English literature

English literature is all literature written in the English language, regardless of the origin of its authors. Under this denomination are gathered works written in Old English, Medieval English, Modern English and Contemporary English, as well as those written in the dialectal varieties that the current language has around the world.

The first English words, written in an Anglo-Saxon dialect  known as Old English, appeared in the early Middle Ages. The oldest known text is the hymn of Caedmon. At that time the oral tradition was very important and a large part of the literary works were written in order to be represented. Epic poems became very popular and some, like Beowulf, have survived to this day.

 

This language is closely related to the current Norwegian language and the Icelandic language, so the Anglo-Saxon verses were probably an adaptation of the first Viking and Germanic war poems that arrived from the continent. When this poetry arrived in England, it was still transmitted orally from generation to generation; The constant presence of alliterative verses, or consonant rhyme, helped Anglo-Saxons remember it easily.

 

The first written literature appears at the time when St. Augustine of Canterbury founded the early Christian monasteries; The language was adapted to the needs of Christian readers. Even without their bloodiest lines, Viking war poems were bloodthirsty: there was always a sense of imminent danger in the narratives. Sooner or later everything had its end. When William the Conqueror made England part of the Norman kingdom (in 1066), Old English poetry continued to be read and the use of the language spread.

 

The Puritan Era (1600-1660)

The European Puritan movement was characterized by a focus on the revival of man's moral nature and intellectual awakening. At this time the authors embodied freedom of thought in the face of the actions of the rulers, and also introduced ideals into politics; The texts aimed to make the reader an honest and free person. However, at that time religious principles were exaggeratedly dominant, so poetry was transformed into a metaphysical text.

The Restoration Era (1660-1700)

Next, the Restoration Era was the one in which the monarchy became in England with Charles II, who returned to British soil from his exile in France and took possession of the throne. At this time there was a wave of debauchery and frivolity, and writers were forced to be guided by the styles of French poets. This resulted in a literature marked by realism, satire, heroic couplet and prose aimed at the aristocratic class.

 

The classicism of the eighteenth century

On the other hand, there is the era of classicism or "Classical Age" of literature, which occurred in the seventeenth century when ancient writers served as an example for the authors of that time in English, that is, they focused on texts with simple methods and rejected the fantastic and vigorous style of past eras; on the contrary,  the literature of the seventeenth-century world focused on drama, poetry and prose with a more sublime, traditional and perfectionist essence.

Romanticism of the seventeenth century

The history of English literature is also marked by Romanticism or "Romantic Age", one of the periods of great importance of literature in universal culture because it was the most fruitful era of British literature. The romanticism of the eighteenth century was born of neoclassicism as a reaction to the rationalist movement and was characterized by giving importance to the feelings of the artist and freedom of expression. Likewise, English romantic literature was built by spontaneity, fantasy, the nature of man and his actions.

The Victorian era of the nineteenth century

The Victorian era, which was divided into early and late years, was marked by the shift from agriculture to industrialization in England and, at that time, power was being transferred to the middle class and child labor began to be condemned. This era was characterized by showing realism in England, but also served as an incentive for people to return to religion, so the works were more moralistic; However, this literature was considered to be as realistic and imaginative as it was suffocating and morally oppressive. At this time realism, naturalism and regionalism emerged as literary movements.

Twentieth-century modernism

Modern English literature, which began in the early twentieth century, was characterized by its attitude of rejection of Victorian society and  British writers focused on creating more realistic works with meaning of life, questioned everything, exercised creative freedom in poetry and addressed the most beautiful subjects, but also sad and dark realities. In this case, nineteenth-century English literature modernism could be pessimistic at times and also settled on Darwinism and other theories to challenge religious and supernatural beliefs.

 

Characteristics of British literature

Fantasy and fiction

Since Thomas More wrote Utopia in the seventeenth century, utopias and dystopias in the fantasy and science fiction genres became increasingly prevalent in English literature. However, utopia is not a unique characteristic of a classical English writer.

 

Classical English

British literature generally uses a classical language, i.e. British English which is considered "rich" in its grammar and verbal structure, unlike American English, which is more modern and accessible.

 

Main actors in English literature

 

Charles Dickens (1812-870)

He portrayed the hypocrisy and discrimination of the British class system. His most famous works are Oliver Twist (1838), A Christmas Carol (1843) and Great Expectations (1861), texts in which Dickens captured the socio-cultural problems of the working class, and gave concrete details about the harsh Victorian reality. 

George Orwell (1903-1950)

essayist George Orwell, who became famous for his iconic novels, 1984 (1949) and Animal Farm (1945); In both he made clear his pessimistic opinion and his vision on the problems of modern society. In the case of Animal Farm, Orwell had to listen to criticism for the way he portrayed the main characters, while in 1984 he made a representation of totalitarian states, such as Germany at the time of Nazi rule.

Some famous works of English literature

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1818) is a well-known story in film due to its relationship with the character and Halloween; however, the original text tells the story of a scientist, Victor Frankenstein, who manages to give life to a being of his own creation, but ends up being an abominable creature who earns the rejection of his creator and society. This gothic novel addresses themes such as humanity, science, life and death.

 

 

 

Al Faro (1927) is an impressionist novel that needs a lot of attention and reading comprehension because there is no consistent narrator, there is not so many dialogues and the plot is not linear. However, it focuses on the Ramsay family, who are about to face the horrors of the First World War; It is an introspective and profound work that seeks to make connection with the reader.

 

 

 

In 1847, Emily Brontë published this book that speaks of love and revenge in the lives of those who live on the farm called "Wuthering Heights". In this story the protagonists are Heathcliff and Catherine, friends who grew up together, grew up on the property, and eventually fall in love. But the situation is complicated when Edgar Linton appears, Catherine falls in love and Heathcliff leaves the farm full of hate and wants revenge on those who took him away from his love.

English literature is one of the most important at the level due to the content of its books and its actors that give relevance to English culture and that provides an end of categories for each reader since it has different stories that go according to age and category of each person who wants to read a different reading.