What is Literature?

Definition of Literature
The word ‘Literature’ is a modified form of a Latin word (literra, litteratura or litteratus)  that
means: ‘writing formed with letters’. Let us look at what is literature according to definitions by
different celebrated literary personalities.
Literature generally can be any written work, but it is especially an artistic or intellectual work of
writing. It is one of the fine arts, like painting, dance, music, etc. which provides aesthetic
pleasure to the readers. It differs from other written works by only its one additional trait: that is
aesthetic beauty. If a written work lacks aesthetic beauty and serves only utilitarian purpose, it is
not literature. The entire genre like poetry, drama, or prose is blend of intellectual works and has
aesthetic beauty of that work. When there is no any aesthetic beauty in any written work that is
not pure literature.

Definition of Literature According to Different Writers

 Throughout the history of English literature, many of the great writers have defined it and
expressed its meaning in their own way. Here are the few famous definitions of literature by
timeless celebrated authors.
Virginia Woolf:  Virginia defined literature in a perfect way. “Literature is strewn with the
wreckage of those who have minded beyond reason the opinion of others.”
Ezra Pound: “Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible
degree.”
Alfred North Whitehead: “It is in literature that the concrete outlook of humanity receives its
expression.”
Henry James: “It takes a great deal of history to produce a little literature.”
Lewis: “Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary
competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts
that our lives have already become.”
Oscar Wilde: “Literature always anticipates life. It does not copy it but moulds it to its purpose.
The nineteenth century, as we know it, is largely an invention of Balzac.”
Chesterton: “Literature is a luxury; fiction is a necessity.”
Forster:  The definition of literature by Forster is much interesting. “What is wonderful about
great literature is that it transforms the man who reads it towards the condition of the man who
wrote.”
All of these definitions of literature by great writers present different aspects of it, and shows
that in how many ways it can be effective.

Literature: A Depiction of Society

It might sound strange that what is literature’s relation with a society could be. However,
literature is an integral part of any society and has a profound effect on ways and thinking of
people of that society. Actually, society is the only subject matter of literature. It literally shapes a
society and its beliefs. Students, who study literature, grow up to be the future of a country.
Hence, it has an impact on a society and it moulds it.
According to different definitions of literature by authors, it literally does the depiction of
society; therefore, we call it ‘mirror of society’. Writers use it effectively to point out the ill aspects
of society that improve them. They also use it to highlight the positive aspects of a society to
promote more goodwill in society.
The essays in literature often call out on the problems in a country and suggest solutions for it.
Producers make films and write novels, and short stories to touch subjects like morals, mental
illnesses, patriotism, etc. Through such writings, they relate all matters to society. Other genre
can also present the picture of society. We should keep in mind that the picture illustrated by
literature is not always true. Writers can present it to change the society in their own ways.

The Effects of Literature on a Society:

 The effects of literature on a society can be both positive and negative. Because of this, the
famous philosophers Aristotle and Plato have different opinions about its effect on society.
Plato was the one who started the idea of written dialogue. He was a moralist and he did not
approve of poetry because he deemed it immoral. He considered poetry as based on false ideas
whereas the basis of philosophy came from reality and truth. Plato claims that, “poetry inspires
undesirable emotions in society. According to him, poetry should be censored from adults and
children for fear of lasting detrimental consequences” (Leitch & McGowan). He further explains it
by saying, “Children have no ability to know what emotions should be tempered and which
should be expressed as certain expressed emotions can have lasting consequences later in life”.
He says, “Strong emotions of every kind must be avoided, in fear of them spiraling out of control
and creating irreparable damage” (Leitch & McGowan).  However, he did not agree with the type
of poetry and wanted that to be changed. (read Plato’s attack on poetry)
Now Aristotle considers literature of all kinds to be an important part of children’s upbringing.
Aristotle claims that, “poetry takes us closer to reality. He also mentioned in his writings that it
teaches, warns, and shows us the consequences of bad deeds”. He was of the view that it is not
necessary that poetry will arouse negative feelings. (Read Aristotle’s defense of poetry)
Therefore, the relation of literature with society is of utter importance. It might have a few
negative impacts, through guided studying which we can avoid. Overall, it is the best way of
passing information to the next generation and integral to learning.

