ANGLO SAXON AND ANGLO NARMAN PERIODS

(500-1340) (PRE CHAUCERIAN PERIOD)

LITERARY PERIOD

INTRODUCTION

This period is important from the point of our language than that of our literature. The Term Anglo-Saxon implies "Old
English It is a matter of curiosity for our historians to find out how English evolved in the course of time. They want to
draw a line between the Old English and the New Speech. A great body of Anglo-Saxon poetry has been preserved but the
most important work that is worth noticing is the epic BEOWULF. The authorship of this work is unknown. It is said that it
grew up in the form of the ballads. It mentions the adventures of the hero of the poem Beowulf As for Norman Conquest
it occurred in 1066 This conquest of England by the French Normans in the battle of Hastings had far fetched
consequences literally and socially. It brought about the birth of the English Nation

THE AGE OF CHAUCER (1340-1400)

INTRODUCTION

The fourteenth century is remarkable historically for the decline of feudalism(organized by the Norman), for the growth
of the English national spirit during the wars with France, for the prominence of the House of commons, and for the
growing power of the laboring classes, who had been in a condition hardly above that of the slavery previously. The age
produced many writers of note, one of whom, Geoffrey Chaucer, is one of the greatest of English writers. His poetry is
remarkable for its variety, its story interest and its wonderful melody Chaucer's works and Wycliffe's translation of the
Bible developed the midland dialect into the national language of England Lowes said rightly about Chaucer that he found
English as a dialect and left it as a language In our study we should note Chaucer and his life and works, his early or French
period in which he translated "The Romance of the Rose" and wrote many poems, his middle or Italian period of which
the chief poems are "Troilus and Criseyde" and the "Legend of Good women" Here he seems to be inspired from Petrarch
and Boccassio, his late or English period, in which he wrote his masterpiece the famous "Canterbury Tales "His 32 pilgrims
were planned to utter 128 stories of which only 24 were said (some still incomplete) Chancer was the first to practice
Heroic Couplet His Rhyme royal or Chaucerian Stanza is a seven lines stanza with the rhyme scheme ababbee (2) Langland,
the poet and prophet of social reforms is one more figure of repute. His chief work is "Pers, the Plowman" (3)Wycliffe, the
religious reformer, first translated the gospels of Bible into English, and by his translation fixed the common standard of
English speech. (4) Mandeville, the alleged traveler, represents the new English interest in distant lands following
"Mandeville's Travels (1356) a book which romances about the wonders to be seen abroad. (5) The fifth writer of the age
is Gower, who wrote in three languages, French, Latin and English His Chief English work is the "Confession Amantis"

Important dates to be remembered

1338 Beginning of hundred year's war with France

1348-49 Black Death

1382 First complete Bible in English (Wycliffe)

1385-1400 Canterbury Tales