The development of literature from The Anglo-Saxon Period to The 17th Century

The development of literature from The Anglo-Saxon Period to The 17th CenturyThe Anglo-Saxon period’s literature is the beginning of the history of English literature. And the literature in this period is famous for Epics.The literature of this period falls naturally into two divisions—pagan and Christian. The former represents the poetry which the Anglo-Saxons probably brought with them in the form of oral sagas—the crude material out of which literature was slowly developed on English soil; the latter represents the writings developed under teaching of the monks. After the old pagan religion had vanished, it still retained its hold on the life and language of the people. In reading the earliest poetry of England it is well to remember that all of it was copied by the monks, and seems to have been more or less altered to give it a religious coloring.More voluminous are the survivals of the Christian poetry preserved in the monasteries. Among the early Angle-Saxon poets we may mention Caedmon and Cynewulf. And in this period, there is a great epic—The Song of Beowulf—and such poems as Widsith or The Traveller’s Song, and the Seafarer. The Song Beowulf can be justly termed England’s national epic and its hero Beowulf –one of the national heroes of the English people.Next, we come to the Anglo-Norman period. That’s the age of Knighthood. Romance instead of traditional epic become the dominant narrative mode durning this period.The literature which they brought to England is remarkable for its bright, romantic tales of love and adventure, in marked contrast with the strength and somberness of Anglo-Saxon poetry. During the following three centuries Anglo-Saxon speech simplified itself by dropping of its Teutonic inflections, absorbed eventually a large part of the French vocabulary, and became the English language. English literature is also a combination of French and Saxon elements.At first the new literature was remarkably varied, but of small intrinsic worth; and very little of it is now read. In our study we have noted: first, Geoffrey’s History, which is valuable as a source book of literature, since it contains the native Celtic legends of Arthur. Second, the work of the French writers, who made the Arthurian legends popular; Third, Riming Chronicles, history in doggerel verse, like Laysmon’sBrut; Fourth,Metrical Romances, or tales in verse. These were numerous, and of three classes; first,the Matter of France, tales centering about Charlemagne and his peers, chief of which is the Chanson de Roland; Second, Matter of Greece and Rome, an endless series of fabulous tales about Alexander, and about the fall of Troy; Third,Matter of Britain tales having for their heroes Arthur and his knights of the Round Table.Then,we come to the next period.Chaucer’s creative work vividly reflected the changes which had taken root in English culture of the second half of the 14th century. Chaucer’s poetry traces out a path to the literature of English Renaissance. True, in some aspects of his work Chaucer is still bound to the traditions of the Middle Ages and not few of his poems are written in the manner of French poets who enjoyed great popularity among the nobility. Apart from original poems, he translated various works of French authors, among which is the famous Romance of the Rose. He is still attracted by the form of vision so favoured in the Middle Ages The Legend of Good Women, The House of Fame, The Parliament Fowls, -- a caustic allegorical satire on English Parliament. It is characteristic, however,that his allegories and symbols are already tinged with realistic images. He is drawn to everything that is earthly, tangible and human.In contradistinction to the alliterative verse of the Anglo-Saxon poetry, Chaucer chose the metrical form which laid the foundation of the English tonico-syllabic verse. Chaucer greatly contributed to the founding of the English literary language, the basis of which was formed by the London dialect, so profusely used by the poet. Chaucer’s masterpiece is The Canterbury Tales, one of the most famous works in all literature. Though the great work was never finished, Chaucer succeeded in his purpose so well that in The Canterbury Tales he has givenus a picture of contemporary English life, its work and play, its deeds and dreams, its fun and sympathy and hearty joy of living such as no other single work of literature has ever equaled.His work is permeated with buoyant free-thinking, so characteristic of the age of Renaissance whose immediate forerunner Chaucer thus becomes. He believes in the right of man to earthly happiness. He is anxious to see man freed fromsuperstitions and a blind belief in fate. He is always keen to praise man’s energy, adroitness,intellect,quick wit the love for life.New social and ecinomic conditions brought about great changes in the development of science and art. Together with the development of bourgeois relationships and formation of the English national culture known as the Renaissance. The term Renaissance originslly indicated a revival of classical arts and sciences after the dark ages of medieval obscurantism. Indeed, a great number of the works of classical authors were translated into English during the 16th century. The study and propagation of classical learning and art was carried on by the progressive thinkers of the humanists. They held their chief interest not in ecclesiastical knowledge, but in man, his environment and doing and bravely fought for the emancipation of man from the tyranny of the church and religious dogmas.At the beginning of the 16th century the outstanding humanist Thomas More wrote his Utopia in which he gave a profound and truthful picture of the people’s sufferings and put forward his ideal of a future happy society. At the end of century the great English scientist and philosophical and literary works. In the first half of the 16th century there appeared lyrical poems by Thoms Wyatt,Henry Howard. Thus Wyatt was the first to introduce the sonnet into English literature. In the second half of the 16th century lyrical poetry became widespread in England.Various types of novel were developed in the 16th century.The epoch of Renaissance witnessed a particular development of English drama. The greatest of the pioneers of English drama was Christopher Marlowe who reformed that genre in England and perfected the language and verse of dramatic works. It was Marlowe who made blank verse the principal vehicle of expression in drama. Among other outstanding dramatists of that time was Robert Greene whose play Geoge Green, the Pinner of Wakefield was highly appreciated.The 17th century is the period of revolution and restoration. In literature also the Puritan Age was one of confusion, due to the breaking up of old ideals. Medieval standards of chivalry, the impossible loves and romances perished no less surely than the ideal of a national church.The Puritans believed in simplicity of life. Theydisapproved of the sonnets and the love poetry written in the previous period. In 1642 the theatres were closed.The Bible became now the one book of the people. The Puritan influence in general tended to suppress literary art. Yet this hard, stern sect produced a great poet, John Milton, and a great prose writer, John Bunyan.In the absence of any fixed atandard of literary criticism there was nothing to prevent the exaggeration of the ―metaphysical‖ poets, who are the literary parallels to religious sects like the Anabaptists. Poetry took new and startling forms in Donne and Herbert, and prose became as somber as Burton’s Anatomy of Melancholy. The spiritual gloom which sooner or later fastens upon all the writers of this age, and which is unjustly attributed to Puritan influence, is due to the breaking up of accepted standards in government and religion. This so-called gloomy age produced some minor poems of exquisite workmanship, and one great master of verse whose work would glorify any age or people,-- John Milton, in whom the indomitable Puritan spirit finds its noblest expression.Restoration created a literature of its own, that was often wittty and clever, but on the whole immoral and cynical. The most popular genre was that of comedy whose chief aim was to entertain the licentious aristocrates. John Dryden. Critic, poet and playwright was the most distinguished literary figure of that time.。