Different Types of Literature

What is Literature?
Literature generally can be any written work, but it especially is an artistic or intellectual work of
writing. The usage of language in literature is sometimes different from the way it is ordinarily
used. The difference is the use of artistic tools to create aesthetic beauty in a text. Literature is
the depiction of the society.  It is a great tool to teach the morality to a society. 
There are different types of literature through which different writers serve their own ends.
Students of various linguistic institutes ask for help with such a request as “write my thesis“, as
they can not complete difficult tasks in literature or write a dissertation on the subject of
literature, so they use such services.
Here is the detailed study about types of literature.
Types of Literature
These are the main types of literature: Drama, Fable,  Autobiography,  Biography, Poetry, Prose,
Science Fiction, and Journalistic Literature.
Drama
Drama is a play in literature, and a playwright composes it. It portrays fictional or non-fictional
stories. To explain away certain events, characters, or stories, a drama is produced, using
dialogues or actions. It can be performed on stage, radio or on big screens as in films. Conflicts,
emotions and impressive characters are required to produce a high-quality drama. There are
many forms of drama but some of the most common are: comedy, tragedy, musical
drama  and  melodrama. Let us have a brief explanation of these types of drama.
1. Comedy: Comedy is a type of drama, which is lighter in tone. Its purpose is to make the
audience laugh and amuse them. It has a happy ending. Very unusual circumstances are there
coupled with quick and witty remarks. People consider it as the most entertaining and fun form
of drama and literature. An example of a comedy drama is ’The Comedy of Errors’ by William
Shakespeare.
2. Tragedy: Tragedy is the type of drama that has a dark theme. It portrays suffering, pain,
longing, and often death. An example of a tragedy drama is ‘Othello’ by William Shakespeare.
3. Musical Drama: A musical drama tells a story with dialogues, songs, music, and dance. These
things convey the emotions in the drama. An example of a musical drama is ‘A Star is Born’,
which starred Lady Gaga.
4. Melodrama: Melodrama is a kind of drama that portrays exaggerated emotions like tension
or excitement. It arouses the same emotions in the audience and makes them indulged in it. The
situation and the dialogues are more important in a melodrama than action. An example of a
melodrama is  ‘Still Life, Brief Encounter’ by Noel Coward.

Fable
Writers write a fable when the intention is to provide the audience with a moral story. A fable
usually uses animals as characters to convey the story. In Fables, animals act like humans and
are able to speak and understand reasoning. They are a personification of human characteristics
and their nature. An example of a fable is the famous story of ‘The Tortoise and the Hare’, which
almost every child has heard in his childhood. The Animal Farm by George Orwell is also a
famous fable.
 
Autobiography
 Autobiography is an interesting thing to read because of its teller of the story is the one, about
who the story is. The character himself is the writer and describes his life from his own original
perspective and experiences. It gives you an insight on the person that is writing it, because they
share their true-life events and thoughts. Mostly, famous people write autobiographies to tell
their story to their fans and the world. A famous and spectacular example of autobiography
is ‘The Diary of a Young Girl’, a book by Anne Frank.
Biography
Biography in literature tells the story of a person from another person’s perspective. Someone
else writes it rather than the subject himself. The professional essay writer could be somebody
close to the person or somebody who had studied about that person. Biography is different
from a resume because it enlightens the audience with different aspects of a person’s life. A
great example of biography is ‘Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and
Redemption’,  by Laura Hillenbrand.

