1 | Survey of English and American Literature

INTRODUCTION TO
ENGLISH
& AMERICAN LITERATURE

OBJECTIVES
 describe the characteristics and common genres of English-American Literature in relation to English
and American geography, history, language, society, and culture; and
 identify the K to 12 English learning outcomes under English-American literature as preparation for an
annotated reading list.

English
Literature THE OLD ENGLISH PERIOD

THE PEOPLE. —For the beginnings of English literature, we must go back to a time before the Anglo -
Saxon forefathers came to England, when they were still living on the shores of the North Sea in Denmark and
about the mouth of the Elbe River in northern Germany. They were Low German tribes, allied more closely to
the modern Dutch than to the modern Germans both by language and by blood. It is thought that they did not
penetrate far into the swamps and forests of the interior, but lived along the shore and on the sea. They were
uncivilized people, but not savages. Their literature shows — and we always go to literature to find out the
inner life of a people — that they loved their homes, reverenced their women, felt the influences of Nature,
believed in their gods, loved personal freedom, sought honor and glory. They were adventurous seafarers,
stern of heart and strong of hand; but they were not pirates.

THEIR GLOOMY LIFE. -Their life was gloomy. Denmark and Germany are lands of cloud and mist.
During the entire year the sun can be seen only a third of the time that it is above the horizon. In winter,
darkness comes in the middle of the afternoon. Moreover, the struggle with storm and sea was long and hard.
No wonder this people was a stern and somber race, with a gloomy religion, and with melancholy ideas of life
and fate. Life was almost without joy save perhaps the joy of conflict; and the whole of man's life, with
whatever of joy it might have, was but the flicker of a candle between two great darkness.

LITERATURE OF TRADITION- Life, however, was not altogether without solace. In the long winter
evenings, the lord and his retainers gathered in the hall and sat around the mead bench, drinking together and
listening to the song of the scôp and the gleeman. These poets and reciters kept alive the traditions of the
people, interpreting their ideals in myth and legend and heroic story. This was their literature; not books, not
even manuscripts. Stories of gods and heroes passed from generation to generation by word of mouth, even as
the story of the wrath of Achilles was handed down among the prehistoric Greeks. Some of these stories are
history; most of them, myths about the struggle of the race with sea and storm and pestilence. When our
forefathers came to England

When the forefathers came to England in the fifth century, they brought with them these traditions just as the
pre historic Greeks took their traditions to Asia Minor; and just as the story of the siege of Troy developed in
Asia Minor into The Iliad, so the Anglo -Saxon legends developed in England into an Anglo-Saxon epic,
Beowulf.

American
Literature
THE FIRST SETTLERS. - The early settlers in America came from England at two distinct periods in her
history, which were characterized by different intellectual and social conditions. Naturally, therefore, they
established in the new world two distinct types of civilization. The settlers who came to Virginia in 1607 were

2 | Survey of English and American Literature

Elizabethan Englishmen, contemporaries of Shakespeare. They were bold, daring men with a certain flavor of
romance about them. Some were moved by the spirit of adventure merely. Some were gentlemen of broken
fortune in search of easily acquired wealth. A few were idlers and criminals. They did not expect to make their
homes in the new world, but hoped soon to return to England rich and influential. The Pilgrims, on the other
hand, who settled in Plymouth in 1620, and the Puritans, who established the Massachusetts Bay Colony a few
years later, came from an England which had already been largely transformed by the new religious influences
of Puritanism. They were stern men of strong religious principles, lovers of freedom, exiles, seeking in an
unknown and in hospitable land a place where they could establish permanent homes, live independent lives,
and worship God in their own way. They were inspired not by dreams of wealth but by dreams of freedom

CONDITIONS UNFAVORABLE FOR LITERATURE. - In neither case were conditions favorable

for the development of literature. The New Englanders were too busy cutting down the 153 154 AMERICAN
LITERATURE forests, building houses, clearing the fields of stumps and rocks, planting and cultivating crops,
and defending their lives against wild beasts and Indians, to spend much time in writing books. Among the
Virginians the conditions of life were easier, but the population did not settle in village communities favorable
to the intellectual contact and ex tended education which develop a literary class. Nor did they live under the
primitive conditions which develop such popular traditional literature as the old English ballads and
romances. After exploring the country and finding that wealth could not be gained in a day, they took up large
landed estates, and cultivated vast tobacco plantations. They lived the active life of the open air in close contact
with nature, given to free and open hospitality when opportunity served, but little inclined to study and
reflection. They developed a literature even less rapidly than the Pilgrims and Puritans.

