courts and even parliament.
2
9 Some important features of this age were:
a) Rise of national consciousness.

b) The corruption of Church.
c) Decline of Feudalism.
d) Rise of the middle class and progress of trade.
e) An advancement towards new learning ultimately leading to the Renaissance.
10 Some of the great writers of the 14th Century were ‘Chaucer, Langland, Gower,
Wycliffe and Mandeville’. Whereas some of the great works of this ear were:
a) ‘A vision of Piers the Plowman’ (William Langland)

b) Translation of the Holy Scripture (John Wycliffe)
c) Confession Amanitas (John Gower)
d) Vox Clamantes (John Gower))
e) Troilus and Criseyde (Geoffrey Chaucer)
f) Canterbury Tales (Geoffrey Chaucer)
g) The Voyage and Travels of Sir John Mandeville (John Mandeville)
FINE OPP GMC SKT3138681678

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All Bs notes&Fa,Ba,Ma,Icom,b.c
Topic # 2
Introduction to Renaissance & Reformation
Introduction to Renaissance
1 Renaissance means ‘Re-Birth’. Broadly speaking Renaissance implies ‘The re-
awakening of learning’ which came to Europe in the 14th and 15th century and
showed its influence in the coming centuries.
2 Renaissance was not English but a European phenomenon. The dawn of Renaissance
came first to Italy and a little later to France. To England, it came much later, roughly
about the beginning of the 16th century.
3 Renaissance was basically the impact of ‘Greek Learning’ which was the first felt
after the Turkish Conquest; the Greek scholars fled and took refuge in Italy, carrying
with them a lot of ‘Greek Literature’.
4 The study of Greek Literature fired the soul and imagination of Italy of that time. It
created a new kind of ‘Intellectual’ and ‘Aesthetic’ culture quite different from that
of Middle Ages.
5 It also brought a revolt against spiritual authority, the authority of the ‘Pope’.
6 Renaissance brought a greater understanding of beauty; it meant the birth of

‘Imitative tendency’, related with every art. It also worked as a bridge between
‘Medievalism and Modernism’. In art, it influenced painting, sculpture and
architecture.
7 In Renaissance period, the ‘Human values’ came to be recognized as permanent

values. This bred a new kind of ‘Paganism’ and marked the raise of Humanism and
Materialism. It was also a search for realism and human emotions in Art, thus making
‘Man’ the focal point of Literature.
8 Both forms; Poetry and Drama were touched by the magical spirit of Renaissance,
thus bringing forth the rich and fertile literature of that time. That is why, the writers
like Shakespeare and Marlowe flourished in drama, whereas Spenser and Milton made
their mark in poetry.
4
Introduction to Reformation
1 Reformation was started in Europe by a German Clergyman, named Martin Luther,

in the early 16th Century.
2 This movement was intended against the growing corruption of the Pope of Rome and
aimed at taking of Christianity back to the ‘Original Religion’ of Jesus Christ and the
Holy Bible.
3 A permanent cleavage came to separate Roman Catholicism and the ‘New Religion’
termed as ‘Protestantism’ (Protestants).
4 Spenser was much influenced by the ‘Spirit of Reformation’ which he tried to

reconcile with the ‘Spirit of Renaissance’.
5 ‘The Faerie Queen’ is the presentation of the conflict between Protestantism and
Roman Catholicism, ending in the decisive victory of the former.
6 It is generally believed that the reformation period was full of contradictions of that
age that baffled of imagination and perplexed intelligence.
7 It was also instrumental in bringing the new spirit of ‘Inquiry’ into ‘the ideal of the
Church’.
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Topic # 3
The development of Sonnet
Or
Elizabethan Sonnet
1 The Sonnet is one of the poetic forms that can be found in lyric poetry from Europe.
The term ‘Sonnet’ derives from the Italian word ‘Sonetto’ meaning ‘little song’ and
‘little sound’.
2 Like many other forms the Sonnet in England was imported from abroad. Most
probably, it originated in Italy with ‘Dante’ but the flowering of the sonnet came with
Petrarch, a generation later.
3 Wyatt was the first English poet who introduced Petrarchan sonnet in England.
Though he wrote much earlier, it was in 1557 that his sonnets were published in
‘Tottel’s Miscellany’.
4 Wyatt was very much under the spell of his Petrarchan model and out of his 32
sonnets, 17 are written in the image of Petrarch. The Petrarchan pattern has two
parts___ an Octave (8 lines) followed by a Sestet (6 lines), having rhyme scheme;
abba abba, cdc dcd

or
abba abba, cdd cee
5 After Wyatt came Surrey whose sonnets were published after his death. Surrey
invented a new pattern which was later adopted by ‘Elizabethan Sonneteers’. This
pattern had three quatrains (four lines) and the closed couplet. The rhyme scheme of
this sonnet followed as;
abab, cdcd, efef, gg
6 Till 1550’s Sonnets failed to attract the attention of the poets. After ‘Tottel’s
Miscellany’ the name of the sonnet came also to be applied to some other types of
short lyrics which were not necessarily 14 lines.
7 Then came Thomas Watson, a friend of Marlowe on the scene to recall the attention of
the readers to the sonnets.
8 During that period (1580-1600) almost a thousand Sonnets were written; a fresh
sonneteering impulse came from France. Unlike Wyatt and Surrey, the Elizabethan
Sonneteers followed the works of French Sonneteers such as Ronsard (1524-1585),
Bellay (1525-1560) and Desportes (1546-1606) who seemed to them as more
‘modern’ and effective than Petrarch.
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9 In 1591, there came a ‘Sonnet sequence’ of Sidney; named as ‘Astrophel and
Stella’. It comprised one hundred and eighty sonnets and eleven songs. The theme of
most of these sonnets was the agony of despair for his unrequited love.
10 Sir Philip Sidney’s sentiments in his sonnet sequence were partly real and partly
conventional. Initially Petrarchan, Sidney’s sonnets are different from both the
Shakespearean and Petrarchan kind. In most of his sonnets the rhyme scheme is;
abba abba cdcd ee

but in a few;
abab abab cdcd ee
11 Sidney’s work opened up new horizons for the poets in England. We hardly find a
poet of that time who did not try his hand at the popular genre.
12 Edmund Spenser, the most important Elizabethan Sonneteer brought out his collection
of 88 sonnets in the form of ‘Amoretti’ in 1595.
13 The usual, though not invariable, rhyme scheme of Spenser’s sonnets is;
abab bcbc cdcd ee
which came to be known as ‘Spenserian pattern’. It will be seen that the three
quatrains are deftly interlinked through rhyme.
14 Shakespeare’s sonnets have proved an attractive bone for the generation after
generation. These sonnets, some 154, were first published in a body in 1609, which
were addressed to a young imaginary character and then a wanton lady.
15 In expressing his anguish Shakespeare lends his verses a rare glow of lyrical melody
and meditative energy which strike one as coming from a heart which really feels what
it articulates.
16 Formally, Shakespeare’s sonnets follow the rhyme scheme;
abab cdcd efef gg
which was first used by Surrey and which was the most popular among Elizabethan
Sonneteers.
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Topic # 4
Elizabethan Drama, Poetry and Prose
Elizabethan Drama:
1 During this period, the most memorable achievement that took was in the field of
Drama. In fact, Drama passed through a ‘Dramatic change’ from the ‘Miracle’ and
‘Morality’ plays to the ‘Materialistic or Secular’ plays.
2 Elizabethan Drama even violated the traditional well recognized principle of ‘Three
Unities’ (Time, Place, Action).
3 Elizabethan Drama was not just a copy of ‘Ancient Greek’ and ‘Roman Drama’, but
a kind of ‘Romantic’ one as well.
4 Elizabethan Drama gave much importance to reformed language (Literary language).

