UNIT1: Introduction to Literature

• English Literature begins in the 14th and 15th Century. That is called the Modern
period.
• Before the Modern period in the 14th & 15th century there was the medieval period,
before that, ancient period. Now Modern period means the period of Akber in India,
the period of Queen Elizabeth in England.
• 16th period was the time of Queen Elizabeth England.
• English literature is generally the literature of England, but today when we talk about
English literature, it is almost like world literature. We also talk about American
literature. We talk about literature in English from across the world; from India,
Africa, from other Postcolonial countries etc.
• The Ancient period in England is the period of the Celts, the original people of
England. Their literature is not very important these days; in an advanced level, you
need to study about Irish, Welsh, Scottish etc. literature. These are all different parts
of England; different parts of United Kingdom. Near United Kingdom, there is an
Island, once upon a time it is a part of England; and in United Kingdom, we have
three major regions: Welsh, Scottland and England. So, there is Ireland, Welsh,
Scottland and England.
• In the ancient period, there was the Celts, the original inhabitants were the Celts.
After that came the Romans and ruled England. All these were in BCs. After that
came the Anglo-Saxon. Anglo-Saxon came from Europe, and settled down in
England. Today most of the English people are Anglo-Saxon; the original English
people are Anglo-Saxon. And Anglo-Saxon period is called the Old English Period.
• In the Old English Period, there is a famous epic called Beowulf. There are major
writers like; Caedmon, Venerable Bede etc. Old English Literature is not considered
very important. Old English Period ended with the Noman conquest in 1066, that
is 11th century. Old English period ended in 11th century. After that came the
Medieval Period or Middle English Period. The Middle English Period is a time
when there a lot of power given to the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church became
all powerful and they became corrupt and by the end of the Medieval Period, the
Catholic Church was replaced by the Protestant Church through Reformation and this
happened in a period called Renaissance.
• In the 14th, 15th, 16th centuries in England and Europe, there was something called
Renaissance.’ Renaissance’ means ‘rediscovery of what it means to be human’
there is a new pride in what is human. Human beings are given importance. Human
beings are considered very valuable, their experiences are valuable, their emotions are
valuable. So, that happened during the Renaissance Period. And the Renaissance
Period took place in the 14th to 16th century.
• Just before the Renaissance Period, at the end of the Medieval Period, we have the
greatest writer. He’s called the father of English Literature, Geoffrey Chaucer. He
wrote the Canterbury Tale. The General Prologue to the Canterbury Tale. After the
Period of Chaucer, came the Renaissance Period. In the Renaissance Period there
were many major writers. One of the major writers is Shakespeare. In Shakespeare’s
time, there were others like Francis Bacon, Christopher Marlow. In this Period,
there was flowering of English Literature. There is a Golden Age of English
Literature. A lot of tragedies were written, Sonnets were written. So, when we study
literature, we need to study different kinds of literature; the different kinds of genres;
like POETRY, DRAMA, FICTION, within fiction we have Novel and Short Story;
within Poetry we have Lyric Poetry, Narrative Poetry and different kinds of Poetry. (
a glossary of literary terms by M.J BROWN)
• During this time Renaissance Period, there were also other major writers who wrote
about Religion like John Milton. He’s considered the last of the Renaissance writer.
The Elizabeth period was in the 16th Century and this is the time of Shakespeare.
Queen Elizabeth was the last of the Tudor Monarchs. The family of kings they are
called dynasty. The Stuart rule came after Tudor after the Stuart came the Hanoverian.
• The Stuart ruled in the 17th century; 1642 to 1660. During this time, in England
one important event happened. That is the Civil War. An internal war within the
country. The fight between the Puritans and the Royals. The people who supported
the king are called the Royalists. The Puritans are the Religious community. They
both of them fought. The Puritans were the major figures in the Parliament. They
were the Ministers. That is why they fought against the king. The king was beheaded.
After this, the Restoration period began.
• There was monarchy re-established in England. This is called Restoration of
Monarchy. During this time, John Milton is a very important writer. John Milton who
wrote ‘Paradise Lost’. And the most important writer in Restoration Period is John
Dryden. John Dryden was a very important figure in the Restoration Period.
• Restoration Period also saw the rise of Comedy. During the Puritan Rule, there was
no drama. They were against drama, against all kinds of celebrations. Theatres were
closed during the Puritans’ rule. In the Restoration Period, theatres were re-opened.
Lot of immoral tragedy and comedy started in Restoration Period. No much tragedy
was there and mostly comedy. That is the end of 17th century.
• In the 18th century, there was the Rise of Neo-Classicism. Classicism is what
flourished in Greece & Rome. (we had discussed renaissance) During the Renaissance
Period there was a lot of revival of classics from the Greece and Rome. Early, in the
BCs in Greece and early AD period in Rome. During the Renaissance, Classicism
was a model for all the writers. Classicism is belief in Reasons not in Emotions.
