The purpose of this blog is to give our IB students an awareness of the long, wide, and diverse history of literature from England and America. Students were divided into small groups, and each group had to do research on a time period of literary history. Following this research, the group was responsible for giving an oral presentation to share their findings with the rest of the class, as well as write the blog entries which you see here (below). Students also had to read a work written during 'their' time period and write a literary essay on some aspect of the text.
There were several motivations for presenting in the form of a blog.
1. We had also been discussing textual analysis during the course, and our primary focus was on media texts. As IB students studying English A: language and literature must also study language in mass communication as part of the course, it was thought that actually writing such a text would increase their awareness of all the facets that go into writing a blog entry.
2. In the past, students made posters for the classroom which outlined the major aspects of each time period, but as those posters are quite limited in their scope (i.e. they are generally not accessible outside the classroom), I wanted to make a resource which will travel with the students throughout their IB years and beyond.
We hope you enjoy our blog!
Anna Martikainen (teacher)
+ the students of 13IB (Ressun lukio, Helsinki, Finland)
Monday, May 26, 2014
Thursday, May 15, 2014
English literature - an introduction
The history of literature from England is certainly a colourful one - one which reflects the times in which the literature was produced. From the epic tales of bravery and honour which colour the Old and Middle English period to the texts of the post-modernist period which depict the diversity of human experience, the writers from this country have left us with a plethora of ideas, perspectives, and stories.
Each period is described in the posts which follow and illustrate the historical context of the period, as well as the works produced. We hope you find the information here useful and entertaining!
Old English (Sandra, Bori, Rita)
Characteristics
Basically all literature and poetry in that time was based on legends or religious stories involving heros and religiously significant people. The most common types of literature were chronicles, epic poetry, hagiographie and riddles. Epic poetry is oral poetry that was passed on from "mouth to mouth" through generations. These stories often have several different versions since sometimes as people told them differently the story changed in to different directions. Epic poetry often has references to significant events to a culture or nation.
Hagiographies are stories about the lives of christian saints, focusing on their miracles.
Most of the literature from the Anglo-Saxon period were orally performed amongst the people and so great emphasis was put into the sounding of these works.
Rhytm was an important part of the old Anglo-Saxon literature, since most of it was poetry. Many of these works were made into songs. The germanic metre was very common.
The Works
It is very difficult to name any writers from the Anglo-Saxon period, because only manuscripts have been preserved from that time.
The most famous epic was Beowulf, which was a heroic poem of Scandinavian man, who defeats a great dragon but dies wounded in the end as an epic hero. Beowulf has been recognized as one of the bases of the English literature.
Junius manuscript includes five different parts which are Exodus, Christ and Satan, Genesis A & B and Daniel. This manuscript gives Christian viewpoint to the heroic stories by interpreting the important aspects that are present in the base of Christianity such as the Fall of Satan and the sacrifice of Isaac.
The Exeter Book written by the bishops of Exeter is a collection of Anglo-Saxon riddles and elegies. An exact time for the writing of this cannot be determined but it can be estimated that it was somewhere between 960-990 AD.
An example of an old riddle from the Exeter book:
Middle English
The Middle English Period continues where Old English left off - the stories told are similar, but the language continues to develop and change due to the political atmosphere at the time.
The period spans 1066 - 1500. The beginning of the period is so precise because this is the date of the Norman invasion, which means the increasing importance of the French language in England. It was the language of the court and official texts, and this influence also affected the English spoken.
People were still interested in stories which taught them how to give a good life, hence the popularity of allegory (e.g. the seven deadly sins). There were also the Arthurian legends (metrical romances).
However, two of the texts which have stood the test of time are Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales.
Here is a link to the full text of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (several different versions) - it still remains a popular text and a good example of Middle English literature. The site also has extensive information about the literature and history of the period.
http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/gawaintx.htm
This is a link to Chaucer's text - a work celebrated for the diversity of character and speech/dialect, and is seen as providing a detailed cross-section of the society of the time.
http://www.canterburytales.org/canterbury_tales.html
One of the significant events which hailed the end of the Middle English Period, was the arrival of the printing press to England. William Caxton and his machine forever changed how literature was distributed and made it much easier for people to have access to books.
The period spans 1066 - 1500. The beginning of the period is so precise because this is the date of the Norman invasion, which means the increasing importance of the French language in England. It was the language of the court and official texts, and this influence also affected the English spoken.