‘Blank verse’ was used to write Drama instead of Prosaic style.
5 The typical Elizabethan Dramas do not present isolation of action or situation only,
rather a piece of life of the actors. Such dramas owed much from the ‘Common
man’s’ life than the very action of some ‘Chivalric figure.’
6 The themes of the Elizabethan Drama shifted from the morality state of affairs or the
fortune of some great man to the worldliness, common daily life affairs and also to the
individual; his emotions and passions.
7 The most dominating trait was that Elizabethan drama shifted the ‘External action’ to
the ‘Internal action’, showing the Main Protagonist facing both at the same time.
8 ‘Fate’ was substituted by the ‘Character’ and ‘gods and goddess’ were replaced by
‘Supernatural’ elements and ‘Chance incidents’.
9 The second period of Elizabethan drama was dominated by the ‘University Wits’; a
professional group of literary men, headed by Marlowe and joined by Lyly, Greene,
Peele, Lodge, Kyd and Nashe. However, following are some of the major
characteristics and works of great giants of this era.
a) John Lyly (1554-1606)

His plays are mostly mythological and pastoral, written in prose intermingled with
verse. His famous works are ‘Compaspe’, ‘Endimion’, ‘Gallathea’ and ‘Midas’.
b) Robert Greene (1560-1592)

He led a very dissolute life and died in debt. He showed a variety of interest in his
plays and even ‘Comic relief’ that added to the entertainment of the audience. His
8
famous works are ‘The Comical history of Alphonsus, King of Aragon’, ‘A looking
glass for London, England’, ‘The honourable history of Friar Bacon and Friar
Bungay’, ‘The history of Orlando furioso’, and ‘The Scottish history of James
IV’.
c) George Peele (1558-1597)

He was both an actor and writer who earned his livelihood in this field, consciously
giving aesthetic beauty to his plays. His famous works are; ‘The arrangement of
Paris’, ‘The battle of Alcazar’, ‘The famous chronicle of King Edward I’, ‘The
love of King David and Fair Bathsheba’ and ‘The old wives tale’.
d) Thomas Kyd (1558-1595)

He became famous for introducing ‘Blood and thunder’ elements in Drama, which
proved an attractive feature of Pre-Shakespearean Drama. His famous work was ‘The
Spanish tragedy’, which was translated in many European languages.
e) Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593)

His contribution to Elizabethan Drama was great as he raised the subject matter of
Drama to the higher level. There were tragedies with super human heroes who
stretched the limits of human life in several ways. His language was more classically
based; more poetic style. He, in fact, introduced heroes who were men of great
strength and vitality, possessing the Renaissance characteristics, including the spirit of
adventure. He even gave beauty, dignity and unity to drama, which was formerly
lacking. He did the pioneering work on which Shakespeare built the grand edifice and
was thus rightly called ‘The father of English dramatic poetry’. His famous plays are;
‘Tamburlaine the Great’, ‘Dr. Faustus’. ‘The jew of Malta’, and ‘Edward II’.
f) William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

The greatest of all Elizabethan dramatists was no doubt Shakespeare in whose hands
the Elizabethan drama reached its climax. In spite, of not being as educated as the
University wits, his stupendous achievements are an enigma to all scholars and readers
of the present day. Endowed with a marvellous imaginative and creative mind, he
could put new life into old stories as well. Being an actor himself, it helped him to
understand human nature to the depth, and thus created the most memorable characters
ever conceived in literature. His plays exhibit different themes; both old and fresh,
exhibiting his philosophy out of them. Moreover, his style and versification are of the
highest order. In short, though he belonged to Elizabethan age, yet his ‘Universality’
made him an all time great dramatist and poet as well.
Some of his famous works are; ‘Henry VI’, ‘Richard III’, ‘The comedy of
errors’, ‘Edward II’, ‘The Merchant of Venice’, ‘Much ado about nothing’, ‘As
you like it’, ‘Hamlet’, ‘King Lear’, ‘Macbeth’, ‘Othello’, ‘The Winter’s Tale’ and
many others.
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g) Ben Jonson (1573-1637)
In spite of being the contemporary of Shakespeare, he was just the opposite in

technique, themes, style and even philosophy. Unlike Shakespeare who adopted
‘Negative Capability’, he tries to involve his own achievements and concepts in his
works, as a ‘Didactic Writer’. Mostly he wrote comedies and the famous ones are
‘Volpone’, ‘The Silent woman’, ‘The alchemist’ and many others.
Elizabethan Poetry:
1 Next to Drama, Poetry was the most popular, significance and representative literary
form of the Elizabethan age. It was in fact the Poetry of the new age of discovery,
enthusiasm and excitement.
2 It was also full of the spirit of ‘Dramatic Action’ which was a very significant aspect
of that era. Moreover, it was mostly dominated by the spirit of ‘Romance’.
3 It was in fact a period of experimentation and the writers were also influenced by the
literature of ‘Italy’ and to a less degree by those of France, Spain and Germany.
4 In the 16th century, there was a large range of the collection of ‘Lyrical verses’ which
were commonly known as the ‘Song books’. The journey of the ‘Song book’ started in
1557 with the appearance of ‘Tottel’s Miscellany’ containing the songs of Sir Thomas
Wyatt and Earl of Surrey.
5 A few of the most important collections of that era are; ‘The Paradise of Dante
Devices’, ‘A gorgeous gathering of gallant inventions’, ‘A handful of pleasant
delights’, ‘The phoenix nest’, ‘The passionate pilgrim’, ‘England’s Helicon’, and
‘Belverdere’.
6 Shakespeare, one of the greatest writers of his age wrote songs that were exquisitely
fresh and full of impressions of nature. Their tone and contents are alike and
appropriate to the occasion. His sonnets were the most important issue of Elizabethan
Poetry.
7 It is seen that Sidney, Spenser and Shakespeare were the most prominent among
Elizabethan sonneteers. Their Sonnet sequence is a combination of autobiographical
sentiments and convention. There were many other sonneteers too and about two
thousand sonnets were written in the last twenty years of the 16th Century.
8 Spenser was the representative poet of the age. His greatness as a poet does not
depend entirely on the high estimation which the writers and readers of the day placed
on ‘Faerie Queen’. It is sure that Spenser practically created a beautiful diction that
labelled him the title ‘The poet’s poet’.

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Elizabethan Prose:
1 The Elizabethan period was also the period of the origin of modern English prose. It
was in fact used as a vehicle of various forms of amusement and information. Till the
latter half of 16th century, Prose was being produced in Latin. However, with the
arrival of cheap mass printing, English prose became popular for works aiming both at
‘Fun’ and ‘Instruction’.
2 In that period, books on History, travel, adventures and translations of Italian

