JAВНA УСТAНOВA ГИМНAЗИJA „ВAСO ПEЛAГИЋ“
БРЧКO ДИСТРИКТ БOСНE И ХEРЦEГOВИНE
МAТУРСКИ РAД
ИЗ ПРEДМEТA:
Енглески језик
ТEМA:
„The Periods of English Literature“
МEНТOР
КAНДИДAТ
Анела Боришев, проф.
Прoф. имe прoфeсoрa
имe учeникa
Брчкo, мaj 2011. гoдинe
CONTENT
Introduction 3
1.Old English literature 4
1.1. Old English Poetry 4
1.2. Old English Prose 4
2.Middle English literature 5
2.1. The development of English romances 5
2.2. The age of Chaucer 5
2.3. Early English drama 6
2.3. Middle English Prose 6
3.The beggining of Modern English 7
3.1. Elizabethan poetry 7
3.2. Elizabethan drama 7
4.The early and the middle 1600's 9
4.1.Metaphysical and Cavalier poets 9
4.2. Jacobean drama 9
4.3.Prose writings 9
4.4. John Milton 9
5.Restoration literature 10
5.1. John Dryden 10
5.2. Restoration drama 10
5.3. Restoration prose 11
6. The Augustan Age 12
6.1. Pope and Swift 12
6.2. The rise of the novel 12
7.The Age of Johnson 13
7.1. Samuel Johnson 13
7.2. The Johnson circle 13
8.Romantic literature 14
8.1.The Pre-Romantics 14
8.2. Romantic poetry 14
8.3. Romantic prose 15
9.Victorian literature 16
2
English literature is a rich and wide diversed literature. Many
types of works are represented, starting with novel, then the
short story, epic and lyric poetry, the essay, literarery criticism
and drama.
English literature is considered as one of the oldest national
literatures in Western world, because the English authors have
written since A.D.700.
In my paper, I will write from the earliest periods towards
present. I will try to keep to the point because English literature
has enriched this world for many, many years, and it merits
great attention.
1.Old English Literature (500-1100)
A groupation of three Germanic tribes-the Angles, Jutes and Saxons-known under
the name Anglo-Saxons, founded powerful kingdoms in England. They spoke in a
dialect that was later named Old English or Anglo-Saxon. That dialect remained
as main language in England until 1100. When these tribes became Christians,
under the influence of the Christian church, English literature was born. The first
written literature dates from the early Christian monasteries.
4
1.1.Old English Poetry
Themes in Old English poetry were similar as themes in national poetry in our
region, bravery and generousity. In many Old English poems, glorified real or
imaginary heroes do magnificent deeds and fight evil. That period was famous
for poets using different literature figures, for example
alliteration
(words that
begin with the same sound),
kennings
(descriptive phrases), and also
international
rhyme
(a word within a line that rhymes with a word at the end of the line)
The first poem was written during the 600's by a poet who was known only by
name Ceadmon. It is a nine-line poem which praises God and it introduced
religious poetry at that time.
The first masterpiece of Old English literature is the epic
Beowulf
, written
somewhere between 750 and 1100 by one or more unidentified authors. It is a
narrative poem written in serious language. The main character is Beowulf,
whose heroic and amazing actions are described and made well-known.
Cynewulf is one out of twelve Anglo-Saxon poets known by name who wrote
mainly religious compositions. He was the first poet who signed his poems, even
by acrostic. His most famous works were
Elene, Juliana and The Fates of the
Apostoles.
1.2.Old English Prose
It was until the late 800's and king Alfred's order when the most prose writers
stopped writting in Latin and started using Old English. King ordered the
translation of the works written in Latin, of which the
Ecclesiastical History of
English Nation
by
Bede
is the most important. This work is the first valuable
source of information about English history and life in England in that period.
The king himself insisted on writing down recent historical happenings and
recovered education in the kingdom.
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle,
a record of recent news and current events, has come
out for many years and was contributed by many authors, but started by Alfred.
There are also
homilies
, short moral essays written by Aelfric and Wulfstan, two
monks. Aelfric lived a remote life in monestry and his most significant work is
Homiliae catholicae
. Even though Wulfstan was also a monk, his creating is a bit
different, because he took part in political life. His most famous work is
The
5
Geoffrey Chaucer(1340-1400)
2.3. Early English drama
English drama originates from Bible stories and scenes that monks in monestries
acted out. Drama did not blossom until 15th century. These later grew into two
types of drama;
mytsery plays
-events from the Bible, and
miracle plays
-lives of
saints. Actors were usually common people from the streets and humor was
brilliant. Most popular scenes were those from everyday life, like Noah fighting
with his wife, funny tricks etc.
Morality plays
appeared later and were intended to teach people a moral lesson.
These had characters who represented a certain attribute, for example good, evil,
love, pride or symbols of abstracts such as king, man, bishop...
2.4. Middle English prose
Characteristic topic for this period is religion. These writings were intended for
rare women readers, because women were rarely thaught Latin. The most
famous work of this period is
The Book of Margery Kempe,
a book about a woman
who couldn't read or write and her struggles and anxieties.
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