ENGLISH LITERATURE

MAESTRÍA EN LA ENSEÑANZA DEL INGLÉS

Alumno: Ricardo Torres Cárdenas

Docente: Emmanuel Israel Hinojosa
Activity 1: British Literary Periods.
INTRODUCTION.
British literature includes all those literary works from the British Isles, Northern Ireland. Old Anglo-Saxon is considered the
language of British literature, although there is some discussion about the influence of Latin and Norman literature on the
significance of British works.
Irish writers have been considered within the heading of British literature, as they have had a share in the development of
British literature, despite the political and social conflicts that arose in the period corresponding to 1801-1922 between
these two entities.
British identity in the political and therefore literary context, has always been understood by the geographical regions
called: England, Scotland and Wales. 1 English has been considered the national language since the arrival of the Anglo-
Saxons around 450 after Christ to the British islands originally occupied by Celtic ethnic groups. 2
It was not then, until the period between 1536 and 1542 that Wales was annexed by acts of union. However, it was not
until 1707 that with the accession of Scotland, which was recognized through the union treaty, the kingdom of Great
Britain was properly born.3
As already mentioned, in 1801 Ireland was annexed to the existing Great Britain, however, with the passing of Irish
history, Irish nationalism gave rise to the division of the entity in 1921, thus forming one of these parts, the Republic of
Ireland, which was not considered as part of the British identity, while in Northern Ireland, its literature was considered
within the identity of Great Britain.4
Old English literature has its origin with the Angles and Jutes, both Germanic tribes settled in England, contributing with
their works to the emergence of genres such as: epic poetry, hagiography, sermons, biblical translations and chronicles.
Undoubtedly, English literature has had a great presence in the history of humanity, giving great literary contributions that
have even been of influence for writers of other nationalities, with this, English literature has clearly been an influence on
other literatures.
1
Pliny the Eldre´s Naturalis Historia IV. Chapter XLI. English tanslation. 4. Chapter 30 at the Perseus Project.
2
Jones & Casey. The Gallic Chronicle Restored: A Chronology for the Anglo-Saxons Invasions and the End of Roman Britain. Britannia XIX, 367-398. 1988
3
IBDEM.
4
Deane, S. A Short History of Irish Literature. London. Hutchinson. 1986
BRITISH LITERARY PERIODS.
In the chart below, the different periods of British literature are shown and a contrast between them is given.
Middle Renaissanc Early 18th Period Romantic Victorian Modern Postmodern
English e Period Modern Period Period Period Period
Period Period
Great It is in this With the This period In this period In this Correspondin Poetry, drama
linguistic period when restoration is begins the period it g to the and novel are
diversity in Italian of the distinguishe romantic was when twentieth the current
the British literary monarchy, a d by the artistic the novel century, literary base,
Isles, influences new period great movement in became the beginning in which
which came to for literature admiration the literary main 1922 and with continues in
produced Great Britain, began, with of the British and literary the political, this period,
artistic it is in the this there writers intellectual genre of religious and however, the
wealth. Elizabethan was a great towards the field. It meant England, social fiction genre is
Some era where boom due to Roman one of the the context, it added, and it is
works the heyday the writers, with social participation questioned added not as
were of the beginning of which, they changes in of women the something
written in English the theater imitated England due as writers classification new, but
Latin and Renaissance as a literary their works, to the rapid was very of literary rather, as a
Anglo- is reached. genre establishing development remarkable works from genre that
Norman The accompanie parallels of industrial for the time, Northern receives
literature introduction d by with the time urban areas, likewise, Ireland. He greater interest
developed of the sonnet obscene of the which the number also joined from readers
which and the comedy. Emperor became of women the political Postmodernists
introduced blank verse Women Augustus. overpopulate dedicated movements of , the fantasy
literary are located. were d because of to reading Wales and genre is also
trends in Latin allowed to the industrial also Scotland and added and the
Continenta continued in act for the revolution. increased with it, the amalgamation
l Europe. use as the first time. considerabl influence on between
language of y because the writers of literature and
 academic of the the twentieth cinema is
learning. literary century and already
series and even in the common for
the facility twenty-first this time.
that century.
libraries
granted in
the loan of
books.

CONCLUSION.
I consider that knowing the transcendence of English literature is highly important for the student of the language, since it
allows us to partially immerse ourselves in the Anglo-Saxon context, since literature is the reflection of the thought of the
person who expresses it, and said expression is born from the appreciation and reflection of the social events of the
environment in which the artists develop, which serves to understand and understand English culture and its forms of
expression.
In short, the knowledge of English literature, contributes to the student elements that increase their intellectuality and
sympathy for the English-speaking society and serves as a means of integration in the foreign culture with which, will
result in an acceptance towards said society and a total adaptation to English-speaking everyday life.