stories appeared in a large number. The Elizabethan writers were intoxicated with the
use of English language. They took delight in the use of flowery words and elegant
vocabulary. The Elizabethan Prose introduced many new words and phrases, but some
of the prose of this period was heavy and pompous.
3 Some of the writers tried to achieve their goal by writing ‘Periodic prose’, while
some wrote stories related with the history of England, especially its past. Then there
were writers who also wrote about the present England as well.
4 There were so many ‘Novelists’ who translated Italian stories and wrote stories of
their own following the Italian models. There were also quite a few writers who wrote
on ‘Religious’ topics. Then some pamphleteers also dealt the issues of temporary
interest.
5 The prose works of the Elizabethan era fell into two categories; ‘Fiction’ and ‘Non
Fiction’. The fiction was generally romantic in nature. Many forms of fiction were
practiced in that age; some important ones were;
a) The Romances of Lyly, Greene and Lodge.
b) The Pastoral romance of Sir Philip Sidney.
c) The Picaresque novel by Nashe.
d) The realistic novel of Delong.
On the other hand, he Non fictional works were written by Richard Hooker and
Francis Bacon.
6 The first great author of this era was John Lyly whose ‘Euphues’ was read and copied
by many writers. Its maxims and phrases were freely quoted in the court and market
place and the term ‘Euphuism’ became a common description of an artificial and
flowery style. The purpose of writing this book was to instruct the courtiers and
gentlemen how to live and so it is full of grave reflection of morals.
7 On the other hand, Sir Philip Sidney’s ‘Arcadia’ is the first example of ‘Prose
Pastoral romances, which was imitated by various English authors for about 200 years.
It was so long that it could cove 20 modern novels, but its main attraction lies in its
style which is highly poetical and exhaustive.
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Topic # 5
John Milton
1 John Milton was born on December 9, 1608. His literary bent of mind was in fact the
output of his carefully adopted schooling at St.Paul School. He was inspired by the
headmaster of the school who prescribed Christian writers as a part of syllabus.
2 Milton was the child both of ‘Renaissance’ and ‘Reformation’. His childhood was
spent at a time when Renaissance was at peak. However, his youth witnessed the raise
of ‘Puritanism’ and his old age marked the consummation of ‘Puritan ideas’.
3 Like Shakespeare, he was thoroughly acquainted with classical learning and

scholarship, but he differs from Shakespeare as he became fanatical in his religious
zeal.
4 Milton is the most autobiographical of English poets. He is in fact present in every

verse of his poetry. Moreover, his wide learning is reflected in his ‘Allusions’ he uses
in his poetry. His puritanism, religious zeal and faith in God and religion give
‘loftiness’ and sublimity to his poetry.
5 Milton is a poet not for the ‘masses’ but for the ‘learned few’. A whole treasury of
allusions to classical mythology, history, Biblical mythology and contemporary
literature is found in his poetry.
6 Milton was a great metrical artist who had used a number of meters and verse forms
with great Art and skill. His use of Blank verse, musical devices and other such
‘Poetic devices’ added uniqueness to his versification.
7 The supreme quality of his poetry is his ‘Sublimity’. Milton’s subject matter as well
as his treatment of it is quite noble. All his life he lived with great writers of ancient
Greek and great Christian teachers and saints.
8 Milton’s deep ‘Love of Beauty’ in various forms was another merit of his poetry. He
was deeply sensitive to the beauties of external nature and Art. Moreover, ‘Majesty’ is
the quality that he imparted to English Poetry that never comes down at any stage and
deals with subjects that are grand and sublime in theme.
9 Milton’s works fall into four periods:
a) The College Period: In which he wrote Latin and English poems, representing a
young man’s experimental work and are of little importance.
b) The Horton Period: In this period his four minor poems were so beautiful and
captivating that they made Milton an immortal poet. These poems were ‘L’Allegro’,
‘Il Peneseroso’, ‘Comus’ and ‘Lycidas’.
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c) Period of Religious and Political Controversies:

On his return to England, Milton at
the age of 31, turned away from poetry and for the next 20 years, worked as a prose
writer. Though his prose works were not very interesting yet they became famous for
their splendid eloquence, overburdened phrase and intense bitterness of temper.
d) The period of Great Epic:

In this period, ‘Paradise Lost’, a great Epic was composed.
It has the revolt of Satan against God, the war in Heaven, the fall of the rebel angels,
the creation of the world and Man, the temptation of Eve and Adam, and their exit
from Eden garden. His another poem ‘Paradise Regained’ is completely dominated
by puritanism. There is hardly any action in this epic as the entire space is being taken
up by ‘spiritual conflict between good and evil’. Moreover, his great dramatic poem
‘Samson Agonistes’ crowns the labour of his closing years. He took a Biblical subject
and fashioned it upon Greek tragedy with all its style and mood.
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Topic # 6
Introduction to Metaphysical and Cavalier poets
1 The term ‘Metaphysical’ is applied to those poets who belonged to the later part of
the 16th century and the 17th century as well. They were called ‘Metaphysical’ poets
not because they were highly philosophical but because their poetry was full of
conceits, exaggerations, perplexing with the meanings of words and above all display
of learning.
2 These poets were in fact ‘Men of learning’ and to show their learning was their whole
endeavour and for that they did experiments with their thought, diction, versification
and even images. They also tried to show the spiritual and moral fervour of the
‘Puritans’ in their poetry.
3 The basic characteristics of Metaphysical poetry are:
a) The Metaphysical poetry has been inspired by a philosophical conception of the

universe and the role assigned to the ‘Human spirit’ in the great drama of existence.
b) This age witnessed a gradual crumbling of old order of things, the disturbing process
of science and the scepticism which went with it.
c) John Donne and his school glorified ‘Platonic Love’ and celebrated almost unearthly
and highly traditional mistress of ‘Petrarchan tradition.’
d) The most important characteristic of the metaphysical poetry is their possession of

‘Unified sensibility’. In fact, these poets connect the abstract with the concrete, the far
off with the spiritual and the sublime with the common place.
e) The tendency of the metaphysical poets to ‘Yoke’ radically different images forcibly
together is a true manifestation of the ‘Metaphysical Wit’.
f) In style and versification these poets reacted against the school of Spenser and used
‘Prosaic’ words as if they were scientists or traders.
g) Most of the good ‘Religious poetry’ is also done by the metaphysical poets. However,
in the field of ‘Love poetry’, their contribution is considerable and quite important,
composing a versatile form of poetry.
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Some Important Metaphysical Poets
1 John Donne (1537-1631)
Donne is considered to be the leader of the ‘Metaphysical Poets’. He delivered

religious sermons, but also wrote poetry of high order which was religious as well as
amorous. His poetry can be divided into three parts; ‘Amorous, Metaphysical and
Satirical’. Donne has often been compared to Robert Browning for his metrical
roughness, obscurity, ardent imagination, taste for metaphysical and above all wit. He
deliberately broke away from the Elizabethan tradition of smooth sweetness of verse
and introduced a bit harsh and witty method. His famous works are; ‘The progress of
soul’, ‘Anatomy of the world’ and ‘Epithalamium’.
2 Robert Herrick (1591-1674)
Robert Herrick wrote amorous as well as religious poems but became famous for his
‘Love Poems’. He has much in common with the Elizabethan poets but on account of
his pensive fantasy and a meditative strain, especially in his religious verses that
include him among the metaphysical poets.
3 Thomas Carew (1598-1639)
He was one of the finest lyric writers of his age. His verses are written under the
influence of John Donne but are less obscure than his poetry. His ‘Persuasion of love’
is a fine piece of beautiful and rhythmic poetry.
4 Richard Crashaw (1613-1649)
Richard was basically a religious poet and his best work is ‘The flaming heart’.
Though less imaginative than Herrick and intellectually inferior to Carew, he still has
composed some matchless and excellent poetry.
5 Henry Vaughan (1633-1695)
Henry became famous for his intellectual as well as mystic poetry. His poetry is white
uniform and clear, tranquil and deep.
6 George Herbert (1593-1633)
He is the most widely read of all metaphysical poets except John Donne. It is due to
the clarity of his expression and the transparency of his conceits. His religious verses
are also worth praising as they are full of didacticism.
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The Cavalier Poets
1 In the Caroline period (the age of Charles I, 1625-1649) there was a remarkable
work of ‘Lyrical activity’. Most of the lyricists of that era were Courtiers.
2 On account of these Courtiers, inclination was towards the King and the court party as
against the puritans; hence these lyricist-cum-courtiers came to be known in the
history of English Literature as ‘Cavalier Poets’ or ‘Cavalier Lyricists’.
3 It may be pointed out that they did not use their poetic capabilities as a tool to
propagate political or religious ideas. They kept their Royalism away and apart from
their ‘poetic activity’.
4 All the poems written by majority of Cavalier poets were short poems; very few of
them comprising above a hundred words.
5 Even though they are both urban and urbane, still sometimes show intense love of
such natural objects as trees, plants, birds and even country scenes.
6 All of these poets exhibit an admiration for simplicity as against the sophisticated
culture of the court, and also none of them shows any real intensity of feelings that we
have come to associate with Elizabethan lyricists.
7 The idioms and diction used by them reflect the flavour of aristocratic speech.
8 A kind of ‘dramatic quality’ in their poetry is due to Donne’s influence. In more

