Renaissance
The dates/centuries associated with the British Renaissance.
1400-1650
(15th - mid 17th century)
The dates/centuries associated with the British Enlightenment and/or Metaphysical period.
1650-1790
(late 17th - 18th centuries)
The dates/centuries associated with the Romantic and Realist Periods.
1790-1890s
(19th century)
The dates/centuries associated with the Modernist period.
1900-1945
(early 20th century)
The dates/centuries associated with the Postmodernist and Contemporary periods.
1945 - current
(late 20th & 21st centuries)
The most prevalent literary forms, genres, or structures of the British Renaissance (poetry and prose).
Poetry- fixed verse (specific rhyme scheme, meter, and structure)
Prose- drama (tragedies and comedies)
The most prevalent literary forms, genres, or structures of the British Enlightenment (poetry and prose).
Poetry: Metaphysical conceits.
Prose: Satirical novelettes
The most prevalent literary forms, genres, or structures of the Romantic and Realist periods (poetry and prose).
Poetry: Sonnets, odes, rhymed verse
Prose: Gothic Novel (Romanticism) and Domestic Fiction (Realism)
The most prevalent literary forms, genres, or structures of the Modernist period (poetry and prose).
Poetry: rhymed and unrhymed verse
Prose: novels using stream of consciousness, fragmentation, and interiority
The most prevalent literary forms, genres, or structures of the Postmodern & Contemporary Periods (poetry and prose).
Poetry: free verse, typically short, anti-odes (inspired by mundane objects or tasks)
Prose: Novels and plays of various genres, including historical fiction, YA and Children's books, memoirs, and magical realism.
The definition of a sonnet.
A specific type of poetry with fixed verse and rhyme scheme, typically in 14 lines of iambic pentameter. Usually on the subject of love.
The purpose of satire.
To critique the flaws or follies of society; usually through humor, irony, and extreme exaggeration.
Elements of a gothic novel.
Doubles, frame narrative, emphasis on nature and strong emotions, anti or Byronic hero, extreme landscapes and weather.
The definition of stream-of-consciousness.
Narrative technique that mimics the continuous, non-linear, and unfiltered flow of a character's thought processes.
Elements of metafiction/intertextuality.
The blending of genres and previous forms in a new way, heavily referencing allusions, different sides of an established narrative, and awareness of author and audience.
The social and historical context of the British Renaissance.
Rebirth of classical antiquity and patronage of the arts, economic growth, increase in literary and book production through the printing press.
The social and historical context of the British Enlightenment.
Age of Reason, emphasis on scientific discovery, technological advancement, philosophical debates about human nature, and criticism of societal structures.
The social and historical context of the Romantic/Realist periods.
Height of the British Empire, negative response to the Industrial Revolution, heavy emphasis on nature, medieval ideals, individual freedoms, and the reality of everyday life for the common people.
The social and historical context of the Modernist period.
Dissolution of major social class hierarchies, reaction to devastation of WWI and the Great Depression, the Roaring 20s in America, popularity of automobiles, changes in morals and societal expectations for behavior.
The social and historical context of the Postmodern and Contemporary periods.
Post-WWII, rise of consumerism and capitalism, emphasis on individual freedoms and opinions, rejection of absolute meaning, affected by technological developments such as television and the internet.
The ideology of humanism.
Belief in the dignity, worth, and capacity for human beings to achieve greatness, despite imperfections or flaws.
The essential argument between Nature vs Nurture.
Nature: A person's life and personality is determined by the circumstances of their birth and other factors out of their control.
Nurture: A person's life and personality is determined by their own personal choices and experience, as well as the influence of others.
The definition of the sublime.
An experience in nature that evokes awe, astonishment, and overwhelming emotional power, often transcending the limitations of beauty and normal human thought.
The ideology of hedonism.
The idea that pleasure or personal fulfillment is the highest aim of human life; seeks to maximize indulgence and minimize discomfort.
The concept of multiplicity in literature.
The presence of multiple, often conflicting, meanings, voices, or narratives within a single text, challenging the idea of a fixed, singular interpretation.