British Literature

British Literature

1) Old English literature
This literatur eis written in the Anglo-Saxon language. It´s beginnings have theirs roots in the territory where the Anglo-Saxon tribes came from, that´s today´s Denmark and its surroundings.
The oldest epic poem – Beowulf – wich appeared probably in the 7th century (with older roots) has over 3000 lines.
Because of his influence on the literature and culture of that time, not to mention his political importace for his country – the work of King Alfred the Great (849-901) can be compared to that of Charles IV. in our country more than four hundred years ago. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle inspired by King Alfred went on describint English history until the middle of the 12th century.

2) Middle English lit.
This title revers to the English literature written approximately between 1100-1500. The religious literatur eis represented by John Wicliffe (1324-1384) who influenced our Jan Hus.
The outstanding autor of this period is certainly Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-1400) with his Canterbury Tales. It´s a series of poems totalling about 17000 lines mostly written in rhyming heroic couplets (one or two of the tales are in prose)

3) Modern English lit.
The Renaissance period in England is represented in literature by several personages. Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) migh have been another „Shakespeare“, if had he not been killed. But even in his relatively short life he wrote many works of world fame, for example The Tragical history of doktor Causy, The Jew of Malta, Tamburlaine the Great. I should also mention Benjamin Jonson (1572-1637) as the last of the whole series of the English playwrights of this time.
The literature of the next period (Baroque) is represented by John Milton (1608-1674). His life is connected with the Civil war in England at that time. After the execution of Charles I. he was appointed Latin secretary to the newly formel Council of State. His work includes pamphlets – Aeropagitica, mainly poetry, the masterpieces being Paradise lost, Paradise regained, Samson agonie.
The beginning of the 18th century is marked by classicism continuing in poetry and realism which appears in prose. Daniel Defoe´s (1660-1731) story of a shipwrecked man, Robinson Crusoe, has lived through centurie and has Jonathan Swift´s (1667-1745) satiroval novel Gulliver´s Travers. Next person worth mentioning is novelist, judge and flunder of the modern british police Henry Fielding (1707-1754) with his novel The history of Tom Jones, a Foundling.
The romantic period can be dividend into two parts. The first was dominated by the Lake Poets, William Wordswort (1770-1850), Samuel Tailor Coleridge (1772-1834), who took their inspiration from the Lake District in England. The second part is represented by poets Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822), John Keats (1795-1821) and mainly George Gordon Byron (1788-1824), the author of Childe Harold´s Pilgrimage, Don Juan and others. Byron was the son of a nobleman. He was physically disabled from birth. This physical blemish made him bitter and cynical. Byron´s work were eagerly read and imitated all over Europe. Byronism (feeling oneself an outcast of human society) became the philosophy of life with many poets of his time.
Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) is the author of many romantic novels describing historical events in many countries – Waverley (Scotland), The heart of Midlothian (Scotland), Rob Roy (Scot.), Ivanhoe (best scotish novel ever), Kenilworth (England), Quentin Durward (France), The Talisman Palestine in the times of king Richard I. the Lion-Hearth.
Jane Austen (1775-1817) was an English novelist. Her insight into women´s lives and her mastery of form and irony have made her one of the most noted and influential novelisto f this era. Her work: Sence and sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield park, Emma and others.
The novel sof the period of realism show life from a quite different view point. Charles Dickens (1812-1870) often uses his own experience from his childhood, as in his novel David Copperfield. His masterpieces are also the Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, Oliver Twist, Little Dorrit and Great Expectations. He´s master of showing life of the lower classes. William Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863) in his Vanity Fair and The book of Snobs show a different point of view. Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855) is most famous for her novel Jane Eyre, and her sister Emily Brontë is the author of another novel of world fame called Wuthering Heights. The list of authors writing in the realistic period would not be complete without Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) and his novel The Mayor of Casterbridge. Jerome Klapka is also known for his Three men in a boat.
Of the many poet sof the 2nd half of the 19th century I should mention Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894). He was inspired by a small map to write his masterpiece full of adventures, pirates and dangers at sea. Treasure Island made him famous throughout the world, though he wrote many other books. Another personage of this time is Oscar Wilde (1856-1900). The ugly side of the supernatural can be found in Wilde´s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. Wilde is also famous for his fairy tales ( The happy prince, The Nightingale and the Rose and others).
The turn of the century teems with writers who must not be omitted. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), the creator of Sherlock Holmes, is one of the greatest detektive story writers of all times. Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) was inspired by the wildlife in India to write The Jungle Book with its hero Mowgli.
Novelist Herbert George Wells (1866-1946) wrote The Invisible Man and The War of the Worlds, examples of the science fiction in English literature.
George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) is a world famous dramatist. His masterpiece is Pygmalion, which became famous because of its film version under the title My Fair Lady.
The 1st half of the 20th century is full of names of authors who wrote important books: Agatha Christie (1890-1976) is possibly the world´s famous detektive story writer. She wrote 79 novels and several plays. Her first detektive novel: The Mysterious Affair at Styles. Others: Miss Marple, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (masterpiece), The Mousetrap. George Orwell (1903-1950) predicted the future in his novel 1984 and described communist systém in Russia in Animal Farm.
J.R.R. Tolkien – knowledge of german and celtic myths, phantasy worlds - The Lord of the Rings, Hobbit…
Gerald Durel – About my family and other animals