general terms, Donne gave them the tendency of ‘introspective self-analysis’.
9 There was another guiding spirit for them; Ben Jonson. Indeed most of them felt
proud of calling themselves ‘Sons of Ben’, or the members of the ‘Tribe of Ben’.
They followed his clarity of expression, control of emotion, felicity of phrase and
sophistication of tone.
10 The Cavalier poets concentrated on short poems and lyrics dealing with the themes of
‘love of woman’ and ‘the love or fear of God’. They normally wrote about trivial
subjects while the Metaphysical poets wrote generally about serious subjects.
Moreover, they wrote in a lighter vein, yet couldn’t escape from the seriousness of
Puritanism.
11 Among the Cavalier poets may also be mentioned the names of Herrick, Carew,
Suckling and Lovelace.
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Topic # 7
Augustine Literature
1 The 18th century in England is called the ‘Classical age’, ‘Augustine age’, ‘Age of
Reason’ and above all the ‘Neo-Classical’ age.
2 It was a movement that was launched against the ‘Elizabethan Romanticism’ and
‘The Metaphysical affectation and obscurity’ belonging to the 17th Century.
3 It is called the Classical age as the writers of this period ardently followed the rules
and conventions established by the classical writers especially Horace and Aristotle.
4 It is also called the Neo-Classical age as its writers followed the ancient classical
writers only in the ‘External performance’ and lacked their ‘Sublimity and
grandeur’; hence it is called ‘Pseudo-Classicism’ as well.
5 It is called the age of ‘Reason’ and ‘Good sense’ because more emphasis was laid on
‘Logical and reasonable’ writing which affected the conduct of people in a positive
manner.
Introduction to Augustine Satire
1 ‘Satire’ is a mode of writing in which social affectations and vices are ridiculed. In it
the satirist mocks at the individual and folly of society, with the purpose to correct
Man’s conduct.
2 The golden age of satire in England was the late 17th century and the first half of the
18th century. It is seen that all satire arises from the sense of dissatisfaction, despair,
amusement, anger or disgust at the departure of things from their ideals.
3 During this age people were disgusted with the ‘profligacy and frivolity’ of the
restoration period and they insisted upon those elementary decencies of life and
conduct which led to the writing of ‘Social satire’.
4 In the poetry of this age ‘form’ became more important than ‘substance’; the love of
superficial polish led to the establishment of highly artificial and conventional style
where ‘Closed couplet’ suited very well to the social satire, especially to the artificial
fashionable society.
5 There were three formative and guiding influences on satire in the 18th century:
a) The tradition of Roman Augustine satire of Horace is quite apparent in the works of
Pope, Dr. Johnson and some others.
b) The tradition of French satire of the Neo-Classicism school like Boileau influenced
Dryden to compose a ‘Mock-Epic’ poem named ‘Mac Flecknoe’.
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c) Last but not the least is the influence of Dryden on pope who has been designated
‘Dryden’s poetical son’. ‘The Duncaid’ composed by Pope shows the influence of
‘Mac Flecknoe’.
Some famous Satirical poets of this Era
1 Alexander Pople (1688-1744)
Pope is considered as the ‘Prince of Classicism’. In spite of being very small in

stature and even remaining sick, still he left a great mark in the field of literature. He
was highly intellectual and witty poet. His poetry was intellectual, didactic and
satirical. Almost all his poetry is written in heroic couplet. Moreover, lucid expression
gives distinction to his poetry. His poetry reflects the spirit of his day. Being an
intellectual, his poetry appeals to mind more than heart. He is also considered to be a
master of ‘Mock heroic’ or ‘Mock Epic’ poetry. In short, he is famous for converting
his learning of Greek writers and their art in his poetry through different references.
His famous works are ‘Rape of the Lock’ and ‘Duncaid’.
2 Dr Johnson (1709-1784)
His famous works are ‘London’, ‘The vanity of Human wishes’.
3 Methew Prior (1644-1721)

‘Soloman on the vanity of World’, ‘The Progress of the mind’.
4 John Gray (1685-1732)

‘Rural sports’, ‘Art of walking the streets of London’, ‘Black eyed Susan’.
Some famous prose satirists of this Era

1 Daniel Defoe (1661-1731)
‘Robinson Crusoe’, ‘Captain Singleton’.
2 Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)

‘Gulliver’s travels’, ‘The tale of a tub’, ‘The battle of books’.
3 Joseph Edison (1672-1719) & Sir Richard Steele (1672-1729)
Both of them worked together; their famous works are ‘The tatler’, ‘The Spectator’.
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Topic # 8
The Rise of the Novel
Rise of novel from beginning till Jane Austen. (Already discussed in the Ist semester)
Some additional details
Some famous Novelists from 18th Century till Jane Austen
1 Daniel Defoe (1661-1731)
He was considered to be the originator of novel, though some of his novels were
considered to be modern in their approach. He is also famous for his faithful portrayal
of human life and characters, which made them look quite realistic. His famous works
are ‘Robinson Crusoe’, ‘Captain Singleton’, ‘Moll flanders’, ‘Roxana’.
2 Samuel Richardson (1689-1761)
He is credited with the writing the first modern novel ‘Pamela’ or ‘Virtue
Rewarded’, which was written in Epistolary form. In almost all his novels,
Richardson’s purpose was quite didactic; also probing into the inner working of the
human mind, thus writing psychological novel as well. That is why it is said that
Richardson’s main contribution is that he for the first time he told stories of human life
from within, depending for their interest not on incidents or adventures but on their
truth to human nature. His famous novels are ‘Pamela or Virtue Rewarded’,
‘Clarissa or the history of a young lady’, ‘Sir Charles Grandison’.
3 Henry Fielding (1707-1754)
He was considered to be the greatest novelist of the 18th century, who became famous
for his realism, social satire and above all his experiment in ‘Comic epic in prose’. In
his novels we find a very coarse, vigorous, hilarious and even vulgar approach to life.
Hence, his realism also demonstrates the apparent behaviour of people besides their
inner behaviour as well. He is called the ‘Father of English Novel’ because he was the
first to give genuine pictures of men and women of his age, without moralising over
their vices and virtues. ‘Joseph Andrews’, ‘Jonathan Wild’, ‘The history of Tom
Jones’ and ‘Amelia’.
4 Tobais Smollett (1721-1771)
He was also famous for writing picaresque novels just like Henry Fielding, which
were full of continuous laughter and farcical situations, and even exaggeration. He is
in fact considered to be the originator of ‘Funny novel’, which was later brought to
the climax by Charles Dickens. His famous novels are ‘Roderik Random’,
‘Peregrine Pickle’, ‘Humphery clinker’.
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5 Laurence Sterne (1713-1768)
He was considered to be the opposite of Smollett in the sense that whereas we find
horrors and brutalities in the novel of Smollett, in Stern’s we find whims, vagaries and
sentimental tears. His novels also have a psychological touch in them. His novels are
also replete with sentimentality, along with humour and indecency found the world
that he depicts. He makes us smile and well as sad at the same time. His famous
novels are ‘Tristram Shandy’, ‘A sentimental journey through France and Italy’.
6 Oliver Goldsmith (1728-1774)
He wrote in one novel; ‘Vicar of Wakefield’, which depicts the domestic with an
enduring romantic interest. It is free from vulgarity and coarseness, rather emphasis on
domestic virtues and purity of character.
7 Jane Austen (1775-1817)
Jane Austen is considered to be one of the greatest novelists of the Romantic age,
though she was not Romantic by temperament, rather her approach was that of the
Classical writers. She brought good sense and balance to the English novel which
during the Romantic age had become too emotional and unprincipled. She in fact
refined and simplified the English novel, making it a true reflection of English life.
Her range of writing was quite narrow and limited, but she perfected it even in that
limitation. Her famous novel are ‘Pride and Prejudice’, ‘Sense and Sensibility’,
‘Emma’, ‘Mansefield Park’, ‘Northanger Abbey’ and ‘Persuasion’.
8 Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832)
Sir Walter Scott’s qualities as a novelist were vastly different from those of Jane
Austen. Whereas she painted domestic miniatures, Scott depicted pageantry of history
on broader canvases, giving a diffusive and digressive picture of life. He mostly deals
with the chivalric, exciting, romantic and adventurous life of the Highlanders; people
living on the boarder of England and Scotland. He also reveals himself as a
consummate story teller and historian as well. He was very much concerned about the
Plot construction of his novel, and let the scenes speak for themselves. His famous
novels are ‘Guy Mannering’, ‘The Antiquary’, ‘Old Morality’ and ‘The Heart of
Midlothian’.
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Rise of Gothic Novel