Thinking, Idea. And belief in order and discipline. When you write one has to
follow the order and rules. There should be order. All this is called Classicism.
Classical values.
• And in the 18th century after Renaissance, once again there was a Classical
period. This is called Neo-Classicism. The most important writer during the Neo-
 Classical period was Alexander Pope. Neo-Classical Period also called Augustan
Period.
• In the Neo-Classical Period there is the Revival of Classical values of order,
rules, of reasons and the most important writer was Alexander Pope. He is the
important writer of the 18th century. The Neo- Classical Period also called Augustan
Period.
• During the Augustan or early 18th period started Novel writing, Prose and Poetry also
was there. Prose became very important. At the end of the 18th century, there
came Romantic Revival. There was Revival of Romantic writing. That means
instead of Reason, Emotion became important, subjectivity became important.
People began to write from their own subjective perspectives. They began to write
about emotions, nature. All that happened at the end of the 18th century. This is
called Romantic Revival.
• In the Romantic Revival there were Poets who wrote in a Romantic style. They were
called the Transitional Poets. Among the Transitional Poets, there were Graveyard
Poets. There were also Gothic Novelists. Then came the height Romantic Poets. The
major Romantic Poets came in the 19th century. They are: WORDSWORTH
(Daffodils), COLDRIDGE (the Rime of ancient mariner), BYRON, SHELLY,
KEATS. During this time, there were Novelists like JANE AUSTEN (PRIDE AND
PREJUDICE), WALTER SCOTT. In the Romantic period there was nature,
emotion, subjectivity, imaginations, super-natural elements all these things. This is
19th century.
• At the end of the Romantic Period,19th century, there was lot of
INDUSTRIALIZATIONS Happening in England. The first industry in England was
the Textile Industry. INDUSTRIALIZATION led to what is called Industrial
Revolution. That means so many industries were established and county-sides
turned into cities. Lot of machination happened. Rural culture and English
tradition changed. Money and materialism became important. Many people like
the Poets were unhappy with it. All these industrial revolutions that happened in the
Victorian Period. Colonialism is at its height; England is ruling India at this time. This
happened throughout this Period. From the 16th century Colonialism was
flourishing. Colonialism means European Countries is ruling Asia and Africa
continents.
• Victorian period had lots of important writers like LORD ALFRED TENNYSON,
ROBERT BROWNING, MATHEW ARNOLD. They are all poets and critics. They
were also novelists: CHARLES DICKENS (OLIVER TWIST), WILLIAM
MAKEPEACE THACKERY, CHARLIOT BRONTE (JANE EYRE), EMILY
BRONTE (WUTHERING HEIGHT), GEORG ELIOT. So, late 19th century is the
Victorian Period. Queen Victoria died at the beginning of the 20 th century.
• After that there was Edwardian Period, Georgian Period. In the Georgian Period 1st
world War happened: 1914 to 1918, early 20th century. The major writers during this
time are: JOSEPH CONRAD (HEART OF DARKNESS), H.G WELLS, RUDYARD
KIPPLING (JUNGLE BOOK). That is early 20th century.
• After the First World War, there is a major movement called MODERNISM.
MODERNISM happened at this time. Modernism means people lost belief in
REALITY. They began to write NOVELS and PAINT ART in a very
FRAGMENTED manner. Modern art is not realistic, nothing is clear, it is
fragmented, it is ambiguous. Because modern people believed that reality is not
what it is seen. Our mind, our subconscious mind is our reality. What happens in
dreams is a reality.
• At this time there was very major influenced of SIGMUND FRUED, THE
PSYCHOLOGIST who talks about DREAMS. MODERNISTS were influenced by
this perspective of reality. The Modernist believed that reality should not be
represented in a photographic life like manner. Reality should be represented as
fragmented as multiple, as different for every individual. So, in novels etc. there is no
single reality, one story is not there. The same story will be told differently by
different characters. Every character will experience one’s story in a different manner.
In Modernist novels, the characters keep on changing, they show different
characteristics, not the same all the time.
• Modernist writer like T.S ELIOT wrote a very major poem called The WASTE
LAND. It is deliberately a difficult poem. It needs a glossary or someone to explain. It
is a massive poem. It changed the history of English Literature forever. Because the
poem was so different from anything that was written before it. Eliot has written
many major poems like THE LOVE SONG OF J. ALFRED PRUFROCK, HOLLOW
MEN, ASH WEDNESSDAY. The contemporaries of T.S ELIOT are JAME JOYCE,
VIRGINIA WOOLF, EZRA POUND. These are all British writers.
• After the Modernism came the 2nd World War: 1939 to 1945. This is the Period of
Modernism. A big disaster. America dropped atom bombs on Hiroshima and
Nagasaki. There was a lot of bombing and so many innocent people died. There is a
lot of novels which were anti wars. Showing that war is unnecessary, war is bad. So
many novels had been written as a result of 2nd World War.
