Comprehensive Introduction to English and American Literature

Definition and Scope of Literature

  • General Definition: Literature is a fundamental form of human expression.

  • Narrow Definition: It refers specifically to writings considered an art form, focusing on:

    • Prose fiction.

    • Drama.

    • Poetry.

  • Classification Systems: Literature can be categorized through various systems, including:

    • Language.

    • National origin.

    • Historical period.

    • Genre.

    • Subject matter.

ETYMOLOGY AND DEFINITION OF ANGLO-AMERICAN LITERATURE

  • Etymological Roots:

    • Anglo: Derived from a Latin prefix meaning "English."

    • Anglia: The Latin name for England.

    • Relation: It indicates a direct relation to the Angles (English people).

  • Origin of "England": The Old English name is ENGLALAND, which translates literally to "LAND OF THE ANGLES."

  • Scope of Study: Anglo-American literature deals with the LIFE and WORKS of prominent English and American authors.

UNDERSTANDING LITERARY PERIODS

  • Definition of "Period": Reflects the dominant mode, style, or type of literature produced within a specific historical context.

  • Function: A period is indicative of the controlling philosophical perspective of the specific time.

OLD ENGLISH (ANGLO-SAXON) PERIOD (450−1066450 - 1066)

  • Characteristics:

    • There are very few surviving texts from this era.

    • The surviving texts share little in common with one another.

  • Language: The language of this period is closer to modern German than to modern English.

  • Major Works:

    • Beowulf: Recognized as the national epic of the Anglo-Saxons and the earliest recorded literature.

    • "The Wanderer": Another significant surviving text.

MIDDLE ENGLISH PERIOD (1066−15001066 - 1500)

  • Content and Purpose:

    • Works often featured religiously didactic content (intended to teach a moral lesson).

    • Literature was frequently written for performance at court or during festivals.

  • Common Genre: The Ballad served as a major genre during this time.

  • Notable English Ballads:

    • "Lord Randal".

    • "Bonny Barbara Allan".

    • "Get Up and Bar the Door".

  • Prominent Authors:

    • Thomas Malory.

    • Geoffrey Chaucer.

  • Geoffrey Chaucer:

    • Widely known as the Father of English Literature.

    • Considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages.

THE ENGLISH RENAISSANCE (1500−16601500 - 1660)

  • Nature of the Movement: The Renaissance marks the transition from the medieval world to the modern world.

  • Definition: The term means "rebirth" or "revival of letters."

  • Defining Characteristic: Expansion.

  • The Highest Glory: The pinnacle of the English Renaissance is DRAMA.

  • Key Authors and Figures:

    • William Shakespeare: Produced a massive body of work including 3838 plays and 154154 sonnets.

    • Ben Jonson.

    • Thomas Lodge.

    • Thomas Campion.

    • George Herbert.

    • Thomas Dekker.

    • Francis Bacon: Recognized as the Father of the Essay.

THE NEOCLASSICAL PERIOD (THE AGE OF REASON)

  • Timeline:

    • England: 1660−17851660 - 1785.

    • America: 1750−18001750 - 1800.

  • Alternative Names: Known as the Age of Reason or the Enlightenment Period.

  • Philosophical Underpinnings:

    • Literature reflected the universal commonality of human nature (e.g., "All men are created equal").

    • Reason was emphasized as the highest human faculty.

  • English Stream Authors:

    • John Milton.

    • Alexander Pope (Author of Essay on Man).

    • Joseph Addison.

    • Thomas Gray.

    • William Blake.

THE ROMANTIC PERIOD AND ROMANTICISM

  • Regional Terminology:

    • Romantic: Refers to the English stream (1785−18301785 - 1830).

    • Romanticism: Refers to the American stream.

  • Core Subjects and Values: Emphasized individuality, intuition, imagination, idealism, and nature (explicitly as an alternative or opposition to society and social order).

  • Relationship to Rationalism: Both Rationalism and Romanticism emphasized relying on one's own reason and internal resources.

  • English Stream Authors:

    • Robert Burns.

    • Sir Walter Scott.

    • William Wordsworth.

    • Percy Bysshe Shelley.

    • George Gordon, Lord Byron.

    • John Keats.

  • American Stream (Romanticism) Authors:

    • Benjamin Franklin.

    • William Cullen Bryant.

    • Oliver Wendell Holmes.

    • Nathaniel Hawthorne.

    • Edgar Allan Poe.

THE VICTORIAN PERIOD

  • Context: Named after Queen Victoria, who was Britain's longest-reigning monarch at the time.

  • Social Context: A period characterized by stability and prosperity.

  • Literary Focus: Generally emphasized realistic portrayals of common people, sometimes utilizing literature as a tool to promote social change.

  • Notable Authors:

    • Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

    • Robert Browning.

    • Matthew Arnold.

    • Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

    • Christina Georgina Rossetti.

    • Arthur Hugh Clough.

    • William Ernest Henley.

TRANSCENDENTALISM

  • Stream: American Stream.

  • Philosophy: Viewed as the opposite of Rationalism and Romanticism.

  • Major Emphasis: Focused on intuition and the contemplation of the internal spirit.

  • Key Authors:

    • Ralph Waldo Emerson.

    • Henry David Thoreau.

    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

    • Walt Whitman.

    • Emily Dickinson.

    • Joaquin Miller.

    • Eugene Field.

    • Bayard Taylor.

THE MODERN PERIOD

  • Stream: Both English and American.

  • Historical Context: Stemmed from a reaction against the traditional values that led to World War I (WWI).

  • Purpose of Art: Art was viewed as a tool to establish and propagate new ideas.

  • Style: Writers began to experiment heavily with literary form.

  • English Authors:

    • Sean O' Faolin.

    • Katherine Mansfield.

    • William Henry Davies.

    • Alfred Noyes.

  • American Authors:

    • William Saroyan.

    • William Sydney Porter.

    • Sinclair Lewis.

    • Joyce Kilmer.