The Gothic Novel basically started at the end of 18th Century, but it got its real momentum in
the 19th Century. It was considered to be a story that was full of dead victims, tyrants,
supernatural intrusions, mysteries and secrets. There were many imitators of this form of
writing which was getting famous among the reading public. Though Horace Walpole (1717-
1797) was the greatest Gothic novelist of the 18th century, yet the most popular of the writers
of ‘Terror’ or ‘Gothic’ novel during the early 19th century was Mrs. Ann Radcliffe (1764-
1823), of whose five novels, the best known are ‘The Mysteries of Udolpho’ and ‘Italian’.
She initiated the mechanism of the ‘Terror’ tale practiced by Horace Walpole, but combined
it with sentimental but effective description of scenery. Her novels became very famous as
they also influenced great writer like Byron, Shelley and later even the Bronte Sisters.
Though Mrs. Radcliffe was the prominent writer of ‘Gothic’ novels, yet there were a few
other novelists who earned popularity by writing such novels. They were ‘Mathew Gregory
Lewis (1775-1818), who wrote ‘The Monk’, ‘Tales of Terror’ and ‘Tales of Wonder’;
and Charles Robert Maturin, whose ‘Melmoth the Wanderer’ exerted great influence in
France. But the most popular of all ‘Terror’ tales was ‘Frankestein’ written by Mrs.
Shelley, and is even considered to be perhaps the only one that is popular even today.
‘
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Topic # 9
Introduction to Romanticism
Note: Introduction already discussed in Semester I
Some Great Romantic Poets and their famous works

1 William Wordsworth (1770-1850)
William Wordsworth was one of the greatest poets of Romantic age; even considered
to be the pioneer of Romantic Movement. He wrote a lot of poetry but became famous
because of his poetry related with Man, Nature and Human life. He also became
famous because of his simple diction, simple and pure passion and life depicted in his
poetry. He wrote both long and short poetry which became equally famous. His
famous works are: ‘To Milton’, ‘The West Minster bridge’, ‘The world is too
much with us’, ‘Ode to duty’, ‘Ode on intimation of Immortality’, ‘The Prelude’,
‘The Recluse’ and ‘The Excursion’.
2 S.T.Coleridge (1772-1834)
Like Wordsworth, he was also considered to be the pioneer of Romantic Movement.

However, his poetry is recognised for its supernatural, mysterious and highly
adventurous poetry. He is also famous for writing a variety of poetry that became
famous for its diction, subject, theme, characters and above all height of poetic
imagination. His famous works are; ‘Religious musings’, ‘Ode to the departing
year’, ‘The ancient Mariner’, ‘Christabel’, ‘Kubla khan’, ‘Dejection; an Ode’
and ‘Youth and Age’.
3 Robert Southey (1774-1843)
Though be a Romantic poet, he still lacked some aspects that couldn’t make him a
great poet, and not as famous as other Romantic Poets. He also experimented in a
number of types of poetry, and his famous works are; ‘Thalaba’, ‘ The Curse of
Kehama’, ‘Life of Nelson’.
4 Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832)
He was also a famous name in the Romantic age. His poetry is not as imaginative and
suggestive as the early poets; still it attracts the readers for its diction, content and
narrative style. His favous works are; ‘Lady of the lake’, ‘ The lady of the last
minstrel’, ‘ The lord of the Isles’.
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5 Lord Byron (1788-1824)
Byron also won laurels in the Romantic age for his poetry that was highly imaginative,
adventurous and even revolutionary. He was quite an egotistical poet among the
Romantics, as his personality and personal experience are reflected clearly in his
works. He also became famous for his conversational style and writing poetry which
was comic and satirical as well. His famous works are; ‘English bards and scotch
reviewers’, ‘The girl child Harold pilgrimage’, ‘ The vision of judgement’.
6 P.B.Shelley (1792-1822)
Shelley became famous for his revolutionary idealism that he propagates in his poetry
as well. He was also considered to be a poet of hope and faith; a visionary dreaming of
the Golden age. Like Byron, he was also influenced by French Revolution, which is
clearly reflected in his verses as well. He also became famous as a great Lyricist
because he excelled a lot in this particular form, giving it beauty and depth that it
required. His famous works are; ‘Queen Mab’, ‘The revolt of Islam’, ‘Alastor’,
‘Prometheus Unbound’, ‘The triumph of life’, ‘Skylark’, ‘ Stanzas written in
dejection’, ‘Ode to the west wind’, ‘Ode to intellectual beauty’.
7 John Keats (1795-1821)
Of all the Romantic poets, Keats was a poet, who passion was to seek Beauty land
Truth in his poetry. His poetry is totally different from some of the Romantic poets as
he avoided social, political and literary turmoils, but devoted himself entirely to the
worship of Beauty and Truth. Though he died young, yet his poetry is considered to be
very mature; especially his odes. As an artist there are very few poets that came near
him in his high ideals, meditative poetry and sensuousness. His famous works are;
‘Isabella’, ‘ The eve of St.Agnes and Lamia’, ‘ Hyperion’, ‘ La Belle Dame Sans
Merci’, ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn’, ‘ Ode to Psyche’, ‘Ode to Nightingale’, ‘Ode to
Autumn’, ‘Ode on Melancholy’, and ‘ Ode to Fancy
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Topic # 10
Victorian Literature ( Poetry and Novel)
Introduction to Victorian Poetry:
1 The Victorian Age in English literature began in the second quarter of the 19th
Century, starting from 1832 with the passing of the first Reform Act, 1832. It was a
fact that England was fast turning from an agricultural into a manufacturing country.
2 The Victorian age was so versatile in literature of every form that it was divided into
two periods; Early and Later Victorian period.
3 Great poets like Tennyson, Browning, Rossetti, Swinburne and Morris worked in this
period. Rossetti, Swinburne and Morris were the main protagonists of new movement
called the ‘Pre-Raphaelite Movement’, which was followed by ‘Aesthetic
Movement’.
4 All these great poets had a definite moral purpose while composing poetry, having
faith in their message to uplift and instruct the readers. For this reason this age was
fundamentally an age of realism rather than of romance.
5 The spirit of Romanticism also continued to influence the poets of this age. This
influence was quite visible in the works of Tennyson, Browning, Rossetti and
Swinburne. In fact, after 1870 we find that the romantic inspiration was again in vogue
in the shape of the ‘Pre-Raphaelite Movement’ and ‘Aesthetic Movement’.
6 The Victorian age and especially poetry exhibits a complex mixture of two opposing
elements: Classicism and Romanticism. It was inclined towards Classicism on account
of its rational approach to the problems of life, a search for balance and stability and a
deeply moral attitude, but it was also inclined towards the spirit of Romanticism.
7 The most important poets during the early Victorian period were Tennyson and
Browning. The former was even considered to be ‘Decidedly the greatest of our
living poets’. On the other hand Browning recognition came become of his famous
‘Dramatic Monologues’. The early poetry of both these poets had the influence of the
spirit of Romanticism, but it was Romanticism with a difference. Tennyson recognised
an affinity with Byron and Keats; Browning with Shelley, but their romanticism no
longer implied an attitude of revolt against conventional modes.
8 Though the writers of the new age still persisted in deriving inspiration from the past,
yet under the spell of the marvels of science, they looked forward rather than
backward.
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Some famous Poets of the Victorian Age