Poetry
Poetry in literature is a composition of rhythm, sound, and lyrics. The definition of poetry by one
of the greatest poets in history, William Wordsworth, is “the spontaneous overflow of powerful
feelings”. The poet composes poetry in sort of a song to develop emotions and imaginations in
the listeners’ hearts and minds. Poetry is aesthetic. The poet chooses words carefully, so the
listeners can relate themselves to it. The four main types of poetry are haiku, free
verse,  sonnets, and acrostic poems. An example of one of the most beautiful books of poetry
is  ‘Ariel’, by Sylvia Plath.

Prose
Prose in literature is that form of literature, which is somewhat plain and simple. It has no
special grammar structure or a writing pattern to follow. It is written in a usual tone, forming
into a natural speech or a conversational tone. Nothing is specific in prose. Paragraphs or
sentences can be long or short. Examples of prose include novels, newspapers, textbooks, etc.

Science Fiction
Science fiction, also called “sci-fi,” is a genre of literature where most of the things are imaginary.
The stories are about the future technology. These fiction stories also have a relationship to real
science laws, because science considers those things possible in future, according to the
scientific laws. Science fictions are sometimes true and sometimes they are just imaginations
based on assumptions. Some examples of science fiction are, ‘The Time Machine’ by H. G.
Wells, ‘Spies in Disguise’  by Blue Sky Studios, ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ by Madeleine L’Engle, etc.

Journalistic Literature
Journalistic Literature is a sort of nonfiction. In literary journalism, the journalist gathers
information and then creates and publishes. It combines the facts and reporting with some
clever strategies and narrative techniques. These techniques make the reports more engaging
and interesting. People call literary journalism also Narrative or New Journalism. Some of the
most prominent literary journalists of past and present are Mark Singer, Richard Rhodes, Jack
London, Stephen Crane, Tom Wolfe, Henry Mayhew, etc.
 History of English Literature

Name of Literary Eras in History of English Literature:

Pre-Chaucerian Period (500-1340)
The Age of Chaucer (1340-1400)
From Chaucer to Tottel’s Miscellany (1400-1557)
The Renaissance-The Age of Shakespeare (1557–1625)
Puritan Age-The Age of Milton (1625-1660)
The Age of Dryden (1660-1700)
Augustan literature-The Age of Pope (1700–1745)
The Age of Johnson (1745-1798)
The Age of Wordsworth (1798-1837)
Victorian literature (1837–1901)
The Present Age (1901-present)

Pre-Chaucerian Period (500-1340)

Pre-Chaucerian literature is the literature written before the period of Chaucer. This period has a significant
place in history of English literature. The two major periods, the literature of this time comprises of are, Anglo
Saxon and Anglo Norman.

(I) ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD (450–1066)

History of English literature normally starts with Anglo-Saxon period. The English literature written during
Anglo-Saxon period is the Old English Literature. This literary period was of 600 years. Old English Literature
includes works of diverse genres like chronicles,  sermons, heroic poetry, translations of Bible, hagiography,
legal writings, riddles, and many more. 400 total manuscripts that have survived from this period and are of
special interest.  The compilation of the manuscripts of poetry from the Anglo-Saxon period is in these four
major manuscripts: the Exeter Book, the Junius Manuscript, the Vercelli Book, and the Beowulf manuscript.
The most notable manuscript from prose is Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which is a historical record. Prominent
writers from this literary period include: Alfred the Great, Aldhelm, Alcuin, Aelfric Bata, Aelfric of
Canterbury, Bede, Cynewuf, Caedmon, Wulfstan, and others. In addition, Hygeburg, who was a female
writer and a nun, is the first Englishwoman known to compose a complete literary writing.