ENGLISH AND AMERICAN LITERATURE

(A brief Summary of History, Writers, Narration, Style, Genres and Topics, Grammar and Punctuation)

HISTORY
 National literature is connected with national history. As we all know, English literature emerged
earlier than American literature, since America was a British colony.
 Therefore, while American literature’s history dates back to the 17th century, English
literature emerged in the 10th century. The English style is therefore considered richer in this respect.

WRITERS
 There are many globally known US writers like J. F. Cooper, J.D. Salinger, Jack London, E.A. Poe, Mark
Twain, Scott Fitzgerald, W. Faulkner, Flannery O’Connor, Ernest Hemmingway, and Stephen King, to
name a few. Many people are familiar with their works. Many generations enjoy reading their stories.
 English literature offers an even wider list of well-known writers, such as Shakespeare, Bronte, Lord
Byron, Kipling, Dickens, Austin, Rowling, Woolf, Tolkien, Orwell, and Collins.

NARRATION
 Differences in language are evident when reading novels by English writers and American writers.
British writers tend to use classical British English; their vocabulary is richer.
 On the contrary, the language of an American writer is simultaneously simpler and more accessible.
This language is more modern than original British English.

STYLE
 The common tendency of American literature is to be focused on politics, economics, and social status.
Satire, sarcasm, and cynicism can be also often finding their way into the works of American authors.
For example, language functions as a vehicle of protest in “The Catcher in the Rye” and “The Great
Gatsby.”
 On the contrary, British literature of the same period mostly invokes romance, human values, ideals,
and manners, although class differences are often discussed or referenced in some meaningful way.
There is a common thought that British writers’ works come “from the heart,” while American writers
are more cool-headed and cynical.
 At the same time, there is much diversity within the wells of both British writers and American writers,
and this diversity should be acknowledged. In general, it’s perhaps most useful to compare two novels
within English literature or American literature that date back to the same period or a stage of country
development.

GENRES & TOPICS

3 | Survey of English and American Literature

  English writers mostly emphasize their culture and manners, while American writers discuss
American history and social issues. As well as early writings in the UK, early American works involve
topics related to religion and politics.
 American writers of the 17th century invoked Puritanical morals. In the 18th century, revolutionary
topics prevailed in American style.
 Also, American writers often described events that took place during the development of the country.
For example, the American Civil War is described in “Gone with the Wind” by Margaret Mitchell, and
theme of Slavery in “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain.
 It’s impossible to imagine English literature without William Shakespeare, who wrote historical plays
(Julius Caesar, Richard II, Antony & Cleopatra), tragedies (Macbeth, Hamlet, Othello), and comedies (A
Midsummer Night’s Dream). The Romanticism Period gave the world Robert Burns (Halloween, The
Jolly Beggars) and George Byron (Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, Manfred).
 Later, the historical novel emerged as a genre, with Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe. English writers’
contribution to literature for children is prominent: “Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland” by Lewis
Carroll and the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling are known in each and every corner of the world.

GRAMMAR
 The English language is considered classic. In American literature, English is more modern. Americans
adopted the English language for their literature. However, there are certain differences in grammar.
 The following linguistic elements differ between American literature and English literature:
 US writers tend to simplify the English language by removing letters from words: they write “color”
instead of “colour” or “neighbor” instead of “neighbour.”  
 Concerning irregular verbs, Americans simplify again. Disregard the rules; they form Past Simple
Tense by adding –ed. In British English, the suffix –t is added.
 Americans use the end –iz rather than –is: “capitalize” instead of “capitalise” or “summarize” instead
of “summarise.”
 A singular conjugation is used in American literature, while British creators mostly pair up collective
nouns with plural verbs. This should be taken into account when writing for different audiences.
 These linguistic choices reflect not only American literature, but their way of living. The tendency to
shorten or abbreviate words is common in American style. Also, the writers, especially modern, tend to
simplify the language.
 On the contrary, English creators follow classical, sometimes conventional traditions paths in writing,
but this doesn’t make English literature less interesting.

PUNCTUATION
 Like grammar, punctuation is a critical technical aspect of English literature and American literature.
For example, using comma in listings is typical for American literature, but can be rarely met in classic
British literature.
 Also, classical writers prefer to leave quotation marks outside, while the other ones place them inside.
Besides, in the UK, writers use single quotation marks rather than double marks used by Americans.
These are minor differences, but they still exist.
 Both English literature and American literature offers a lot of interesting differences for consideration.
One can insightfully apply these differences to an exploration of the history and culture of these two
countries by reading the writing by their writers. Styles, narration, and topics may differ, but one can
recognize unmistakable habits and customs typical for both English and American writers.