1 Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892)
He is the most representative poet of the Victorian Era. His poetry is a record of the
intellectual and spiritual life of his time. In his poetry, there is a conflict between
science and religion, doubt and faith, materialism and spiritualism. Moreover, he is
essentially a poet of law and order, and even progress. He is noteworthy for the even
perfection of his style and his wonderful mastery of language which is at once simple
and ornate. As far as ‘Nature’ is concerned, his approach towards it quite realistic and
sometimes even pessimistic. His famous works are ‘In Memoriam’, ‘Lockslay Hall’,
‘The Princess’, ‘Idylls of Kings’, ‘Break break break’, ‘Idle tears’, and many
others.
2 Robert Browning (1812-1889)
Browning became famous for his ‘Dramatic Monologues’ which was conceived and
propagated by him, giving a new form to poetry. His Monologues basically express
the inner and outer conflicts of his characters that became very famous in poetry. They
are also considered to be ‘Soul’s digestion’, which sometimes even makes his poetry
quite obscure. His famous works are ‘Pauline’, ‘Paracelus’, ‘ Sordello’, ‘Dramatic
Lyrics’, ‘Dramatic Romances and Lyrics’, ‘Men and Women’, ‘Dramatis
Personae’, ‘The last ride together’, ‘Fra Lippo Lippi’, ‘My Last Duchess’, and
some others.
3 Mathew Arnold (1822-88)
Another great poet of this era is Mathew Arnold, who became famous because of his
poetry as well as Critical prose. His poetry shows a close influence of the Neo-
Classical poets, and is different from his contemporaries like Tennyson and Browning.
He gave emphasis on correctness in poetry; meant a scheme of literature which picks
and choses according to standards set by the great writers of the past. That’s why he
looks for high seriousness in his poetry. His famous works are ‘Requiescat’, ‘Strayed
Reveller’, ‘Sohrab and Rustum’, ‘The Scholar Gipsy’ and some others.
4 Some Minor Poets:

‘Mrs. Browning’, ‘Clough’, ‘Elizabeth Barrett’

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Introduction to Victorian Novel

(Already discussed in the Ist semester)
Some famous Novelists of the Victorian Age

1 Charles Dickens (1812-1870):
Dickens was one of the greatest novelists England had ever produced. He started his
career as a journalist and gained valuable experience of the world around him. He
adopted the burlesque form of novel writing but built it on scientific bases. His novels
are to some extent autobiographical. Moreover, he observed with keen eye the changes
which the ‘Industrial Revolution’ brought into England in his time. He made novel a
speaking picture of the society. His novels are marked by his interest in social reform
and reflected his fertile imagination in them. However, Humour and Humanity are two
outstanding characteristics of his art, well reflected in his art of characterisation, for
which he was very famous. His famous works are; ‘Pickwick Papers’, ‘Oliver
Twist’, ‘David Copper Field’, ‘Hard Times’, ‘Little Dorril’, ‘Our Mutual Friend’,
‘Great Expectations’, and above all ‘A Tale of two cities’.
2 William Thackeray (1811-1863):
He also came to literature through journalism; having a keen eye on social pretension;
disparity between professed and actual motives. He is essentially a social satirist and a
realist, attacking snobbery and affectation. He analysed with skill both the upper
middle class and aristocratic society and attacked its pretension, deception and vanity.
He is a realist who presented his characters as he saw them, untouched by sentiments
and the touch of caricature. His satire is always tempered with kindness and humour.
His famous works are; ‘Vanity Fair’, ‘Pendennis’, ‘The New Comers’, ‘Henry
Esmond’, and ‘The Virginias’.
3 Thomas Hardy (1840-1928):
Hardy is one of the prominent novelists of the Victorian era, who gave a new depth
and gravity to English novel. He gave creative and poetic imagination to novel which
transmuted everything he touched into gold. Thus his unique distinction as a novelist
is the combination of ‘fantasy’ and ‘reality’. He is known to be a ‘pessimist’ in his out
look towards life; that’s why most of his novels are pure tragedies. He ardently
believes in the role of Fate, Chance and Coincidence in his novels, showing his
characters a victim to all these mysterious elements of nature. However, his style as a
whole is admirable, clear, straight forward and unpretentious. His famous works are;
‘The Woodlanders’, ‘The Return of the Native’, ‘Far from the madding crowd’,
‘The Mayor of Casterbridge’, ‘Tess of the D’urbervilles’ and ‘Jude the Obscure’.
26
4 George Eliot (1819-1880):
George Eliot occupies an important position in the history of English fiction, elevating
it to the level of seriousness, so that it was no longer considered to be mere
entertainment. She was a pioneer in psychological analysis in fiction and her serious
concern with the problems of human personality and its relationship with forces
outside, did much to determine the future course of English novel. She was an
intellectual writer as her mind was always active, analysing and generalising why and
how different things happen. And her wider intellectual interests did lead her to
portray human life in those deeper aspects, thus stressing more on character rather
than upon incident. In short, in her novels we often see the ‘Clash of circumstances
with human will’. His famous novels are; ‘Adam Bede’, ‘The Mill on the Floss’,
‘Silas Mariner’, ‘Romola’ and ‘Middlemarch’.
However, some of the minor novelists of the Victorian age are Benjamin Disaeli,
Bronte Sisters, Mrs. Gaskell, Charles Kingsley, Charles Reede, Wilkie Collins,
Trollope and some others.

27
Topic # 11
Introduction to Modern Literature (Poetry, Drama, Novel)
Introduction to Modern Drama
1 After the death of Shakespeare and his contemporaries drama in England suffered a
decline for about two centuries. Even Congreve in the 17th Century and Sheridan and
Goldsmith in the 18th Century could not restore drama to the position of Elizabethan
age. It was almost at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of 20th Century that
drama once again started getting momentum.
2 Two main factors were responsible for the revival of drama at the end of the 19 th
century; one was the influence of Ibsen with whom Bernard Shaw introduced Social
drama in England that turned out to be a great success. The second was the cynical
atmosphere prevailing at that time, which allowed men like Oscar Wilde to write
comedy of ideas or purpose, and even revived Comedy of Manners or the Artificial
comedy.
3 Under the influence of Ibsen the serious drama from 1890 taught men that the real
drama must deal with human emotions, with things which are near and dear to
ordinary men and women, thus pure realistic social drama came into play, dealing with
the aristocrats, middle class and even the labouring class.
4 The new dramatist dealt mainly with the problems of sex, of labour and youth,
fighting against romantic love, capitalism and parental authority which were the
characteristic features of Victorianism.
5 Influenced by the philosophy of Schopenhauer and Freud, the new dramatists no

longer held love or relation between the sexes as something sacred or romantic as their
forefathers did. They looked upon it as a biological phenomenon directed by nature.
Thus these dramatists introduced Nature and Life in drama.
6 In the new drama of ideas, inner conflict was also substituted for outer conflict, with
the result that drama started discussing the ‘Soul’ and the psychological problems
related with life. Moreover, the emphasis on the inner conflict led some of the modern
dramatists to make their protagonists not men but unseen forces, thereby making wider
and larger the sphere of drama.
7 In the field of non-serious comedy there was a revival in the 20th century, of the
Comedy of Manners. The modern period to a great extent, is like the Augustan period,
because of the return of the witty and satirical comedy. Though this new comedy of
manners is often purely fanciful and dependent for its effect upon pure wit, at times it
becomes cynical and bitter when dealing with social problems.
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Some famous Dramatists of the Modern Age
1 George Barnard Shaw (1856-1950)

