English literature is classified by period or country of the writer. It includes works written in English, regardless of nationality, and is often categorized chronologically. Old English and Middle English are difficult to understand, while modern works include writers such as TS Eliot and George Orwell. British and American literature are also distinguished.
The different types of English literature are usually classified according to the period in which they were written or the country in which the writer lived. In general, literature in English typically refers to any work written in English, regardless of the writer’s nationality. Many types of literature are arranged chronologically, and English writings are no different, with Old English, Middle English, and various types of Modern English all commonly used. As the English language has spread throughout the world, especially with the establishment of the United States, English literature has also been divided between British and American literature.
English literature typically includes any work initially written or primarily composed in English, regardless of the writer’s nationality. This makes such literature quite broad in scope, and millions of books could qualify for this categorization, although literature typically refers to works of fame and substance that do not include many biographies or educational works. Chronological categorization of English literature is quite common, and this approach allows scholars and readers to start with previous works of literature in English and see how the language and ideas have evolved and built upon each other over the centuries .
There remain some works of English literature written in Old English, which is a nearly indecipherable form of English to most modern users of the language. Beowulf is perhaps the best-known and most important Old English work, as it is quite long and a complete text of the 10th-century work still exists. Middle English, which spans from the 12th century to the late 15th century, is closest to Modern English, although it can still be quite difficult for a modern reader to understand due to differences in linguistic structure. Geoffrey Chaucer and his works, including The Canterbury Tales, are among the best-known works of English writing remaining from this period.
The Early Modern period of English literature began as Middle English evolved into a more modern language through the development and spread of printing. Different periods of modern English include numerous writers over hundreds of years, often categorized by social trends or English monarchs. The Elizabethan era, for example, includes writers such as William Shakespeare, while Romanticism hundreds of years later featured writers and poets such as Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Wordsworth, Mary Shelley and Lord Byron.
Modern works of English literature often include those writers who worked in the late 19th and 20th centuries. These include poets and authors such as TS Eliot, George Orwell and James Joyce. Many of these writers wrote in reaction to the horrors of modern warfare observed during both world wars of the 20th century.
English literature can also be classified by where an author works. This is typically used to separate British and American literature, and those writers previously mentioned are all considered to be British writers. American writers include authors such as Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner, as well as poets such as Robert Frost, EE Cummings and Emily Dickinson.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
