Basic information about development and background of English literature.

       English Literature Its Background And                                 Development

Introduction:

   Basic information about literature:

            English literature is the one of the richest literature of the world There forefathers were inhabiting in a small island of the west coast of the Europe,which leaves marks on their literature as they have the spirit of adventure,perseverance and tenacity,which reflects the characteristics of the great people of that time.As the literature is the reflection of the society,the various changes which have come about in English society,leaves their impacts on the literature from the earliest time to the modern time.Thus in order to understand any literature you need to have proper information about the social and political events happened at that time.For example: if  you have to understand the literature of Chaucer(the writer) you have to know about the incidents happened at the time of CHAUCER, similarly if you you want to read the SHAKESPEARE you have to take the proper notice on the events takes place in Queen Elizabeth reign.,because he is the writer of that time. the same is the case with the other great figures and important movement in English literature.

                                                      (William Shakespeare: the writer of queen Elizabeth reign)


When we study the history of the English literature from the earliest to the modern times,we find that it has passed through certain definite phases, each having marked characteristics.These phases terms as `AGES` or `PERIODS`,which are named after the central literary figures or the important rulers of England.Thus we have the `Ages` of Chaucer,Shakespeare,Milton,Dryden,Pope and Johnson. Wordsworth,Tennyson, Hardy and on the other hand , the Elizabeth age, the Jacobean period,the age of queen Anne,. some these phases are named after certain literary movements as the classical age, the romantic age ; while others others after certain important historical eras, as the Medieval period,the Anglo-Saxon period,the Anglo-Norman period. These literary phases are also named by some literary historians after the centuries as the seventeenth century literature,eighteenth century literature,nineteenth century literature.These ages and periods naturally overlap each other, and they are not to be followed strictly,but it is essential to keep them in mind in order to follow the growth of English literature,and its salient and distinctive characteristics during th various period of development.