English Literature From Begining To 18. Century
2. What is English Literature?
Old English – ancestor of modern English, btw. Modern and Old English was period of Middle English – when the foreign language of Old English changed to the language which we use now, Middle English.
Old English – was in nature strength and violence,
* it was language rich in consonants,
* clustering consonants together
* mouth seems to perform a swift act of violence
* it seems to be a series of loud noises
Dialects – in the Middle English phase (phase of transition) all the dialects of England seemed to be as good as each other and all of them had literatures. This explains some difficulties. F.e. Chaucer wrote in English of London, but there were dialects from Worcestershire, Lancashire, and Kentish.
About 1400 the history of English literature becomes the history of the literature of one dialect.
But even in the modern English period a number of writers wrote in dialects.
3. The first English literature
Roman Britain – ancient Romans called them BRITONS
* they brought their language from with the manes of streets survive and the names of towns
* they were skilled in achievements, engineering, government…
* central heating, public baths, theatres, system of roads…
* than they fall of because of invaders who cross the Europe
Anglo – Saxons (4th – 11th century)
-language called Anglo – Saxon, we shall keep the name OLD ENGLISH
-7th century
-The legends of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table – they told about brave knight fighting against the new barbars
-A-S had their own German God, from their names we know today the name of weed days (Thor, Woden…)
-Literature was oral, passed down by word of mouth from generation to generation
-Creators were unknown – they...
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