People were still interested in stories which taught them how to give a good life, hence the popularity of allegory (e.g. the seven deadly sins). There were also the Arthurian legends (metrical romances).
However, two of the texts which have stood the test of time are Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales.
Here is a link to the full text of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (several different versions) - it still remains a popular text and a good example of Middle English literature. The site also has extensive information about the literature and history of the period.
http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/gawaintx.htm
This is a link to Chaucer's text - a work celebrated for the diversity of character and speech/dialect, and is seen as providing a detailed cross-section of the society of the time.
http://www.canterburytales.org/canterbury_tales.html
One of the significant events which hailed the end of the Middle English Period, was the arrival of the printing press to England. William Caxton and his machine forever changed how literature was distributed and made it much easier for people to have access to books.
Renaissance / Elizabethan Period (Sanni, Tannu, Sukriti)
Renaissance originated from a French word meaning “rebirth”, (a cultural movement) perfectly describes the intellectual and economic changes that occurred in Europe and also in England through 14th to 17th century. This period is also known as the Elizabethan Era or the Age of Shakespeare in English literature. Literature in this period reflected all the changes of the new era. It introduced new genres, popularly sonnets and impressively a new trend of writing in local languages. It was the time when people thought intensely and wrote strongly. After the invention of printing press in 1439 in Germany, literature became more accessible to more readers.
The Golden Era : The Elizabethan Era
A modern age was being set up, ‘the Elizabethan Age’ named after Queen Elizabeth. Under her rule, the importance of the ‘literary’ works wasn’t taken much into consideration at first however after half of her reign there came an era of formation of a great literature. English Literature flourished the most under her reign during the whole renaissance period. Due to her fondness of literature and arts, they thrived to a great extent and still form a major part of our world of art and literature.
Elizabeth I
Major Characteristics
- an era of peace, economic prosperity, stability and liberty and of great exploration
- variety of unlimited creative force; included many kinds of verse and prose ranges
- often exhibited luxuriance style, which sometimes took the form of elaborate affections
- largely influenced by literature of Italian, French and Spanish
- Era of experimentation
- beginning of English prose fiction writing e.g. many of Shakespeare’s plays
- Lyrical Poetry was an another experimentation, for e.g. ‘The Faerie Queene’ was a very famous lyrical poem by Spenser,
- Drama took over the mysterical plays and it was a new beginning for classical comedy and tragedy dramas
- Regular English tragedy, comedy and historical plays were successfully written
- The literary spirit was all-pervasive, and authors were mostly men at first
Themes/Issues
- Dominated by :
- the spiritual romance
- pastoral elaborations
- nature
- dramatic action
- melodrama
- Political issues such as the division of people into classes
- Religious Peace
Authors
Early authors, writers, dramatists and poets such as William Shakespeare, Edmund Spenser, Ben Jonson, John Milton, Erasmus, John Calvin, Mary Wroth, Sir Philip Sidney, Sir Thomas Wyatt the Elder, Mary Herbert, Queen Katherine Parr, Jane Anger and many others, are still the acclaimed and influential figures of the Renaissance Era. It witnessed a lot of creativity and experimentation. Their writing included poems, sonnets, plays, stories, translations, prose narratives, diaries etc.
- Edmund Spenser(1552-1599) : ‘The Shepheardes Calender’-1579; ‘The Faerie Queene’
- Ben Jonson (1573-1637) : ‘Sejanus’; ‘Song to Celia”
- Sir Philip Sidney(1554-1586) : the Arcadia - 1590; Astrophel and Stella -1591
- William Shakespeare (1564-1616) : Romeo and Juliet (1594-95) - Romeo and Juliet : Death Scene ; Theatre Play ; Shall I compare thee to a summer's day!
In a nutshell, Renaissance literature has stood the test of time. Each era after the Renaissance has been influenced by the works of great writers. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is famous all around the world. The plays have been adapted for many different movies and are still being adapted for different works. The writing style, the language, the genres have been influencing the present works and will be influencing the times yet to come.
