History of english literature plan

The Old English Period or The Anglo-Saxon Period (450-1066)

This Age started in the fifth century when the Jutes, Angles, and Saxons came to England from Germany, defeated the English tribes, and started their reign. It ended in 1066 with the Norman Conquest. The historical events which influenced the literature of this period were:

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  Christianity reached England and the Christianization of the pagan English tribes began.
  
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  In the 7th-century monasteries were established where written literature began. Earlier to this whatever existed as literature was oral.
  
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  Alfred the Great who reigned over England from 871 to 901 encouraged education and supervised the compilation of The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.
  

Literary Works of This Period:

Beowulf, the earliest epic of English literature, was written in this period. "The Wanderer", " The Seafarer", "The Husband's Message", and "The Wife's Lament" are among the remarkable poems of the age. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle written in this age is the earliest prose of English literature.

Literary Features of the Age:

Most of the writers of this age are unknown except Caedmon who is held to be the first known poet of English and Bede, the first historian. Though Christianity is traceable, paganism dominates the literary spirit of the time. Heroic deeds, love of sea adventure, intense love of glory, and savagery are the main features of the literature of this period.

The Middle English Period (1066-1500)

This period started with the Norman Conquest in 1066 and ended at the end of the fifteenth century. There are two shorter ages in this period. The span from 1066 to 1340 is called Anglo-Norman Period because the literature of that period was written mainly in Anglo-Norman, the French dialect spoken by the new ruling class of England. The period from 1340 to 1400 is called the Age of Chaucer because Chaucer, the great poet, dominated this period. The time from 1066 to 1500 is also called The Middle Ages. The early part of the Middle Ages is called the Dark Ages because what actually happened during that time can hardly be known. The remarkable events of this period were:

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  The English Parliament was established in 1295.
  
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  Crusade, the religious battle between Muslims and Christians, took place between the 11th and 13th centuries.
  
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  Magna Charta, the great charter which limited the power of the monarchs was passed on 15th June 1215.
  
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  In 1362 English was declared to be the language of law and courts.
  
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  The Feudal System which was very strong, broke up after the Black Death, a plague in 1348-49.
  
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  In the fourteenth century Reformation of the English Church began under the leadership of John Wyclif.
  
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  William Caxton established the printing press in 1476. 
  
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  Renaissance began with the fall of the then Constantinople in 1453. Mohamad II, the Sultan of the Ottoman Turks and a crusader, defeated the Christians in 1453 and occupied Constantinople, the then capital of the Byzantine empire and the center of classical learning. After the defeat the Christian scholars fled to different parts of Europe where they spread their knowledge. Thus ancient learning started reviving. This revival of the classical knowledge is called Renaissance. Its features are: curiosity about more knowledge, desire for unlimited wealth and power, love of adventures, own country, beauty, humanism and the past.
  
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  Columbus discovered America in 1492 and Vasco da Gama reached India in 1498.
  
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  During this period Copernicus (1473-1543) proved that the sun is the center of all planets.