• 2nd World War novel is a genre itself. Genre means a type of literature, a kind of
literature. After the 2nd World War, we called the POST WAR PERIOD. Post War
Period, a lot of writers immediately after the 2nd World War began to write themes of
Evil, began to write corruption in society. A very important writer is GEORGE
ORWELL this time. Another important writer is WILLIAM GOLDING. George
Orwell’s Animal Farm, William Golding’s Lord of the FLY became very important.
After this developed POST MODERNISM.
• POST MODERNISM is like MODERNISM but when Modernism showed reality
as fragmented, as cut up and multiple; they were crying about it, they were worrying
about it. They wanted reality to be whole or unified once again. they are lamenting,
they are crying and complaining that reality is so broken. It is so multiple there is no
more unity and are crying about it. But POST MODERNISTS are happy about it. Post
Modernists belief that no unity is even possible. Unity is not necessary.
• SALMAN RUSDHING is a major Post Modernists writer. He lives in London.
There are many Post Modernists writers who wrote different genres; like
 DETECTIVE, CRIME FICTION, SCIENCE FICTION. At this time women
writers emerged too. Writing from the margins. A lot of ethnic minorities. Ethnic
minorities mean people who do not belong to the main community. People who do
not belong to the main stream. The Ethnic minority people also began to write. So
many voices began to be heard.
• The Post War period, so many new communities began to write about their
experiences and expressed their problems. Today we have Gender minorities,
Religious minorities writings. It is a very diverse period. Our Post Modernists Period
is a very diverse period. So many different kinds of writers writing at this time.
• And in the contemporary times we have lot of digital literature also. Literature has
moved away from the written form towards the adaptations, media. We have films,
T.V programs, web serials etc. literature has changed completely in the cyber
native age.

### American literature was actually the literature of the British

people who came to America from Britan. They went to the new world and started
living there and it was the 17th century that they started living there. At first America
literature was about DIARY, LETTERS, JOURNALS, TRAVELLOGUES etc.
eventually American literature began to be written properly. Publishing House started.
In the 18th, 19th centuries only proper American literature came into being. The
earliest of the American writers were associated with American Revolutionary Period.
• American got independence from the British in the 18 th century. It was in 1776, the
declaration of independence came in America. At this time the important writers were
THOMAS PAINE, BENJAMINE FRANKLIN (scientist experimented with
electricity), THOMAS JAFFERSON. These were early PROSE WRITERS. Then in
American literature we have WASHINGTON ARWING, JAMES FENIMORE
COOPER. In this time in America in the 18th and 19th centuries, American wrote a lot
about White people interacting with the Natives. White people’s relationships with the
Red Indians or the Natives of America. That was a very common theme in American
Literature. This is called Frontier Theme. It means interactions between Whites and
the Natives.
• Americans wrote lots about NATURE, NATURE verses CULTURE was a very
common THEME in literature at this time. Nature is something they have to control
and defeat, conquer. Nature as their enemy. This was the American common theme.
• In the 19th century, in American literature also there was also Romanticism. The
important writers in American writers are the Transcendentalists. The
Transcendentalists are a group of Philosophers. They are philosophers; EMERSON,
TOROU. They are important transcendentalists. They belief that you can learn
everything from nature. That God is there in nature. We are part of God. We have to
be independent. We don’t have to turn to books or other cultures. We are self-
sufficient. We are self -reliant. These are very important ideas associated with
TRANSCENDENTALISM. Another writer associated with RALPH WALDO
 EMERSON and HENRY DAVID THOREAU was WALT WHITMAN. Walt
Whitman was a major poet and Walt Whitman gave importance to the idea of
DEMOCRACY. DEMOCRACY is a value of American culture. American culture is
deeply rooted in INDIVIDUALISM and DEMOCRACY. The importance of the
individual, the importance of democratic culture where everybody is equal, that is
very important in American Literature.
• WALT WHITMAN advocated this idea of individualism and democracy. He wrote a
very famous book called LEAVES of GRASS. Other American Romantic writers at
this time were; EMILY DICKENSON (major poet, though most of her poems were
not published during her life time after her death, she became very famous),
NATHANIEL HOTHORN, EDGAR ALLEN POE, and HERMAN MELVIN.
• NATHERNIAL HOTHORN, EDGAR ALLEN POE and HERMAN MELVIN; They
were Romantic poets but they wrote about dark, cruelty, and violence. They were
called DARK ROMANTICS. They were again Transcendentalism also.
• In America at this time there were slavery too. People from Africa were brought as
slaves. American Africans. In the 19th century there was CIVIL WAR; 1861 to 1865
like Britan in 17th century. Abraham Lincoln was the President at that time. He
abolished slavery in America. At this time, Americans had a great belief in
themselves. They believed that we can be rich, we can be powerful.
