British literature encompasses works by authors from the United Kingdom, including Old, Middle, and Modern English, as well as early works in Gaelic, Welsh, and Latin. It is divided into different periods, including the Renaissance, Romantic, and Victorian periods, with notable authors such as Shakespeare, Austen, and Christie. Many early works were lost due to the destruction of monasteries, but famous works from the Old English and Middle English periods include Beowulf and The Canterbury Tales.
Often referred to as British literature, British literature primarily refers to all literature produced by British authors from the United Kingdom, which includes England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. British literature includes works in Old, Middle and Modern English, each representing a different period. British literature also includes early works written in Gaelic, Welsh and Latin.
British literature has come to possess different characteristics over the years. People can fully appreciate it by learning about the different types of literature that have come to play in its history. British literature is often divided into British Latin works, Early Celtic literature composed in the United Kingdom, Old English works, Middle English works, and Modern English compositions. There are only a few texts from early British literature that have survived. The Celts mainly used oral literature, and Henry VIII’s destruction of the monasteries resulted in the destruction of much of the world’s literary treasures.
The Old English works were written between 450 and 1066. Probably the most famous Old English work is Beowulf. The oldest original texts of British literary works came from this period, including “The Hymn of Creation” by the poet Cædmon.
Works written in Middle English were composed between 1066 and 1485. This period in history began when William the Conqueror successfully united factions in England, especially the Normans and Saxons, and when the Domesday Book was created. Examples of the best known works of this period are The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer and Le Morte d’Arthur by Thomas Malory.
The modern English era includes all literary works composed by British authors from the early 16th century onwards. This period can be further classified into different types of literature. The Renaissance period is believed to have lasted from the 16th to the 1500s and is best remembered for the works written by William Shakespeare. Sonnets and effusive forms of British poetry, such as those written by Thomas Wyatt and Edmund Spenser, also increased in popularity during this period.
Other periods that make up the modern English era include the Age of Restoration, the Romantic period, the Victorian period and all subsequent periods. Gothic novels also became extremely popular in this era, particularly in the 18th century. Notable authors in this era include John Locke of the Restoration period, Sir Walter Scott and John Keats of the Romantic period, Alfred Lord Tennyson and Jane Austen of the Victorian period, and Agatha Christie of the 18th century.
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