All the Literary Periods and Sub-periods in English Literature (Timeline - Major Authors & Texts)

This section introduces the eight main literary periods with their approximate dates and sub-periods outlined by the English Lit team. It emphasizes that dates are approximate and authors can overlap periods. The periods covered are: Old English (c. 450-1066), Middle English (c. 1066-1500), The Renaissance (c. 1500-1660) including Elizabethan, Jacobean, Caroline, Commonwealth, and Reformation, The Neoclassical Age (1600-1785) including Restoration, Augustan, and Age of Sensibility, The Romantic Period (1798-1837), The Victorian Age (1837-1901) with its various divisions and sub-periods, Modernism (1914-1940s), and Postmodernism (1945-present).

The video delves into the Old English (c. 450-1066, also Anglo-Saxon period) and Middle English (c. 1066-1500, also Anglo-Norman period) eras. It notes the Middle English period begins after the Roman Empire's collapse and ends at the Renaissance's start. Key works and authors mentioned include Caedmon's Hymn, Beowulf, The Wanderer, The Seafarer, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, and medieval drama like Everyman.

The Renaissance (c. 1500-1660) is discussed, starting in Florence, Italy, as a reaction to Middle Ages crises and ending with the rise of humanism. It's characterized by an 'outburst of creativity' from the rebirth of classical learning and the introduction of the printing press. The video clarifies the difference between the Renaissance, the Reformation (religious movement), and the Restoration (monarchy's return). Important authors include Dante Alighieri, William Shakespeare, Mary Sidney, Thomas More, Ben Jonson, Christopher Marlowe, and Philip Sidney.

The Neoclassical Age (c. 1600-1785), also known as the Age of Enlightenment, encompasses the Restoration, Augustan Age, and Age of Johnson. Its literary beginning in England is linked to the 1660 monarchy restoration under Charles II, bringing stability after civil war. It marks a revival of classical ideals and ended with the rise of Romanticism, which rejected its rationalism and order. Key authors include John Dryden, Alexander Pope, and Daniel Defoe.

The Romantic Period (c. 1780-1837) emerged as a reaction to the Industrial Revolution and Enlightenment ideals, concluding with Queen Victoria's accession. It emphasized emotion, nature, and individualism, making it primarily an age of poetry. Notable authors and poets are William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Blake, Mary Wollstonecraft, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Percy Bysshe Shelley, John Keats, Lord Byron, Jane Austen, and Thomas Love Peacock.

The Victorian Age (1837-1901) began and ended with Queen Victoria's reign. This era saw the rise of the novel as a genre and is considered a reaction to industrialization, urbanization, and calls for social reform. Prominent authors include Charles Dickens, George Eliot, Thomas Hardy, the Brontë sisters (Charlotte, Emily, Anne), and William Morris. Late Victorians mentioned are Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, and Mary Elizabeth Braddon.

Modernism (c. 1910-1945) began with World War I and ended with World War II. It reflects world wars, disillusionment, and societal upheaval. Major authors include James Joyce, T.S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, Virginia Woolf, Franz Kafka, Joseph Conrad, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Postmodernism (c. 1945-present) started after World War II and is characterized by skepticism towards grand narratives, globalization, and technological advancements. Key postmodern authors are Kurt Vonnegut, Samuel Beckett, Toni Morrison, and Margaret Atwood.

The video addresses the common confusion among students regarding literary periods, ages, or eras. It clarifies that authors like Shakespeare can belong to both a main period (Renaissance) and a sub-period (Elizabethan era). The video outlines its agenda: discussing common mistakes, confusing names/dates, displaying classifications, outlining the timeline, and elaborating on periods, sub-periods, reactions, and authors.

The video warns against mixing movements, theories, and periods found in online searches. It highlights that various timelines of English literature exist and differ based on criteria such as political incidents, characteristics of the era, dates, or a mix of these. The Norton Anthology's classification is given as an example, grouping periods like the Middle Ages, 16th/17th centuries, Restoration/18th century, Romantic Period, Victorian Age, and 20th/21st centuries.