(II) ANGLO-NORMAN PERIOD (1066-1340)

Anglo-Norman literature is the literature written at the time of Anglo-Norman period. It is in the Anglo-Norman
language. This language took form during the time 1066–1204, when the England and Duchy of Normandy
came together to make the Anglo-Norman empire. The literature of this time was rich in writing the legends and
lives of saints. It also included epic poetry, romance poetry, lyric poetry, fables, fabliaux, writings on history,
hagiography, religious tales, didactic literature, drama, satire etc. The most famous manuscripts from this
period include Brut, The Owl and the Nightingale, The Ormulum, Arthur and Merlin, Tristan and Iseult, La
gageure, Anglo-Norman Sermon, Voyage de Saint Brandan, Piers Plowman, Roman de Renart, etc. Prominent
writers from this literary period include; Layamon, Robert Biket, Geoffrey of Monmouth, Béroul, Thomas,
Nicole Bozon, and others.
From Chaucer to Tottel’s Miscellany
After the death of Chaucer, the conditions in England became very unfavourable. There were political conflicts
and war. Thus, the 15th century does not have much literary productiveness. Some poets who tried to
imitate Chaucer’s style produced some manuscripts but because those were imitative, they did not hold a
much permanent value. From these people, the most prominent were Thomas Occleve and John Lydgate,
who wrote The Governail of Princes and Stories of Thebes However, the poet, William Dunbar’s ‘Dance of
the Seven Deadly Sins’ is very original with humour, vigour and homely pathos. In prose, there was more work
done. Reginald Pecock’s ‘Bloke of Faith’ proved to be a landmark in English prose. One great thing that
happened during this period was the establishment of the first English printing press. William Caxton did it at
Westminster in 1476.
Other important works that started at a later time of this period include English New Testament, the complete
English Bible of Miles Coverdale, Pastime of Pleasure, etc. Sir Thomas More’s Utopia is typical and thorough
writing of this period. It was translated from Latin in 1551 and it described an ideal society.   At the end of this
period, stand out two names, Sir Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey. They have the honor of
bringing love-poetry and Sonnet to English literature. Surrey was also the first writer to use ten-syllable verse,
which also has the name of blank verse. In 1557, Tottel’s Miscellany, a compilation of miscellaneous English
poems, came out. Almost half of the poems in this collection were of Wyatt and Surrey. Tottel’s Miscellany,
published just a year before Elizabeth’s period, marked the dawn of a new era, as it was.

The Age of Shakespeare (1577-1625) or The Renaissance in History of English Literature

The age of Shakespeare started with the start of Elizabeth’s reign in 1558. It ends with the death of James I. in
1625. This period is the golden age in history of English literature because of the productiveness of it. This
period brought massive changes in the history of English literature. The Age of Shakespeare is divided into two
periods: The Age of Elizabeth and The Jacobean Age.

(I) THE AGE OF ELIZABETH (1558-1603)

With the reign of Elizabeth, the English literature started to flourish. The first publication, which marked the
start of this golden age, was Shepheardes Calender by Edmund Spenser in 1579. In the first half of the
Elizabeth era, there was composition of little verses of any value. Spenser was the most celebrated poet of this
era and he was called the poet’s poet. He had a remarkable influence on the poetry that followed after him.
Elizabethan literature was also the golden age of drama too as Shakespeare was present there. Shakespeare
plays were in a range of different genres. Those included Shakespearean
tragedies like Hamlet, Othello, comedies like As You Like It, historic plays like Richard III etc.  Other writers of
Elizabethan literature include Sir Philip Sidney, Thomas Campion, Sackville, Norton, Thomas Kyd, and
others. Famous literary works of this era include The Faerie Queene, Astrophel and Stella, The Defence of
Poetry, Gorboduc, The Spanish Tragedy etc.