He was one of the greatest dramatists of the Modern Age. He became famous as a
social reformer as he wrote on issues dealing with critical social problems prevailing
in the world. His plays are quite didactic and influence the readers very well. He tries
to show his characters in conflict with the prevailing tyrant issues such as mental
servitude, moral slavery, superstition, sentimentalism, selfishness and all other rotten
and irrational ideas. His famous works are; ‘Mrs. Warren’s Profession’, ‘Widower’s
House’, ‘Man and Superman’, ‘Getting Married’, ‘Doctor’s Dilemma’, and some
others.
2 Oscar Wilde (1856-1900)

He was also a famous dramatist of his age; more because of his skill as a craftsman;
having a style that was epigramitic, graceful, polished and witty. His famous works
are; ‘Lady Windermere’s Fan’, ‘A woman of no importance’and ‘The importance
of being Earnest’.
3 John Galsworthy (1867-1933)

He was considered to be the most important dramatist and novelist in the field of
‘Naturalism’, as he believed in writing the natural phenomenon in a realistic manner.
He desired to reproduce the natural spectacle of life, presenting it with detachment;
having sympathy for the poor and unprivileged class; whom he advocates in his plays.
His style of writing is quite simple, having singleness of purpose in his plays which
are easy to understand. His famous works are; ‘Srife’, ‘Justice’, ‘The Skin Game’
and ‘The Silver Box’. Whereas his famous novels are; ‘The man of
property’,‘Faternity’,‘The White Monkey’ and ‘The Silver Spoon’
4 Henrik John Ibsen (1828-1900)

He is generally acknowledged as the founder of the modern prose drama. He is also a
social reformer, and was also considered a progressive writer, however, he was seen as
a moral preacher. The principles of Ibsen’s teaching, his moral ethic, were that
honesty in facing facts was the first requisite of a decent life. Being a member of male
dominated society, and a male himself, Ibsen felt the need for the emancipation of
individuals, especially of women. His famous works are; ‘Hedda Gabler’, ‘The Wild
Duck’ ‘The Doll’s House’ and ‘Nora’.
5 Some Minor Dramatists:

Harley Granville Barker (1877-1946)
John Mansfield (1878-1967)
Lady Gregory (1852-1932)
John Millington Synge (1871-1909)
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Introduction to Modern Novel: (Already discussed in 1st Semester)
Some famous Novelists of the Modern Age
1 H.G. WELL: (1866-1946)
He is considered to be the greatest revolutionary, exerting a tremendous influence on

the minds of his contemporaries. He was the most creative and energetic novelist who
totally discarded past in the favour of science and the present development as well. He
wrote the scientific romances known as ‘science fiction’. He also tried his hand on the
‘domestic novel’and ‘sociological novel’ in which he showed his concern for
humanity. His famous works are:‘The Time Machine’,‘The War of the
Worlds’,‘The First Man in the Moon’,‘The Food of Gods’ and some others.
2 ARNOLD BENNET : (1863-1931)
Arnold was a true historian and philosopher, believing in pure craftsmanship in

novel writing, least interested in being a teacher or a preacher, rather a true expositor
of society. He in fact looked at the world as a spectator and recorded in his novels his
impression with complete detachment about the delight, misery and distress of life.
That’s why he was also considered to be a ‘naturalistic novelist’. His famous novels
are: ‘The Old Wives’ Tale’,‘Clay hanger’,‘Riceyman Steps’,‘Buried Alive’,‘The
Card’ and ‘The Grand Babylon Hotel’
3 HENRY JAMES (1843-1916)
Henry James. one of the important novelists of English literature, was basically an
American, naturalized in England. He was the least pessimistic of all his contemporary
writers. He was a conscious artist who gave much emphasis to form and style, besides
probing the mind of sensitive character. His novels are mostly concerned with simple
situation of daily life, but are pregnant with the most complex psychological effects.
His famous novels are :‘The Europeans’,‘What Maria Knew’,‘The Golden
Bowl’,‘The Spoils of Poynton’ and ‘The Sense of the Past’
4 JOSEPH CONRAD: (1857-1924)
Joseph Conrad, considered to be the follower of Henry James technique, wrote

exquisite English and was gifted with great love for humanity which can well be seen
the way he discusses them and their problems in his novel. The target of his intension
was none else but the disintegration and discrimination lying in the world. Though he
always worked as a detached observer, yet his psychological insight is worth
mentioning. Hence he mostly portrays character that are in conflict with themselves,
who are frustrated by their own passions and impulses. His famous novels are : ‘Heart
of darkness’,‘Lord Jim’,‘Typhoon’,‘Nostromo’ and ‘The Nigger of the Narcissus’
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5 E.M.FOSTER : (1879-1970)
Foster is one of the stars of the modern novel, belonging to the tradition of cultural
liberalism. In his early years, he admired the liberal tradition of western civilization,
which had given opportunities for leisure and personal relations but as time passed and
especially after the first World War, he became more and more aware of the darker
side of picture, and his attitude became gravely reflected, thus changing his attitude
from cultural liberalism to parliamentary democracy which seemed to him the only
hope of modern world of stress and strain. Hence, in his novels, there is always a
conflict between good and evil prevailing in a world. In short, in all his novels Forster
has expressed and strongly affirmed his faith in the individual and it is this
fundamental element in his philosophy which has given him a place of emotional
honour among the modern English novelist: ‘Where Angles Fear to Tread’,‘The
Longest Journey’,‘A Room with a View’,‘In Howard’s End’ and ‘Passage to
India’
6 JAMES JOYCE: (1882-1914)
James Joyce, a modern novelist was famous for his unique and extraordinary genius,
his gifted technique and an acute response to observe details. By temperament he was
an artist symbolist. He tried to propagate the atmosphere of frustration aimlessness and
disintegration found around him. He, therefore, thought to explore the unconscious
record of our psychic and psychological adjustments, would be a fascinated study if
taken up by a novelist well illustrated in his ‘Stream of Consciousness’. His famous
novels ‘The Dublin’s’, ‘A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man’, ‘Exiles’
and‘Ulysses’
7 VIRGINIA WOOLF: (1882-1941)
Virginia woolf was the most distinctive woman novelist who used the technique of
‘stream of consciousness’ to the best. She was a master in probing deep into the
mind of the character, delineating its working to the maximum. She mostly ignored the
outer personality of the character and was most interested in the inner one,
exhibiting psychologically thoughts, feelings and impression of a particular character.
Her famous novels are: ‘The Voyage out’, ‘Night and Day’, ‘Jacob’s Room’, ‘Mrs.
Dalloway’and ‘To the Lighthouse’.
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Introduction to Modern poetry
1. Modern poetry has followed entirely a different tradition from the Romantic and
Victorian tradition, as it has its own poetical subject, poetical material and even
poetical mood to exhibit in its poetry for the modern readers. The moderns feel that
imagination and logic combined together are essential ingredients to seek the basic
truths of life, which are perhaps left unrealized by human beings.
2 They, in fact, considered poetry to be a journey into the inner universe and an
exploration of the genuine self, unlocking the doors of those complex issues that lie
inside the mind.
3 We also find ‘Imagism’ and ‘Symbolism’ in modern poetry. The business of the
symbolist was to express his individual sensations and perceptions in a language
which seemed best suited to convey his basic thought to the readers. The imagists also
tried their level best to adopt those images that could convey the thought very aptly
though sometimes allegorically to the readers through their varied images.
4 The two wars and impending danger of a third, and perhaps the last, have cast a
gloomy shadow on much of the poetry of the 20 th century. It is for these reasons that
the modern age has also been called the ‘Age of Anxiety’. In spite of material
prosperity, people are full of tension and anxiety which is almost an inseparable
feature of modern living. In addition lacks of religious faith, scepticism,
disillusionment and autumnal gloom have become natural to modern poetry.
5 Besides talking about the harsh realistic aspects of life, the modern poets also
sometimes show their inclination towards the ‘Romantic Tendencies’ in their poetry,
even showing interest in ‘Nature’ as it provides them a wonderful contrast with the
ugliness lying in the modern and over sophisticated world.
6 Religion and Mysticism also find a place in the work of some poets of the 20th
century. This inclination towards religion and mysticism adds didacticism, philosophy
and answer to so many problems faced by man related with life and religion in
particular.
7 The modern changes and movement in the 20th century also contributed in changing
the ‘Diction’ and ‘Metre’ in this era. New experiments were being done in metre,
discarding any inclination towards set patterns in versification.
8 The dominating subject of modern poetry is no doubt ‘Man and his predicament’.
The themes which have captured the attention of modern poets are man’s rightful
place in this world, struggle for survival, inner conflicts, the problems of human
choice, horrifying reality of death, affiliation between man and animal instinct
and above all the universality of human misery and sadness.
32
Some famous Poets of the Modern Age
1 Robert Bridges: (1840-1930)
He is considered to be more a Victorian poet than a Modern. His poetry is mostly
inclined towards aristocratic themes, as he also belonged to aristocracy. Like nature
poets he also beautifully portrays English landscapes, clear streams, gardens and songs
of birds. He in fact carries on the tradition of Milton, Wordsworth, and Tennyson,
quite contrary to his contemporaries. He also became famous for his lyrics, which are
as elegant and musical as they should be. His famous works are; ‘The Testament of
Beauty’, ‘A passer by’, ‘London snow’, ‘The Dawns’, ‘The Growth of Love’and
‘The Villagers’.
2 John Mansfield: (1878-1967)

