periods

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

GOAL

-Have a clear picture about the periods in English literature

Voor het SE

Per tijdsperiode kan je beantwoorden:

1. Wat waren de belangrijke ontwikkelingen politiek, religieus en/of cultureel? + (Welke personen waren belangrijk)

2. Hoe herken je de literatuur uit deze periode? Wat zijn de kenmerken van deze literatuur?

3. Kan je schrijvers en verhalen noemen uit deze periode? Weet je waar deze verhalen/gedichten over gaan?

Old English (Anglo-Saxon Period): 450–1066

Middle English Period: 1066-1500

Renaissance: 1500-1600

Neoclassical Period: 1600-1785

Romantic Period: 1785-1832

Victorian Age: 1832-1901

The history of English Literature begins with the Germanic tradition of the Anglo-Saxon settlers. Beowulf is the earliest and most popular work in Old English Literature. As the Normans conquested England, Middle English replaced the Old English and was used by the father of English Literature, Geoffrey Chaucer in his famous work, The Canterbury Tales. William Shakespeare came to be considered as the most iconic and greatest writer in the history of English Literature as he is revered for his legendary plays and sonnets.

The Age of Chaucer 

- ‘The Age of Chaucer’, covering the period from 1343 to 1450. 

- Chaucer made a fresh and distinct beginning in English literature and became the ‘Father of English literature’ as well as the ‘Father of English poetry’. 

Canterbury Tales 

Chaucer’s most significant work is Canterbury Tales.

- It is a collection of stories related by the pilgrims of different sections of society who are on their way to Thomas Becket’s shrine at Canterbury. 

- A landmark in the history of English poetry,

Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales enriched the English language and meter to an extent that could be conveniently used for any purpose. Furthermore, his introduction of a variety of characters into a single action and their engagement in animated dialogues fulfilled every requirement of the dramatists who were short of bringing their plays on the stage. Chaucer’s works also showed to the novelists the way to portray their characters.

‘The Age of Chaucer was followed by The Renaissance Period also known as the Elizabethan Period or the Age of Shakespeare in the history of English literature.

Instead of looking up to some higher authority for guidance, as was done in The Middle Ages, the writers of the Renaissance Period found guidance from within. 

Classical / Religious Drama 

Folklore

Shakespeare (Sonnets) 

Dr. Faustus 

Utopia 

The rediscovery of classical antiquity, particularly of ancient Greece.

The rediscovery of the external universe, and its importance for man.

The problems of human personality.

The enhanced sensitivity to formal beauty, and the cultivation of the aesthetic sense.

The belief that men are responsible for their own actions. 

"I wandered lonely as a cloud" (p.18)

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

How can you recognize this poem as typically Romantic?

The historical events which greatly influenced Romanticism were: The American Revolution (1775-1783), The French Revolution (1789-1799) and The Napoleonic Wars. 

BLAKE 

www.britannica.com

- Coleridge 

- Wordsworth – various works

- Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice

- Mary Shelley - Frankenstein

Individual Task (5 - 10 mins)

Get your timeline/time period summaries. Add the romantic period to it and write down the important details

After the time is up we will wrap up with some questions

When did the Romantic period take place?

1. 1750-1850
2. 1789-1832
3. 1830-1900
4. 1066 - 1502

What historic development did the Romantic Period respond to?

1. Industrial Revolution
2. Enlightenment
3. Book printing being invented
4. Seperation church and state

Who was a part of the first generation of Romantic Poets?

1. Wordsworth
2. Lord Byron
3. Keats
4. Percy Shelley

What is NOT a feature of Romantic poetry?

1. the supernatural
2. A connection between nature and humans
3. end-rhyme
4. Fourteen lines per poem

Homework + Next class

Next class: practice listening test online. For this Friday, only students in the Magister agenda have to make the test. The team meeting is only for help getting to the site.

Homework: Read p. 16 - 19 of the literature reader. Add important information to your timeline/summary. 

The Renaissance Period (1500–1660)

It is, in fact, the ‘golden age’ in the history of English literature. After the Middle Ages in Europe came the Renaissance, meaning revival or rebirth. As a result, the darkness of the middle ages was replaced by the enlightenment of the human mind with the ‘Revival of Learning’, which the Renaissance prompted.