A Summary of the English Literature
Part I The Anglo-Saxon Period: the old English literature.
1.In 55BC, Britain was invaded by Julius Caesar, the Roman conqueror.
Along with the invasion came the Roman mode of life
2.The Anglo-Saxon period witnessed a transition from the tribal society
to feudalism.
3.The Song of Beowulf is the oldest poem in English language, and also
the oldest surviving epic in the English language.
4.The early inhabitants on the island now we call England were Britons
5.In Anglo-Saxon period, the Song of Beowulf represented the pagan
poetry.
6.Prose literature did show its appearance until the 8th century.
7.The Anglo-Saxons were Christianized in the 7th century.
8.English literature began with the Anglo-Saxon settlement in England.
Of old English literature, Beowulf, the national epic of the English people, is an example of the mingling of nature myths and heroic legends.
9. The Angles, Saxons and Jutes came from the continent and settled in the island. They composed the Teutonic tribe. The language spoken by these tribes were called Anglo-Saxon or Saxon
10. literature of this period is divided into two types: Pagan(异教) and Christian(基督教)literature. It was a mixture of pagan and Christian
elements.
11. National epic of the Anglo-Saxon is called the Song of Beowulf (贝奥武夫).
1.Epic is long narrative poems that record the adventures or heroic
deeds of a hero enacted in vast landscapes. The style of epic is grand and elevated. The example of epic is the Song of Beowulf, Iliad and Odyssey.
2.The hero of the song of Beowulf is Beowulf.
3.The artistic features of the national epic the song of Beowulf are
using alliteration and metaphor and understatement.
4.alliteration is a rhetorical device, meaning some words in a
sentence begin with the same consonant sound (头韵). Or two of more words in a phrase or line have the same initial sound.
Example: the song of Beowulf.
PartⅡThe Anglo Norman Period.
1.In 1066, the conqueror William, with his Normans army, succeeded in
invading and defeating England in the battle of Hasting.
2.The literature in this period was remarkable for its bright, romantic
tales of love and adventure. The language in this period was a combination of French and Saxon elements.
3.The most noted literature form in this period is romances
4.the prevailing form of Medieval English literature is romance
5.The theme of loyalty to king and lord was repeatedly emphasized in
romance.
6.Romances are a long composition, sometimes in verse, sometimes in
prose, described the life and adventures of a noble hero. It was the prevailing literature form in the feudal England. The example for romances is Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
7.The story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is the culmination of
the Arthurian romances.
8.Chivalry refers to the great spirits which shown in the knight’s deeds. Part ⅢGeoffrey Chaucer.
1.He is regarded as the “the father of English poetry” or “the founder
of English poetry”
2.In the 14th century, the most important writer(poet) is Chaucer
3.Chaucer’s main contributions to English literature can be found from
language aspect.
4.It is Chaucer who formally finished the blend of three languages,
Anglo-Saxon English, French and Latin to shape the early form of modern English.
5.It is Chaucer who first used the London Dialect English in formal
writing, and it is due to his writing that modern English became the only national language accepted by all English people.
6.It is Chaucer who first used the “Heroic Couplet”(双韵体).