(II) THE JACOBEAN AGE (1603-1625)

The Jacobean Age was the era of James I . The literature written during this period is Jacobean Literature.
Shakespeare wrote some of his prominent plays during this period. Those plays include King Lear (1605),
Macbeth (1606), and The Tempest (1610).  Jacobean literature, as compared to the Elizabethan literature, was
dark. It is because Shakespeare wrote his so-called problem plays like All is Well that Ends Well and famous
tragedies in this era. John Webster, who was a dramatist, often portrayed the problem of evil in his dramas.
This period’s comedy consisted of the bitter satire from Ben Jonson and the diverse writings from John
Fletcher and Francis Beaumont. Popular works of this time include Volpone, Bartholomew Fair, The Knight
of the Burning Pestle, The White Devil, The Changelin, etc. King James Bible was the most prominent prose
work of Jacobean Literature.

The Age of Milton or Puritan Age (1625-1660)

In the age of Milton, Puritanism grew as a moral and social force. Puritans were the ancestors
of Wycliffe and Lollards. They had very strict opinions regarding life and behaviour of people. The works of
Puritan age are mostly sombre in character. There is a sense of sadness, gloom and pessimism, as there was
political and religious confusion, and King Charles I was also killed. This era is also known as the Late
Renaissance. Poetry was the main focus of this era and the most contribution made in this period was by John
Milton. Milton was the last greatest poet of the Renaissance period. He published many writings before 1660.
These works include L’Allegro, Il Penseroso, Comus and Lycidas. There were other poets too: The
Metaphysical Poets and Cavalier Poets. The metaphysical poets were the people of learning. These poets
include John Donne, George Herbert, Richard Crashaw, Andrew Marvell, Thomas Traherne, Henry
Vaughan, and others.
The Cavalier poets were supporters of King Charles I during the English Civil War. These poets
include Robert Herrick, Richard Lovelace, Thomas Carew and Sir John Suckling. Cavalier poets used
“classical and allegory allusions”. Roman authors like Horace, Cicero and Ovid influenced these
poets. Metaphysical poetry was spiritual. Metaphysical poets wrote poetry with “far-fetched or unusual similes
or metaphors”. The famous works of age of Milton include Songs and Sonnets, The Hesperides and Noble
Numbers, The Sun Rising, Colasterion, Tetrachordon, etc.

The Age of Dryden (1660-1700)

The second name of Age of Dryden is the Restoration Age because of the restoration of monarchy in
England. This era started when Charles II returned to the throne. Because people had spent a lot of time
restricted in Puritan period, after it there was an immense reaction against it. Moderation and decency started
dissipating. Faithlessness, betrayal and recklessness became fashionable, and the people who still had some
goodness were laughed at. All of this had a definite impact on literature of the Restoration era. Literature
became intellectual rather than imaginative or emotional. Though it was often brilliant, it was a bit hard and
insensitive. Even poetry became prosaic and was lacking imagination. Examples of which
include Sodom from Earl of Rochester, The Country Wife by William Wycherley, Two Treatises on
Government by Locke, etc.
Apart from this, there were still people like Dryden who saved this era. Dryden was the main influential poet,
literary critic, translator, and playwright who represented this period.  His most prominent work is the mock-
heroic MacFlecknoe. More works from him include the two great doctrinal poems, Religio Laid and The Hind
and the Panther, Love Triumphant or Nature Will Prevail, The Wild Gallant, etc. Other notable writers from this
time are John Bunyan, Edmund Waller, Sir John Denham, Samuel Butler, Jeremy Collier, John Gay, and
others. Prominent works from this time include Hudibras, The Wild Gallant, Grace Abounding, The Pilgrim’s
Progress, The Life and Death of Mr. Badman, The Holy War, etc. John Milton published his most appreciated
piece of writing Paradise Lost during this era.
The start of novel writing was also during this era. Aphra Behn, the female author of Oroonoko, is considered
to be the first novelist in England.