List of works cited
Dates accessed : 02.05.2014-03.05.2014
- prologue pic : http://www.docstoc.com/docs/25510765/Prologue-to-Romeo-and-Juliet
- A History of English Literature by Robert Huntington Fletcher (1918) : pg. 44-54, 56-58, 61-64, 65-73
- National Geographic Almanac of World History : Colonizing a New World; Elizabethan Age
- http://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/SAYLOR.ORG-ENGL401-ELIZABETHAN-GOVERNMENT.pdf : The Saylor Foundation
Images used from :
“All’s well that ends well” :)
- William Shakespeare
Neoclassical (Beta, Maria K., Aurora)
The Neoclassical Period
The Neoclassical period followed the Renaissance period. In comparison to the experimental style of this period, the Neoclassical period went back to rules and order in literature.
The
Neoclassical period started because of the return of the monarchy in 1660 and
ended at publication of William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge's and romantic poetry 1798. It was a period full of political discussions, criticism and drinking tea.
French literature had a great influence over the time period as ideas were exchanged between the writers in England and France. Most of the pieces of Neoclassical literature that are still known are written in Augustan age.
French literature had a great influence over the time period as ideas were exchanged between the writers in England and France. Most of the pieces of Neoclassical literature that are still known are written in Augustan age.
Characteristics of the period and its writing:
- Texts were written for the ordinary people since literacy increased among middle class and even among the poor.
- Antique Rome and Greece were seen as ideal. (like in France at the time)
- The ancient Roman and Greek rules of writing were followed strictly.
- Impression played a big role in this periods actions in general. Everybody was to show intelligent excellence and good manners to fit in society. This is also seen in the language. People often used dictionaries and studied grammar to seem intelligent.
- Genre:
- During Neoclassical period novels developed rapidly. The so called "world's first bestseller", Robinson Crusoe had probably something to do with it...
- Also satires were increasingly popular, especially in the Augustan age when the main opposing parties used them to bring down each other.
- Autobiographies different types of criticism like essays were popular to give an in
- Politics was a popular theme/issue that literature dealt with at the time.
Fun fact!
Tea was introduced in UK in 1660s and 1670s and during 1700 it became a big thing. This was, because of the two opposing parties of the time, Whigs and Tories, used to meet at coffee-shops and while they were discussing their important strategies of how to overpower their opposing party, they drank tea.
Restoration period, the first part of Neoclassical period.
In 1649
king Charles I was beheaded and England became a republic. This republic didn't
last long and the monarchy was restored in 1660. This started the restoration
period. The restoration period ends at the death of John Dryden.
In style the
restoration period was a response to Renaissance. Language was easy, clear, formal... and texts were written in English!
During this period there was the rise of the two English parties, the Tories (for the monarchy) and the Whigs (for the people). The conflicts of these two play a large role in shaping the following period, the Augustan Age.
John Dryden, 1631-1700
John Dryden
- the most influential writer of the time
- was a poet, literary critic, translator and playwright.
- in the style of the period, he aimed at expressing his thoughts in the most precise and concentrated way.
- wrote a lot many different kinds of literature and in literary circles the age came to be known as the age of Dryden
John Milton, 1608-1674
- wrote Paradise Lost, published 1667, which is his most influential work. Paradise Lost tells the Biblical story of fall of men, temptation of adam and eve by satan (the fallen angel) and their expulsion from Eden.
Augustan Age, The second part of Neoclassical period.
The Augustan Age is considered to have properly started after William III died and Queen Anne came to rule over the country in 1702. The political conflicts between the countries two main political parties (the Tories and the Whigs) continued to produce satirical pieces by writers like Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope, who used their written pieces as weapons against one another. The people were divided into two. Writers, politicians and all sorts of artists started to gather in either Tory or Whig coffee houses for afternoon tea to discuss their opinions. During this time writers were a powerful tool in politics.
At the same time the novel established itself as a thing in England. Since reason was valued over emotion and writing followed certain rules, poetry was no longer a popular form of writing. Instead longer stories with plots, characters and witty analyses. Two central authors, who helped to create this development, were Daniel Defoe and Samuel Richardson.
Daniel Defoe ~1660-1731
Daniel Defoe, originally just Foe, was one of the most influential man of the Augustan Age, both as a writer and politician. He was originally a merchant, but was rather poor at it and ended up in prison due to large debts. He was released and continued on to work as a merchant and pamphleteer for the Whigs.
This did not last long. In 1702 he was arrested again due to his pamphleteering and political activity, but released a few months later under the condition that he would work as a spy and pamphleteer for the Tories. Defoe agreed to this and from 1703 to 1714 he wrote a journal supporting their cause. One of the journals purposes was to shed a positive light on the union of England and Scotland in 1707. Daniel Defoe played a major role in its success (at least behind the scenes). After eleven years of this employment he was free again and immediately jumped back to the Whigs.