He has been a poet Laureate since 1930, and wrote poetry on almost all topics related
with the life of modern man. He wrote lyrics, serious poems and simple poetry as well.
His poetry also shows the horrible destruction of world wars and its tragic
consequences on human beings. His famous works are; ‘The Tragedy of Nan’, ‘The
Everlasting Mercy’, ‘The Daffodil Fields’, and some others.
3 T.S.Eliot: (1888-1965)
He was the greatest among the modern English Poets and even Critics, and had
influenced the modern poetry more than any other artist. He was a classicist and
innovator at the same time; besides being a stern realist. He was a believer of
Traditionalism in art and literature, and even had a sense of order, morality and
reformation in him. He had equal command in poetry and prose as well and excelled
in both these fields. He also believed in the use of modern language, technique and
even subjects; instead of following the old outdated topics. His poetry has a
regenerative touch as well, as he was fully aware of the baffling problems which
mankind was facing in the present times. His famous works are; ‘The love song of J.
Alfred Prufrock’, ‘The wasteland’, ‘Burnt Norton’, ‘East Coker’ and some others.
4 W.B.Yeats: (1875-1939)
An Irish poet, W.B Yeats also had a great influence on the contemporary poets. By
temperament he was a dreamer, a visionary, who fell under the spell of the folk-lore
and superstitions of the Irish peasantry. Like them he believed in fairies, gnomes and
demons; even in the truth of dreams. Being disillusioned by lack of harmony and
strength in modern culture, he tried to revive the ancient spells and incantations, unity
and a spirit of integration in modern civilization. His use of symbolism and imagism is
quite mysterious, evoking complex emotions and thoughts as well. His famous works
are; ‘The wanderings of Oisin’, ‘The wind among the Reeds’, ‘The shadowy
waters’, ‘The wild swan at coole’ and some other poems.
Some other poets of the 20th century are; Gerand Manley Hopkins, A.E.Houseman,
G.K Chesterton, W. H Davis, Walter De La Mare, D. H Lawrence, Laurence
Binyon, Ezra pound, Wilfred Owen and many others.

syedwaqasattiq@gmail.com 33

History BS Literature 2nd Semester (2018)

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History BS Literature 2nd Semester (2018)

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Ghazi Foundation Prof.

Naseer Ahmad Ghazi

Department of English Language and literature

Serial Course Outline

1 The early periods of English Literature are known as:

a) The ‘Anglo-Saxon’ period or ‘Old English period’ (450-1100).

a) The beginning of hundred year war with France.

a) Rise of national consciousness.

a) ‘A vision of Piers the Plowman’ (William Langland)

FINE OPP GMC SKT3138681678

6 Renaissance brought a greater understanding of beauty; it meant the birth of

7 In Renaissance period, the ‘Human values’ came to be recognized as permanent

1 Reformation was started in Europe by a German Clergyman, named Martin Luther,

4 Spenser was much influenced by the ‘Spirit of Reformation’ which he tried to

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abab, cdcd, efef, gg

abba abba cdcd ee

abab bcbc cdcd ee

16 Formally, Shakespeare’s sonnets follow the rhyme scheme;

abab cdcd efef gg

4 Elizabethan Drama gave much importance to reformed language (Literary language).

a) John Lyly (1554-1606)

b) Robert Greene (1560-1592)

c) George Peele (1558-1597)

d) Thomas Kyd (1558-1595)

e) Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593)

f) William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

In spite of being the contemporary of Shakespeare, he was just the opposite in

FINE OPP GMC SKT3138681678

2 In that period, books on History, travel, adventures and translations of Italian

3 Like Shakespeare, he was thoroughly acquainted with classical learning and

4 Milton is the most autobiographical of English poets. He is in fact present in every

9 Milton’s works fall into four periods:

c) Period of Religious and Political Controversies:

d) The period of Great Epic:

3 The basic characteristics of Metaphysical poetry are:

a) The Metaphysical poetry has been inspired by a philosophical conception of the

d) The most important characteristic of the metaphysical poetry is their possession of

1 John Donne (1537-1631)

Donne is considered to be the leader of the ‘Metaphysical Poets’. He delivered

2 Robert Herrick (1591-1674)

3 Thomas Carew (1598-1639)

4 Richard Crashaw (1613-1649)

5 Henry Vaughan (1633-1695)

6 George Herbert (1593-1633)

The Cavalier Poets

8 A kind of ‘dramatic quality’ in their poetry is due to Donne’s influence. In more

Some famous Satirical poets of this Era

1 Alexander Pople (1688-1744)

Pope is considered as the ‘Prince of Classicism’. In spite of being very small in

3 Methew Prior (1644-1721)

4 John Gray (1685-1732)

Some famous prose satirists of this Era

2 Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)

3 Joseph Edison (1672-1719) & Sir Richard Steele (1672-1729)

Some additional details

Some famous Novelists from 18th Century till Jane Austen

1 Daniel Defoe (1661-1731)

2 Samuel Richardson (1689-1761)

3 Henry Fielding (1707-1754)

4 Tobais Smollett (1721-1771)

6 Oliver Goldsmith (1728-1774)

7 Jane Austen (1775-1817)