ANGLO-AMERICAN-LITERATURE
Anglo-American Literature
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Introduction to Anglo-American Literature
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The name "England"
Derived from Old English "ENGLALAND" meaning "LAND OF THE ANGLES"
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Old English (Anglo-Saxon) Period (450-1066)
Characteristics:
Few surviving texts with little in common.
Language closer to modern German than modern English.
Frequently reflects non-English influence.
Notable works:
Beowulf
The Wanderer
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I. The Anglo-Saxon Period
Topics Covered:
Britain before the Anglo-Saxons
The Germanic Invasions
Anglo-Saxon Society
Anglo-Saxon Literature
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Britain before the Romans
Inhabited by the Celts known as "Britons".
Stonehenge existed; no written language.
Absorption into Latin-speaking Roman society.
Roman withdrawal led to invasions from Northern Europe by Anglo-Saxons who brought Germanic languages.
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By 600:
Anglo-Saxons conquer Britons.
Language becomes more Germanic but retains Latin influences.
Themes of war and wandering become part of oral tradition.
Beowulf: exemplifies the Anglo-Saxon hero tale.
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Literature:
Beowulf as the earliest literature, considered the national epic of the Anglo-Saxons.
Striking features include:
The use of alliteration.
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By 700:
Arrival of Christian missionaries to convert pagans.
Latin (language of the Church) reintroduced.
King Alfred organized the Britons as the first true king, marking a period of prosperity.
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Middle English Period (1066-1500)
Literature often of religious and didactic content, meant for performance at court or festivals.
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Trivia:
Who is regarded as the Father of English Literature?
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Geoffrey Chaucer:
Family name derives from French "chausseur" meaning "shoemaker".
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Known as the Father of English literature.
Considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages.
First poet buried in Poet's Corner, Westminster Abbey.
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Social Background:
The Norman Conquest by William, Duke of Normandy, and the battle of Hastings in 1066.
Established feudalism.
Literature Examples:
Langland, Chaucer.
Types: Allegory, Ballad, Romance.
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The 3 Estates in the Middle Ages:
Breakdown of the ordering of the estates:
Clergy: Latin primarily spoken; those who pray; purpose: save souls.
Nobles: French predominantly spoken; those who fight; purpose: protect and provide justice.
Commoners: English spoken; those who work; purpose: feed and clothe all.
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Feudalism:
Economic system (800-1100) dominant in the Middle Ages.
Commoners (peasants) lived on a feudal manor.
Lords granted land to vassals (peasants) in exchange for protection.
Mutual loyalty and obedience formed between vassals and lords.
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Chivalry:
A product of feudalism, representing idealized manners and morals.
Restricted to the nobility; Medieval knights adhered to a chivalric code:
Loyalty to God, his lord, and his lady.
Ideals of benevolence, brotherly love, politeness.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight exemplifies chivalric literature.
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Characteristics of Medieval Literature:
Heroism from both Germanic and Christian traditions.
Idealized behavior; morality emphasized—loyalty to the king and chivalry.
Examples: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
Often involves supernatural elements, alongside Christian messages focusing on salvation.
By the late 14th century, Chaucer began to challenge existing social order.
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The High Middle Ages:
Major writers included:
Cretien de Troyes, Walter von der Vogelweide, Wolfram von Eschenbach, and Marie de France.
Elements included:
Literature about King Arthur, the Song of Roland, and the Niebelungenlied.
The promotion of the chivalric code.
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During this period, interest in Greek philosophy grew:
Translations from Latin and Arabic stirred interest in philosophy, religion, and science.
Significant works included those by Thomas Aquinas and Bonaventure's Life of Francis of Assisi.
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The Late Middle Ages:
Produced remarkable works:
The Divine Comedy by Dante
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
Continued interest in Arthurian legends with works like Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur.
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English Renaissance (1500-1660):
Influences from Aristotle, Ovid, and Greco-Roman thinkers shaped this period.
Emphasis on public performance (plays, masques) and poetic texts.
Notable figures:
William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson, Francis Bacon, John Fletcher, Francis Beaumont.
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Renaissance Significance:
Marks the transition from medieval to modern world.
Meaning "rebirth" of letters; historical period focused on recovering purity from the Roman Catholic Church.
Features:
Curiosity for classical literature.
Interest in human activities and experience.
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Humanism:
Key theme of the Renaissance focused on the dignity of human beings and present life enjoyment.
Notable works:
Thomas Moore's Utopia
Francis Bacon's Of Studies.
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Francis Bacon:
An influential English philosopher, statesman, scientist, and author.
Worked both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England.
Significant for his advocacy of the scientific method during the scientific revolution.
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Trivia:
Three important uses of studies according to Francis Bacon: A. Happiness, truth, knowledge B. Delight, ornament, ability C. Judgment, disposition, wisdom D. Personal, social, transcendental inclinations
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Drama:
Considered the highest glory of the English Renaissance.
Notable playwrights: Christopher Marlowe, William Shakespeare, Ben Jonson.
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Christopher Marlowe:
Noted as the most gifted of the "university wits".
Works include Doctor Faustus; first to use blank verse in drama.
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William Shakespeare:
Life:
Born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, died in 1616.
Works:
Authored 38 plays and 154 sonnets.