The Age of Pope or Augustan literature (170–1750)

Alexander Pope is the most prominent poet of this era and that is why it is The Age of Pope. It also has the
name of “the Age of Enlightenment” or “Age of Reason” as judgement of everything was on rational and
scientific grounds. Moderation was standard behavior, and anything extravagant was not very acceptable. The
writers of this age stayed close to the style of ancient writers, and that for them was good writing. This era was
also the Classical Age of poetry. It was poetry of criticism and argument. Writers wrote it for the interest of
society and there was no use of imagination or love of nature expressed. However, as the era progressed,
great poets like Pope came forward and wrote everlasting poems. Examples of which are, The melancholy of
James Thomson, ‘The Seasons’ Edward Young’s ‘Night Thoughts’. Mock-heroic poetry was also very
prominent. Alexander Pope’s ‘Rape of the Lock’ and ‘The Dunciad’ are still greatest examples of mock-heroic
poetry.
In drama, George Lillo and Richard Steele composed very high moral forms of tragedy. In those, the
characters were entirely middle class or working class. Opera was also becoming popular in England at this
time. In prose, ‘The Spectator’ of Joseph Addison and Richard Steele dominated the initial period. It was a
British periodical essay containing 2500 words each. There was more work on novels too. Daniel Defoe’s
novels Roxana, Moll Flanders and Robinson Crusoe are of importance. Other authors of this era
include Jonathan Swift, Samuel Richardson, Henry Fielding, and Tobias Smollett. Other important works
of this period include Roderick Random, Gulliver’s Travels, A Modest Proposal, the Drapier Letters, Pamela; or
Virtue Rewarded, Joseph Andrews, Shamela, Clarissa, Tom Jones, etc.

The Age of Johnson (1750-1798)

Age of Johnson is the name of this era because of the prominent work of Samuel Johnson in this era. Johnson
was an English writer who provided long lasting contributions to English literature. He was a poet, essayist,
moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. “A Dictionary of the English Language” by Johnson
was published in 1755 after nine years of writing. Literary people describe it as “one of the greatest single
achievements of scholarship”. Richard Brinsley Sheridan is another name of this era who went on to become
the most prominent playwright of this time. His famous works that were instant success include The
Rivals and The School for Scandal. Other emerging Irish authors of this age include Oliver Goldsmith and
Laurence Sterne. Their works include The Vicar of Wakefield, The Deserted Village The Good-Natur’d Man,
She Stoops to Conquer, etc. Also written in this era was Frances Burney’s Evelina, which was one of the first
‘novels of manners’.
The genre of “sentimental novel” or “novel of sensibility” formed during this period. This era observes the
intellectual and emotional perceptions of sensibility, sentiment, and sentimentalism. Sentimentalism began as
a fashion in both prose and poetry fiction in the 18th century. That is why “The Age of Sensibility” is another
name of this period. Most prominent sentimental novels from this age include Vicar of Wakefield, Tristram
Shandy, The Man of Feeling, etc. The genre of Gothic fiction emerged too by Horace Walpole’s novel “The
Castle of Otranto”. It combines components of romance and horror. Ann Radcliffe presented the dark figure
of the gothic villain. This figure later advanced into the Byronic hero. The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann is an
example of this genre.

The Age of Wordsworth (1798-1837)

This era also has the name of the Romantic Era in the history of English literature. William Wordsworth was
an English Romantic poet. He, in collaboration with Samuel Taylor Coleridge helped to mark the start of the
Romantic Age in English literature, by jointly publishing “Lyrical Ballads” in 1798. That is why the period
starting from that year is called the Age of Wordsworth. This age was big on Romanticism. It was an artistic,
literary, and intellectual movement. Other early Romantic poets include the initiate of the Romantic Movement
Robert Burns, the painter William Blake, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Robert Southey, the journalist Thomas de
Quincey, etc. The most prominent romantic writings of this early generation include “Rime of the Ancient
Mariner“,  “Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey“, “Resolution and Independence“, “Ode:
Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood” and The Prelude, which is an
autobiographical epic.
This age was a riot against classical rules of literary composition. It was also a rebel against the dominion of
intellect and reason and was in support of imagination and wonder. The Romantic poets of the second
generation include Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Felicia Hemans and John Keats. Their works
include Ode to the West Wind, To a Skylark, Adonaïs, Ode to a Nightingale, Ode on a Grecian Urn, To
Autumn, etc. Romanticism influenced novels too. One of the most celebrated novelists of this period was Sir
Walter Scott. His historical romances inspired painters, composers, and writers all through Europe. Waverley is
his first historical novel. Another novelist, Jane Austen’s story line in novels is fundamentally comic. Her most
celebrated works are Pride and Prejudice and Emma. Another famous novel of this period is Frankenstein by
the author Mary Shelley.

