The dawn of English literature

English and American Literature

1. The Dawn of English Literature (the Literature of Ancient Britons, Roman Invasion and Germanic Tribes).

2. The Literature of the Norman Period (the 12th - 13th Centuries).

3. English Literature of Pre-Renaissance in England (the 14^th Century).

4. The English Literature in the 16^th Century.

5. The Development of Drama in England.

6. The National Beginning of American Literature (Colonial Period, Puritan Literature).

7. The Literature of the Revolutionary Era (Founding Fathers).

8. Romanticism in America. Its peculiarities.

9. The Rise of American Realism.

10. The literature of the Lost Generation.

 

The dawn of English literature

In the 4th century B. C. England was called Britain. One of the tribes who lived there was named the Britons. They belonged to the Celtic race and spoke Celtic. There are still some traces of this language found in the English of today. Most of all we find them in geographical names. Another Celtic tribe Gaels lived in Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Their descendants still live there and use some words of Celtic origin, such as Loch Lomond (lake). The life of the ancient Britons was very primitive. They believed that different gods lived in the darkest parts of the woods. Some plants as mistletoe and the oak-tree were considered to be sacred. Ancient Britons planted corn, lived upon fish and the flesh of their cattle, made coarse cloth for their clothes and were good warriors. They also built many temples and altars, fragments of which can still be seen in Great Britain. The Britons had a strange and cruel religion- the religion of the Druids. They sacrificed human beings and often burnt men and their animals together with them.

There were folk-dances, folk-songs and folk-poems that people made up when at work or at war, or for entertainment. Yet there were special professional musicians called «bards» or «scops». Peopl invited professional singers called «gleemen» on feast days to amuse them. The songs and poems of that period were about events people wanted to be remembered. They sang songs of wonderful battles and of exploits of brave warriors. At first these songs were handed down to children and grandchildren as the pagan priests forbid to write down songs and poems. That’s why many poems, songs and stories are lost for us for ever. Some of them were put down by «scribes» when the Anglo-Saxons were converted into Chistianity. The most significant folk poem of those days called «Beowulf» reached our days. The poem is considered to be created in the 8th century, but it was compiled in the 10th century by the unknown scribe. The manuscript is in the British museum, in London.

Anglo-Saxon verse had no rhyme. It had even no regular number of syllables for its line. Yes it was necessary that the stressed syllables of one line should begin with the same consonant. This made them very musical in sound and was called «alliteration». Many nouns and names of people are accompanied by one or even two descriptive words. Based on certain likeness between two subjects or two ideas, the descriptive words show them in a new light. They help the reader to catch the exact meaning of what the author had in mind. These words, whether verb, noun or adjective, are called «metaphors».

 

Romanticism in America. Its peculiarities.

English and American Literature

1. The Dawn of English Literature (the Literature of Ancient Britons, Roman Invasion and Germanic Tribes).

2. The Literature of the Norman Period (the 12th - 13th Centuries).

3. English Literature of Pre-Renaissance in England (the 14^th Century).

4. The English Literature in the 16^th Century.

5. The Development of Drama in England.

6. The National Beginning of American Literature (Colonial Period, Puritan Literature).

7. The Literature of the Revolutionary Era (Founding Fathers).

8. Romanticism in America. Its peculiarities.

9. The Rise of American Realism.

10. The literature of the Lost Generation.

 

The dawn of English literature

In the 4th century B. C. England was called Britain. One of the tribes who lived there was named the Britons. They belonged to the Celtic race and spoke Celtic. There are still some traces of this language found in the English of today. Most of all we find them in geographical names. Another Celtic tribe Gaels lived in Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Their descendants still live there and use some words of Celtic origin, such as Loch Lomond (lake). The life of the ancient Britons was very primitive. They believed that different gods lived in the darkest parts of the woods. Some plants as mistletoe and the oak-tree were considered to be sacred. Ancient Britons planted corn, lived upon fish and the flesh of their cattle, made coarse cloth for their clothes and were good warriors. They also built many temples and altars, fragments of which can still be seen in Great Britain. The Britons had a strange and cruel religion- the religion of the Druids. They sacrificed human beings and often burnt men and their animals together with them.

There were folk-dances, folk-songs and folk-poems that people made up when at work or at war, or for entertainment. Yet there were special professional musicians called «bards» or «scops». Peopl invited professional singers called «gleemen» on feast days to amuse them. The songs and poems of that period were about events people wanted to be remembered. They sang songs of wonderful battles and of exploits of brave warriors. At first these songs were handed down to children and grandchildren as the pagan priests forbid to write down songs and poems. That’s why many poems, songs and stories are lost for us for ever. Some of them were put down by «scribes» when the Anglo-Saxons were converted into Chistianity. The most significant folk poem of those days called «Beowulf» reached our days. The poem is considered to be created in the 8th century, but it was compiled in the 10th century by the unknown scribe. The manuscript is in the British museum, in London.

Anglo-Saxon verse had no rhyme. It had even no regular number of syllables for its line. Yes it was necessary that the stressed syllables of one line should begin with the same consonant. This made them very musical in sound and was called «alliteration». Many nouns and names of people are accompanied by one or even two descriptive words. Based on certain likeness between two subjects or two ideas, the descriptive words show them in a new light. They help the reader to catch the exact meaning of what the author had in mind. These words, whether verb, noun or adjective, are called «metaphors».