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Trivia:
What phrase appears on Shakespeare's gravestone? A. "May the great author rest in peace" B. "He wrote so much that man will take years to understand everything." C. "He arrived on this earth with nothing. When he died, he left everything to us." D. "Curst be he that moves my bones."
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Shakespeare's Gravestone Inscription:
"Good friend for Jesus sake forbear, To dig the dust enclosed here. Blessed be the man that spares these stones, And cursed be he that moves my bones." (William Shakespeare 1564-1616)
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The Restoration Period (17th Century)
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Social Background:
Conflict between King and Parliament led to the Civil War (1642-1649).
Execution of Charles I (1649) and decline of Cromwell's Commonwealth.
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John Milton:
A revolutionary poet involved in political issues.
Major works: Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained, Samson Agonistes.
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John Bunyan:
Author of The Pilgrim's Progress, a religious allegory.
John Dryden: Distinguished literary figure of the Restoration; popularized the heroic couplet.
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Metaphysical Poets:
Break from conventional poetry; used simple diction, common speech, and everyday life imagery.
Notable figures include:
John Donne: Leading figure of the metaphysical school.
Andrew Marvell: Known for To his Coy Mistress.
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Neoclassical Period (Enlightenment/Age of Reason):
England (1660-1785), America (1750-1800).
Reaction to Renaissance's expansiveness towards order and restraint.
Influenced by French literary figures (Moliere, Rousseau, Voltaire).
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Neoclassical Period Characteristics:
Emphasized classical ideals of rationality.
Art should reflect universal human nature: "All men are created equal."
Reason viewed as the highest faculty (Deism).
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Influential Writers of the Neoclassical Period:
John Locke, Alexander Pope (Essay on Man), Jonathan Swift (Gulliver's Travels), Henry Fielding (Tom Jones), Daniel Defoe (Robinson Crusoe), Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility).
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Daniel Defoe (1660-1731):
English novelist known for Robinson Crusoe.
Shifted career focus from business to writing.
Often faced financial troubles; wrote extensively about personal experiences.
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Key Figures of American Literature:
Benjamin Franklin (almanac, autobiography), Thomas Paine (Common Sense), Thomas Jefferson (Declaration of Independence), James Madison (Constitution of the United States).
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Romantic Period:
England (1785-1830), America (1800-1860).
Reaction against scientific rationality and the Industrial Revolution.
Promoted individuality, intuition, imagination, idealism, and nature.
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Romanticism:
A literary and philosophical theory centering the individual experience and uniqueness.
Nature serves as a major source of poetic imagery.
Romantic thinkers often expressed nationalistic views.
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Trivia:
Who is the Father of Romanticism?
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William Wordsworth:
Considered the Father of Romanticism.
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Romantic Period Characteristics:
Elevation of the common man and interest in folklore and myth.
Literary figures:
Robert Burns, William Blake, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Shelley, John Keats, Sir Walter Scott.
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American Romantic Writers:
Washington Irving, Edgar Allan Poe, James Fenimore Cooper, Herman Melville, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Oliver Wendell Holmes, James Russell Lowell.
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Trivia:
Who is the Father of Short Stories?
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Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849):
Renowned American writer known for poetry and mystery tales.
Arguably the first master of the short-story form.
His legacy influences many writers today.
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Washington Irving (1783-1859):
First American writer to gain international acclaim.
Known for satires about New York society.
Notable works include The Sketch Book featuring "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow".
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Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882):
One of the most widely read American poets during the 19th century.
Notable for works such as "The Song of Hiawatha" and "Paul Revere's Ride".
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American Transcendentalism:
A philosophy emphasizing the connection between spiritual nature and intuition.
Notable Figures: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman.
Advocated for suffrage and abolition.
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Victorian Period (1832-1901):
Named after Queen Victoria, marked by stability and prosperity.
Literature served as a bridge between Romanticism and Modernism.
Focused on realistic portrayals of common people, promoting social change.
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Key Authors of the Victorian Period:
Charles Dickens, George Eliot, Thomas Hardy, Robert Louis Stevenson, Rudyard Kipling, Lewis Carroll, Charlotte Bronte, Emily Bronte, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Robert Browning, Matthew Arnold, Oscar Wilde.
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Charles Dickens (1812-1870):
Renowned for advocating social reform through literature.
Works address issues like child abuse and labor practices.
Major novels include David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, and Great Expectations.
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Trivia:
In Dickens' A Christmas Carol, who were the visitors of Scrooge?
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Visitors of Scrooge:
Ghost of Christmas Past
Ghost of Christmas Present
Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come
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Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936):
Born in Bombay, India; known for novels reflecting Indian experiences.
Notable for The Jungle Book; received Nobel Prize for literature.
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Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892):
Poet Laureate during Queen Victoria's reign; known for lyrical poetry.
Famous works include "Break, Break, Break" and "The Charge of the Light Brigade".
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Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861):
Significant poet of the Victorian Era; popularity in Britain and the US.
Struggled with health issues; wrote notable work Sonnet 43.
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Quotations from Sonnet 43:
"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..."
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Realistic Period (America 1860-1914):
Reaction against Romantic values, emphasizing ordinary life.
Influenced by French writers (Balzac, Flaubert, Zola).
Prominent authors: Mark Twain, Ambrose Bierce, William Dean Howells, Theodore Dreiser.
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Mark Twain (1835-1910):
Born Samuel Clemens; took pen name from riverboat terminology.
Created critically acclaimed novels using humor to portray serious themes.
Known for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.