Anglo Norman Period - Renaissance period - Elizabethen poetry - Elizabethan Prose - History of English Literature

Anglo-Norman Period

In 1066, the age of Anglo-Saxons ended after Vikings from Denmark and Normans from France attacked England, the Normans were in great numbers and they were led by William the Conqueror and were able to defeat the last Saxon's king Harold at the battle of Hastings. This marked the end of the Anglo-Saxons Age and a new age of Anglo-Normans began and the English Literature changed in the course of the next 300 years.

The effects of the new age on English Literature.

The English Literature afterward changed as per the taste of English rulers. People of that age were full of passion and high spirits; they not only brought traders and artisans, but also scholars to record memorable events and write chronicles and minstrels to sing songs of victories. The most highlighting change of that age was the language employed, before that age Latin had been more or less spoken and written by clergymen, but the conquest of England by Normans led to strengthening of ties with monasteries and with Rome, which led to the extensive use of Latin.

The achievements of the Anglo-Normans period.

The first and most noteworthy achievement was the introduction of "Romances", they were stories, not poetry, based on French and Latin works; they served as the purpose of entertainment for the people of that time; their stories revolved around King Arthur, War of Troy, the mythical doings of Charlemagne and Alexander the great.

The second achievement of Anglo-Normans was the invention of Miracle and Morality plays, which continued from the reign of King Henry || to Queen Elizabeth, Morality plays revolved around the struggle between good and evil for the mastery of the soul. 

The third achievement of Anglo-Normans was the birth of great poets like William Langland, John Gower, Geoffrey Chaucer, considered to be the father of English Literature.

Conclusion: We can conclude in the light of the above discussion that the age of Anglo-Normans had a very great impact on the history of English Literature, and it saw the birth of some of the great poets in English Literature whose works are still read and praised by the lovers of literature.

The Renaissance period

The age of Renaissance is known in history as the revival of art and literature. It is also remembered as the Elizabethan age or Shakespearean age. It started in Italy in the 14th century and came to England in the 16th century. After the fall of Constantinople, modern day Istanbul, by Turks the Greek scholars dispersed throughout Europe, and they took with them priceless manuscripts. The discovery of these manuscripts was the reason for the revival of art and literature. At that time printing press had been invented, so those manuscripts reached every corner of Europe. 

The chief characteristic of the Renaissance age was its emphasis on humanity. This movement started in Italy by Petrach, Dante and Boccaccio.This movement focused on the proper study of mankind and gave birth to other sub-trends like the revival of classical antiquity of the Greek. The emphasis on humanity made its impact on Western world, and the first English writer who got influenced by Greek studies was Sir Thomas Moore, he wrote Utopia after he was influenced by Plato's work Republic. 

Under the emphasis on humanism, the focus was put on what qualities make one human different from the others. This introduced other forms of literature like Essay and Drama. Essays became famous under the pen of Bacon and Marlowe made dramas famous by writing about the passions of humans. Shakespeare took poetry and drama to a whole new level; he took humanism to perfection.

Conclusion: From the above facts, we can say that the age of Renaissance re-shaped English literature and the writers of that age made it more memorable than any other event in the history of English literature.

Elizabethen poetry

The people of Elizabethan age were full of high spirits, and they were fused with freshness and vigourness; this was reflected in the literature of that age and poetry was no exception. The poets who worked on poetry not only gave people great works, but they also introduced new ways to poetry and some improved their methods of poetry.

The first two poets whose works were published were Sir Thomas Wayatt and Earl of Surrey; they worked on sonnets and wrote songs. They used Petrarcan model, which was later used by Shakespeare, and they also used blank verse, which was improved by Marlowe and perfected by none other than Shakespeare.

After them came Sir Thomas Sackville, who was a courtier just like other poets of that time and a writer as well; he was not a cheerful writer as the Earl of Surrey and Sir Thomas Wyatt were, but he was superior to them in poetic technique. His famous work was Mirror for Magistrates in which he sketches a picture of the underworld and how he met some Englishmen who met their misfortunes.

The greatest poet of the early Elizabethen age was Sir Philip Sydney, who was jack of all trades; he was not just a poet, but a courtier and a soldier as well; he may be called an ideal Elizabethen and at the age of just twenty-three he was considered as one of the ripest statesmen of that age; his greatness can also be evaluated on the basis of how Queen Elizabeth praised him; she called him one of the jewels of her crown.

His most famous work in the field of poetry was Astrophel and Stella. 

The greatest non-dramatist of that age was Edmund Spencer, who is considered a poet of chivalry and Mediaeval allegory, he is also considered to be second father of English Literature and Charles Lamb called him "the poets' poet". His most famous work was Faerie Queene, written in the form of an allegory and its purpose was to fashion a gentleman and nobleman in virtuous and gentle disposition. On the surface it appears to be dealing with petty intrigues and clever manipulations of politicians going on in the court of Queen Elizabeth, but from a different point of view it provides us a glimpse of mediaeval times in its glory. 

Conclusion: It may be concluded that the poetry of that age had a revolutionary impact on people by guiding them how to live life, and the harsh reality of the real world. By and large, the poets of the Elizabethan Age glorified English Literature and took it to new heights.

Elizabethan Prose

In the Elizabethan period we saw the birth of modern prose. They were a source of entertainment for the people of England, they were based on sea adventures, extravagant styles and old times. There were two poets who received the most attention in the field of prose and they were John Lyly and Sir Philip Sydney, who gave the audience of that age mesmerising stories and made their names part of the history of English Literature.

John Lyly: John Lyly wrote Euphues which became so popular that its dialogues were quoted everywhere, and it became an inspiring model for other writers, it was centred on decorative and flamboyant style .Its motto is to educate courtiers or gentlemen how to live life; it has got criticism of contemporary society, especially its extravagant style. Still, it was warmly welcomed by everyone and it delivered what people of that age wanted. 

Sir Philip Sydney: Philip Sydney wrote Arcadia, which is the first example of prose pastoral romance, it also became popular and a model for other writers, it was copied for two hundred years by other writers. It is long enough to cover twenty modern novels; unarguably, its beauty lies in its exhaustive use of words and poetic style. 

There were two other writers who also got attention in the field of prose and they were Malory and Hakluyt. Malory wrote Morte de Arthur, it focuses on romantic treasures of the Middle Ages. Its beauty lies in its simple language, and it is this reason it became an admirable model for writers. 

Hakluyt wrote Sea Adventure and other voyages which became popular for its simple language and how the writer focuses on things that are worth telling.

Conclusion: In the end, we can say that the writers who contributed to prose in that age left their marks on the history of English Literature. They not only gave people memorable works, but they also inspired others with their works, which is clear from the discussion above.