Dive into the depths of English literature and emerge with a treasure trove of knowledge spanning centuries. "Introduction to Literature: Navigating the Periods of English Literature" is your compass through the ever-evolving narrative of English prose, poetry, and drama. Discover the seismic shifts of literary expression from the raw beauty of Anglo-Saxon epics to the intricate digital narratives of our modern world. Within these pages lies a journey that intertwines the past with the present, inviting readers to explore the richness of English literature across the ages. You will not only trace the footsteps of literary giants but also engage with the cultural and historical forces that shaped their worlds. Suitable for students, educators, and literary enthusiasts alike, this book offers a clear pathway through the complexities of literary periods. It presents a challenge: to see the world through the eyes of the literary past and understand its dialogue with the future. Step into this literary tapestry that invites curiosity, encourages reflection, and inspires a deeper appreciation for the words that have captured the human experience. "Introduction to Literature: Navigating the Periods of English Literature" awaits your discovery.

In the mid-nineteenth century, the study of English literature began to be divided into courses that surveyed discrete "periods." Since that time, scholars' definitions of literature and their rationales for teaching it have changed radically. But the periodized structure of the curriculum has remained oddly unshaken, as if the exercise of contrasting one literary period with another has an importance that transcends the content of any individual course. Why Literary Periods Mattered explains how historical contrast became central to literary study, and why it remained institutionally central in spite of critical controversy about literature itself. Organizing literary history around contrast rather than causal continuity helped literature departments separate themselves from departments of history. But critics' long reliance on a rhetoric of contrasted movements and fateful turns has produced important blind spots in the discipline. In the twenty-first century, Underwood argues, literary study may need digital technology in particular to develop new methods of reasoning about gradual, continuous change.

Details the evolution of literature during a period representing a staggering amount of change, moving from one-dimensional action stories and religious lessons to stories with subtleties of plot and character development.

This new edition of an established text provides a succinct and up-to-date historical overview of the story of English literature. Focusing on how writing both reflects and challenges the periods in which it is produced, John Peck and Martin Coyle combine close readings of key texts with recent critical thinking on the interaction of literary works and culture. Providing a lively introductory guide to English literature from Beowulf to the present day, the authors write in their characteristically lucid and accessible style. A true masterpiece of clarity and compression, this is essential reading for undergraduate students coming across the vast areas of English literature for the first time and looking for a way of making critical sense of the texts being studied. In addition, the concise nature and narrative structure of this book makes it excellent reading for general readers. New to this Edition: - Revised chapter on twentieth century literature - Complete new chapter on twenty-first century literature - Updated Chronology and Further Reading section

This is a guide to the main developments in the history of British and Irish literature, charting some of the main features of literary language development and highlighting key language topics.