• Just before the CIVIL WAR in 1840s and 1850s, Gold was discovered in California.
This gave rise to a feeling of optimism, they belief in success, they were hopeful. This
is called AMERICAN DREAM. So, after the civil war American dream came about;
feeling proud in themselves, happy, feelings that they will become rich.
• After the CIVIL WAR Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. The civil war was between
the Northern State of America and Southern State of America. At this time,
REALISM LITERATURE began in America. A prominent figure was MARK
TWAIN, the author of the Adventure of HUCKLEBERRY FINN and TOM
SAWYER.
• After the period of REALISM there was the period of NATURALISM. REALISM
means depicting life as it is. Naturalism means depicting characters as products of
their environment. The characters are behaving in certain ways because of the
environment in which they grow up or in which they live. That is the meaning of
naturalism.
• JACK LONDON’s THE CALL OF THE WHILD (where ordinary sheep dogs and
ordinary dogs becomes like the wolves). THEODORE TREASEN and STEPHEN
CRAIN; these are naturalists.
• In the 20th century in American Literature also, there is Modernism. Prominent
modernists are WILLIAM FAULKNER, JOHN STEINBECK, ARTHUR MILLER
etc. In the 1930s, there was a crashed of the stock market. Inflation, money was
devalued, lost their jobs in the 1030s. this is called the GREAT DEPRESSION. It was
there in Europe too, but it affected America more.
 • Many of the Modern writers are also the writers of the GREAT DEPRESSION. The
writers of the great depression include; ARTHUR MILLER (drama-THE DEATH of
a SALESMAN), TENNESSEE WILLIAMS (The GLASS MANAGERIE), JOHN
STEINBECK (GRAPES of WRATH), WILLIAM FAULKNER (The SOUND and
the FURY). After that there is also the effect of 2nd World War, Post World War
period. In the Post World War period, there were so many writers in America who
wrote about fragmentary experiences, crimes, evils and such things.

### EUROPEAN LITERATURE: European Literature means literature of

France, Germany, Italy, and other countries. These are the major countries actually, even
Russia. In European literature also we have Renaissance at the beginning. Effects of all these
things. Modernism, Post Modernism too. Very important is 19th and 20th European Literature.
There were Romantic writers like VICTOR HUGO in France. In Germany a famous writer
THOMAS MANN. MODERNISM, actually came from France.
First, there were French SYMBOLISTS in the 19th century. There was CHARLES
BAUDELAIRE (famous French Symbolist). There were French Realists who actually
contributed to Modernism. French Realisms are GUSTAVE FLAUBERT (wrote madame
Bovary), HONORE DE BALZAC (wrote the human comedy). They inspired English
modernist like T.S ELIOT.
# In English literature Studies, one also has to study Common Wealth Literatures, Post-
Colonial Literatures.
# Post- Colonial Literature, means literatures of INDIA, CANADA, AUTRALIA, AFRICA.
Important Canadian writers are MARGARET ATWOOD, ROHINTON MISTRY, YANN
MARTEL, MICHAEL ONDAATJE etc.
# In Africa, Post- Colonial Literature began with CHINUA ACHEBE (wrote Things Fall
Apart 1958) that was the beginning of Post-Colonial Literature. And after that there were so
many male and female writers from different countries in Africa. Mostly Nigeria and South
Africa but also from Zimbabwe, Gana, Somalia and others countries.
# In Australia also contemporary writers are very important. PATRICK WHITE, PETER
CAREY, THOMAS KENEALLY, DAVID MALOUF.
# Another important thing in ENGLISH LITERATRURE STUDY is CRITICISM and
THEORY. Criticism starts from the Graeco- periods. It starts from PLATO and
ARISTOTLE. They are the earliest Critics. After them comes PHILIP SIDNEY in the
Renaissance Period. Then JOHN DRYDEN and SAMUEL JOHNSON in the Neo-Classical
Period. Then, we have WILLIAM WORDSWORTH and S.T COLDRIDGE, they are
Romantic Critics. MATHEW ARNOLD, T.S ELIOT, F.R LEAVIS; they are Modern Critics.
Then, there is something called NEW CRITICISM.
# New Criticism is associated with Russian Formalism. That is also part of Criticism. And in
Literary Critics, one has to study Structuralism, Post Structuralism, Modernism, Post
Modernism, Marxism, Psychoanalytic Criticism, Feminism. Then, we have Reader Response
Theory, New Historicism; these are all traditional theories. These were very powerful from
1960 to 1990. Then, after that 1990s; we have Cultural Studies. The most important area in
Literary theory is now Cultural Studies. Now there is yet another area, in English Literature,
that is Linguistics and ELT. English Language Teaching and Linguistics also form papers in
English Literature Studies.