Victorian literature (1837–1901)

Victorian literature is the literature that evolved in the period of Queen Victoria. The literature of this era was a
mix of romanticism and realism. This age is great in both poetry and prose. The greatest poet of the Victorian
period was Alfred Lord Tennyson. Alfred’s poetry was romantic and reflected the age perfectly with its
mixture of social conviction and religious confusion. S. Eliot described him as “the greatest master of metrics
as well as melancholia”. Tennyson’s famous works include poetry of short lyrics Break, Break, Break, and The
Charge of the Light Brigade, Tears, Idle Tears and Crossing the Bar. He also wrote blank verse poetry
including Ulysses, Idylls of the King, and Tithonus. Other famous poets of Victorian age were Robert
Browning and his wife, Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Dramatic monologues were Browning’s specialty. W.S.
Gilbert was famous in this era too and was the writer of comic verses. His most celebrated work is his fourteen
comic operas.
America also produced two greatest poets of the 19th century, Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman. The
novels of this era were also doing great. Children’s literature, like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by
Lewis Carroll, came about too. Charles Dickens became the most famous novelist from this era. His famous
works include Bleak House, Oliver Twist, A Tale of To Cities etc. Thomas Hardy was a realist and a prominent
figure of this era, and is famously known for his The Mayor of Caster Bridge. Other writers of Victorian’s age
include William Makepeace Thackeray, The Brontë sisters, Emily, Charlotte and Anne, Elizabeth
Gaskell, Anthony Trollope, H.G. Wells, Robert Louis Stevenson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry
James and others. Notable works of this time are The Princess Casamassima, The Time Machine,
Kidnapped, Jane Eyre, Sherlock Holmes, Dorothy, Leaves of Grass, etc.

The Present Age in History of English Literature (1901-present)

The present age is also the age of Modernism in the history of English literature. A major literary movement,
Modernism, started with the dawn of the twentieth-century. Irish writers played an important part in this period.
The most important Irish writers of this age are James Joyce and Samuel Beckett. Modernist writers from
America include T.S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, William Faulkner, and others. Modernists from Britain
Include Joseph Conrad, E.M. Forster, Dorothy Richardson, Virginia Woolf, D.H. Lawrence, an others. The
modernist authors wanted to break the traditional ways of writing and experiment with other literary forms of
expression to make it new. Thomas Hardy was the major poet in the initial years of the twentieth-century. He
was not a modernist but played the role of a transitional figure between the ages of Victorian and
Modernism. Henry James was another important transitional figure. Sister Carrie was the first most
celebrated novel of this period. It was published by Theodore Dreisser in 1900.
Major poetry from this age includes The Tower by Nobel Prize winner W.B. Yeats, “Prufock”, “The Wasteland”,
“The Cantos”, etc. Important prose includes The Playboy of the Western World, Hay Fever, Ulysses, The Old
Wives’ Tale, A Room with a View, The Man who was Thursday, The Rock, etc. Radio drama also started in the
Twentieth-century. In the closing years of Twentieth-century, the literary genre of science fiction became
significant. Prominent writers of this genre include Sir Arthur C. Clarke, Adams, Robert Heinlein, Doris
Lessing, Margaret Atwood, Ian Banks, and others. 2001: A Space of Odyssey and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to
the Galaxy are the prominent examples of this genre.