Events That Marked The English Literature

By observing the history of English literature, specifically we found four periods that greatly influenced the development of English: the seventeenth century, the eighteenth century, Romanticism and the Victorian age. In these periods occurred great events in politics, in literature, in social life, and economic.

The seventeenth century is marked by strife among the English people. Furthermore a series of civil strife and political crises will lead to a new model of state: parliamentary monarchy. In this period James I, King of Scotland, opened the Stuart dynasty in England to succeed his aunt Elizabeth I Tudor. In a society deeply divided on religious grounds, the new monarch supported the Anglican Church against Catholics and Puritans and ruled absolutist manner without calling Parliament. Charles I attempted rule according to his father's absolutist ideas prompting numerous conflicts with Parliament. This confrontation led to the civil war. Is where Oliver Cromwell appears and sets the republican regime. This period appeared the Glorious Revolution and ending the conflict between Catholics and Protestants. And in literature, one of the most outstanding authors is John Milton with his work: "Paradise Lost"

The eighteenth century was a century of growth and economic development in Europe. The century began with the upper classes or aristocrats in complete control; it ended with the common man becoming more powerful. As always, these great movements in history are reflected in the literature of the times.

This period marked the beginning of the industrial revolution. The economy based on manual labour was replaced by one dominated by industry and manufacturing. The Revolution began with the mechanization of the textile industries and the development of processes of iron. Trade expansion was facilitated by the improvement of transport routes and later by the birth of the railroad. The most important innovations were the steam engine and called Spinning Jenny, a powerful machine related to the textile industry.

In this period there were also important events like the Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776) and the fall of the Bastille in 1789. In the literature, the use of refined language, clean and "literary" as metaphors, images and rhetorical figures became more popular, and one of the representatives of this time is Jonathan Swift and his work Gulliver's Travels.

After the 18th century, comes Romanticism is a cultural and political movement originating in Germany and the United Kingdom in the late eighteenth century, as a revolution to the Enlightenment rationalism and classicism, providing greater importance to feelings aside rationality.

The qualities of Romanticism are found in many of the poets of the time and are particularly strong in some writers:

1. A strong sense of the beauty of the world

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