Defoe's most notable work, a book that is considered to be the first Bestseller, is the novel Robinson Crusoe (1719). The book is loosely based on the story of Scottish sailor, who was shipwrecked and lost at sea for five years. In his own book Defoe's main character, Robinson Crusoe, is a great example of human stupidity and a man of great misfortunes. He also takes a look at society and basic human nature. The novel has two sequels, neither of which is widely known.
Samuel Richardson 1689-1761
Samuel Richarson, a printer, publisher and writer, is alongside Defoe the father of the novel. He spent the majority of his life working as a printer and publisher. However when there was no male heir to take over his press (all of his six sons and his nephew died young) he had to shut it down.
At the age of fifty he published his first novel Pamela: Or Virtue Rewarded (1740). It is the story of a maid harassed by her (male) employer. The story is mostly told through letters. His second work, Clarissa: Or the Story of a Young Lady (1748), was published in seven volumes. It is over a million words long and remains to date the longest novel written in English.
Jonathan Swift 1667-1745
- was a satirists, essayist and political pamphleteer
- Best known works satires.
- Include Gulliver's travels (1726) and a Modest Proposal (1729)
- As most of the writers at this time also Swift was involved in politics, for example he was the editor of Examiner, which was a newspaper supporting the Tory party.
A Modest Proposal
- Include Gulliver's travels (1726) and a Modest Proposal (1729)
This is a satirical work in which the narrator suggests that the rich should eat the children of the poor, for the benefit of both parties involved, since this would provide the poor a source of income and the rich with a new source of food. The aim of this text was to point out the poor situation in which the lower classes were at in Ireland in particular.
Age of Johnson & Age of sensibility, the third and last part of Neoclassical period.
This last
part of the period starts in the middle of 18th century and it is often
considered to end in 1798 when William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridges'
Lyrical Ballads was published and Romanticism starts. Other possible ending is
in 1784 when Samuel Johnson died.
Age of Johnson or Age of Sensibility?
Age of Johnson includes Samuel Johnson and his literary friends' texts that often had Enlightenment related topics. Age of Sensiblilty on the other hand was more of anticipation of Romanticism with its "emotional qualities".
Samuel Johnson
- a poet, critic, essayist, author of fiction... basically a writer and a prominent figure of all sorts. He became a very important character and he was kind of a celebrity at the time.
- wrote Dictionary of the English Language (1755). It the best dictionary before Oxford English Dictionary. Because of this he got a nickname "Dictionary Johnson".
- had a great emphasis on enlightenment in his works. He wanted that ordinary people would have an access to knowledge. In his opinion this could be done through easy language This he wanted to do through easy language: language of people, easy grammar and easy vocabulary.
a list of works cited:
http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-neoclassical-literature.htm
http://writershistory.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=category§ionid=4&id=26&Itemid=39
http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/neoclassical-literature-definition-characteristics-movement.html#lesson
http://neoclassical-poetry.bloomyebooks.com/p/the-age.html
http:// www.victorianweb.org/previctorian/nc/ncintro.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradise_Lost
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dryden
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Swift
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Defoe
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Richardson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustan_literature
http://www.victorianweb.org/previctorian/swift/bio.html
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1080/1080-h/1080-h.htm
Pictures:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Richardson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Defoe
http://excellence-in-literature.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/mw228436JDrydenNPGD42583.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Sjohnson-eminent.jpg
Our presentation:
http://prezi.com/new0twdzodfi/neoclassism/
http://writershistory.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=category§ionid=4&id=26&Itemid=39
http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/neoclassical-literature-definition-characteristics-movement.html#lesson
http://neoclassical-poetry.bloomyebooks.com/p/the-age.html
http:// www.victorianweb.org/previctorian/nc/ncintro.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradise_Lost
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dryden
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Swift
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Defoe
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Richardson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustan_literature
http://www.victorianweb.org/previctorian/swift/bio.html
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1080/1080-h/1080-h.htm
Pictures:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Richardson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Defoe
http://excellence-in-literature.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/mw228436JDrydenNPGD42583.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Sjohnson-eminent.jpg
Our presentation:
http://prezi.com/new0twdzodfi/neoclassism/
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