History of British Literature - 3343 Words

Late Medieval Period 14th Century British Literature 14th and 15th were period of transition from feudalism to pre-industrial era. A time of political, social and ideological conflicts; England was in war with France (the hundred year war 1337-1453 Edward’s claim to the French throne and attempt to bring England, Gascony and Flanders under unified political control). The defeats in France lead to deepening the internal crisis. The decline in agriculture together with the rise in the population resulted in frequent famines and helped the spread during the 14th c. of the â€Å"Black Death†. 1381 – The Peasants’ Revolt. Culture: by 15th century England had become a nation with the sense of separate identity and indigenous culture 1362-†¦show more content†¦Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, by the same anonymous author, is also of high literary sophistication, and its intelligence, vividness, and symbolic interest render it possibly the finest Arthurian poem in English. Other important alliterative poems are the moral allegory Piers Plowman, attributed to William Langland, and the alliterative Morte Arthur, which, like nearly all English poetry until the mid-14th cent., was anonymous. The works of Geoffrey Chaucer mark the brilliant culmination of Middle English literature. Chaucers The Canterbury Tales are stories told each other by pilgrimsÂâ€"who comprise a very colorful cross section of 14th-century English societyÂâ€"on their way to the shrine at Canterbury. The tales are cast into many different verse forms and genres and collectively explore virtually every significant medieval theme. Chaucers wise and humane work also illuminates the full scope of medieval thought. Overshadowed by Chaucer but of some note are the works of John Gower. The Fifteenth Century: The 15th cent. is not distinguished in English letters, due in part to the social dislocation caused by the prolonged Wars of the Roses. Of the many 15th-century imitators of Chaucer the best-known are John Lydgate and Thomas Hoccleve. Other poets of the time include Stephen Hawes and Alexander Barclay and the Scots poets William Dunbar, Robert Henryson, and Gawin Douglas. The poetry of John Skelton, which is mostly satiric, combines medieval andShow MoreRelatedThe Involvement of War in British Literature944 Words   |  4 Pagesstretching back to Sir Isaac Newton† (Johnson 206). The dramatic scenes during times of war in Paradise Lost are a writer’s trade mark in British literature. In Elizabeth Roberts- Pedersen’s article of the affects the brain from war in British Medical Literature. Roberts- Pedersen studies the psychiatric understandings of the war neurosis suffered by British servicemen during that conflict were predicated on a notion of the neurotic serviceman as an objective personality type predisposed toRead MoreWalcott Vs Kincaid : Views On Colonialism1443 Words   |  6 PagesColonialism Aspects of both Kincaid’s and Walcott’s literature pieces show great comparison with each other along with a few contrasting ideas. â€Å"A Far Cry from Africa† and A Small Place both demonstrate the movement from colonialism to post-colonialism and describe how the characters feel and are reacting to the major change. Walcott’s poem â€Å"The Sea is History† compares to A Small Place in the way that both pieces of literature deal with history being bias towards the person who is reflecting on itRead MoreThe Importance Of Literature In American Literature714 Words   |  3 Pagesleading to conflict. However, one thing that has remained constant is American literature, and the popularity of literature in America. American Literature is a reflection of the fundamental right of Americans to protest against their government and express their grievances. The idea of the freedom of speech has been crucial to this development. Without this right, American Literature would look much different. American Literature is unique in that fact that is has been used a platform for change in AmericaRead MoreReflection Of English Literature : My Experience Of British Literature1031 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Why should someone study British literature in their senior year of high school? Why would anyone need another history course in their schedule?† These are the thoughts that had gone through my head as I entered into English IV in September 2016. English, in the past, hadn’t been my favorite course. Analyzing poems, reading Shakespeare, and interpreting an author’s style in a novel are not activities I partake in during my free time, so doing them in class for grades was quite the chore. That isRead MoreThe Conflict Between Tradition And Western Influence On Nigeria1665 Words   |  7 PagesNigeria has proven itself to be rich, transformative, and long-lasting: literature. Nigeria has produced rich literature that shows the conflict between tradition and western influence as well as dividing war. Further, Nigerian literature answers to this clash with a call to reconciliation and balance of the two. A brief look into the history of Nigeria would be beneficial before considering the literary culture and history of the country. 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It influenced almost every sphere of life. The Victorian Age (1830-1901) was a period of great progress and prosperity for the nation. This was a period in which industry, technology, and science were celebrated with renewed vigor. Because ofRead MoreSlavery During The Twentieth Century993 Words   |  4 Pagesthat slavery has been easily defined, by demonstrating the tension between remembering and forgetting history. The twentieth century narratives trace the history of the Atlantic slave trade through contemporary Africa, reflecting the role of slavery in present day. The works unearth remnants of the past in order to locate African memories in literature and bring them forth from the margins of history. Each author originates from different geographical locations in Africa, which allows various formsRead MoreEffects Of Social Class On British Literature1113 Words   |  5 PagesSocial conflicts in British/World Literature made a significant impact throughout the history of literature. The effects of social conflict thro ughout literature dictates the lives and how they shape literature within novels and throughout the world. Social class in British Literature had a tremendous presence and the force of class difference in literature are self evident. Which leads a reader to ask â€Å" How did social class affect literature?† and â€Å" What was its purpose on literature?† The goal of thisRead MoreE M Forster and the British Raj in a Passage to India Essay1327 Words   |  6 Pagesrise of the novel as a popular genre in the literature of the war-struck Edwardian England. Novelists like Joseph Conrad, E.M.Forster, Virginia Woolf, James Joyce and D.H. Lawrence gave the form new dimensions. Among these writers E.M. Forster made a mark in the literature of his age through his last novel A Passage to India (1924), which was entirely different from Forsters other novels in that it dealt with the political occupation of India by the British, a colonial domination that ended soon after