K TO 12 ENGLISH LITERATURE COMPETENCIES

RELATED TO ENGLISH-AMERICAN LITERATURE

In 2013, K to 12 Curriculum was implemented in the Philippines. K to 12 opened different

opportunities for the students specially in gaining academic knowledge. This includes the studying of different
literature around the world. Literature outputs, the history of the writer, and the significance of the writing
style/s of different artists.
The focus of English American Literature is basically the 9 th grade. It has the literature competencies
that as student should learn around this course for the whole year. Likely in other literature subject, these
competencies are required to be learned.

LITERARY COMPETENCE - Literary competence refers to the ability to comprehend literary works
beyond their denotations, that is having to possess knowledge on “conventions by which fictions are read” to
successfully understand a literary piece in the way it is intended to be absorb. (Culler, 2002)

4 | Survey of English and American Literature

 ENGLISH AND AMERICAN LITERATURE COMPETENCIES
Some of the competencies that can be found in the K to 12 English Curriculum Guide related to English
and American Literature.

CODE LEARNING COMPETENCY

EN9LT-Ia-14 Analyze literature as a means of discovering the self.
EN9LT-Ia-14.1 Identify the distinguishing features of notable Anglo
American lyric poetry, songs, poems, sermons, and
allegories.
EN9LT-Ib14.2 Explain how the elements specific to a selection
build its theme.
EN9LT-Id-2.2.1 Express appreciation for sensory images used.
EN9LT-Ic-14 Analyze literature as a means of enhancing the self.
EN9LT-Ic-2.2 Explain how the elements specific to a genre
contribute to the theme of a particular literary
selection.
EN9LT-Ie.2.2.2 Explain the literary devices used.
EN9LT-Ig-2.2.3 Determine tone, mood, technique and purpose of the
author.
EN9LT-Ii-3 Explain how selection may be influenced by culture,
history, environment, or other factors.
EN9LT-IIa-15.1 Identify the distinguishing features of notable
Anglo-American sonnets, dramatic poetry, vignettes,
and short stories.
EN9LT-Ih2.3 Draw similarities and differences of the featured
selections in relations to the theme.
EN9LT-IIa-15 Analyze the literature as a means of valuing other
people and their various circumstances in life.
EN9LT-IIIa-16 Analyze literature as a means of connecting to the
world.
EN9LT-IIIa-16.1 Identify the distinguishing features of Anglo-
American one-act plays.
EN9LT-Iva-17 Analyze the feature as a means of understanding
unchanging values in a changing world.
EN9LT-Iva-17.1 Explain how the elements specific to full length
plays build its theme.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF KNOWING THE DIFFERENT COMPETENCIES IN LITERATURE

The purpose of these literature competencies reflects the importance of studying literature itself. In the
DEPED Curriculum Guide, the expectation of these literature competencies to be learned by the students as
the weeks progress shows the academic benefits. On the other hand, the features of introspection on some
competencies shows how literature can aid in one’s character development and emotional maturation.

Source/s:
 Tisdel, F. (1916) A brief survey of english and american literature. The Macmillan Company retrieved
at https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=Y-kpAAAAYAAJ&pg=GBS.PA24
 https://theadroitjournal.org/2019/05/01/english-literature-vs-american-literature/
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVziuvD-7Ec

ACTIVITY
SHEET
Name : _____________________________________________________________________________

5 | Survey of English and American Literature

Course&Year/Major : _____________________________________________________________________________
Subject Code : _____________________________________________________________________________
Date Submitted : _____________________________________________________________________________

I. WORD SCRAMBLE
Directions: Look carefully at the jumbled words and try unscrambling the letters to find the words to check if
you have read the texts about the English and American Literature in the Learning Kit attached. (10 points)
1. ASAGNLOXON -
2. DANGLEN –
3. ARSEGMN –
4. WEBOULF
5. NLTEEAZBHA –
6. SRILPIGM -
7. TPRINUAS –
8. ERUTCLU NDA SREAMNN –
9. YTHOISR –
10. IEARLYTY TOEEMPCCNE –

II. QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION (25 points)

1. What are the common genres and differences of the English and American Literature?

2. Discuss briefly the old English Period based on the people, their geography, and their literature.

3. Discuss briefly the old American Period based on the people, their geography, and their literature.

4. Explain the difference of the writing style of the English and American Literature.

5. In your own understanding, as a pre-service English teacher, why do you need to learn the literary
competencies in the K to 12 English Curriculum Guide?

III. META LEARNING LOG

I’ve been learning about

6 | Survey of English and American Literature

Knowing about this topic helps me