Contents

Contents

historical context AND CULTURAL INFLUENCES 4

Unit 1 The Anglo-Saxon Period 4

Unit 2 The Medieval Period 9

Unit 3 The Renaissance Period 14

Unit 4 The Restoration Period and the 18^th Century 18

Unit 5 The Romantic Period 23

Unit 6 The Victorian Period 27

Literature focus 31

Unit 1 Literature of the Anglo-Saxon Period 31

Literature Focus I: Literature of the Time 31

Literature Focus II: The Epic and the Epic Hero 34

Unit 2 Literature of the Medieval Period 37

Literature Focus I: Literature of the Time 37

Literature Focus II: The Ballad Tradition 39

Literature Focus III: Miracle and Morality Plays 41

Unit 3 Literature of the Renaissance Period 44

Literature Focus I: Literature of the Time 44

Literature Focus II: The Sonnet 49

Literature Focus III: Shakespearean Drama 51

Literature Focus IV: The Metaphysical Poets 56

Literature Focus V: The Cavalier Poets 57

Unit 4 Literature of the Restoration Period and the 18^th Century Literature 60

Literature Focus I: Literature of the Time 60

Literature Focus II: Nonfiction of the 18^th Century 63

Literature Focus III: Satire 65

Unit 5 Literature of the Romantic Period 67

Literature Focus I: Literature of the Time 67

Literature Focus II: Romantic Poetry 70

Literature Focus III: Form and Meaning in Poetry 72

Literature Focus IV: Byronic Hero 73

Unit 5 Literature of the Victorian Period 75

Literature Focus I: Literature of the Time 75

Literature Focus II: The Growth and the Development of Fiction 78

Literature Focus III: Literature of the Time 60

reading comprehension 81

Assignment I: Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Poetry 81

Assignment II: Anglo-Saxon Prose 84

Assignment III: Renaissance Poetry 87

Assignment IV: Renaissance Prose 90

Assignment V: Restoration Prose 92

Assignment VI: Romantic Literature 98

Assignment VII: Victorian Literature 104

HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND CULTURAL INFLUENCES

UNIT 1. THE ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD

1. Historical Context

KEY IDEA Britain’s early years were dominated by successive waves of invaders. Among them were the Anglo-Saxons—a people who gave us the first masterpieces of English literature.

In the 5^th c., Germanic warriors began storming onto Britain’s shores. These invaders—mostly Angles, Saxons, and Jutes—came across the North Sea, initiating an era of conquest. Yet as these invaders (known collectively as the Anglo-Saxons) settled the land, they also built the foundations of English culture. Even the modern name England comes from the Anglo-Saxon word for “land of the Angles.”

T he language of the Anglo-Saxons, now termed Old English, began as a blend of Germanic dialects. Although modern English contains many words with Old English origins, Old English itself has largely disappeared. What remains, however, is poetry and prose emblazoned with heroic themes of the courage, generosity, strength, and loyalty of warriors and kings.

Before the Anglo-Saxons

Long before the arrival of the Anglo-Saxon invaders, Britain was settled by its earliest known peoples, the Celts.

The Celts The Celts had migrated from continental Europe between 800 and 600 BC. One tribe of the Celts was the Brythons, or “Britons,” and another was the Gaels. Because the Britons settled mainly on the largest of the British Isles (now England, Scotland, and Wales), that island became known as Great Britain. The Gaels settled primarily on the smaller island now called Ireland.

The Romans In AD 43, Roman legions began an invasion that would lead to the conquest of lowland Britain. Many Britons were forced northward to what is now Scotland and westward to what is now Wales. Others were forced into slavery. The conquering Romans built walls to protect their strongholds and roads to help unify the province. In time, the Romans also brought Christianity to the Celts. Roman strength foiled attacks by such tribes as the Picts, the Scots, and the Saxons. However, Rome itself was eventually beset by Germanic invasions, and by the early 5^th c., Roman forces had withdrawn from Britain.