World Literature
LECTURE 1
INTRODUCTION INTO THE HISTORY OF ENGLISH LITERATURE
English literature and English history
In this introductory lecture it better to say something about the intimate connection between English literature and English history. They go hand in hand: they are both sides of the same coin. English history is considered as the fundamental base for English literature. A history of English literature has therefore a national, as well as a personal character and interest. The inner life of each generation is revealed in the literature. In studying English literature, according to the chronological method of history, let us always try to think of it as the progressive revelation of the mind and spirit of the English people. We shall look in detail at the social and cultural history of the centuries in which the British literary tradition has grown, and explore the historical experience as well as the literary importance of the writers it considers.
English literature as an integral part of the world cultural heritage
English literature is an integral part of the world cultural heritage. The best traditions of English art have enriched the world literature. The masterpieces of English prose and poetry were translated into almost all languages, thus winning the recognition far overseas.
Together we shall explore the long, jagged /ˈdʒagɪd/ history of writing in the British Isles, from the Anglo-Saxon and the early Christian period up to the present day. Strong emphasis is made on the growth and development of the English language, and how changing understanding of the nature of language has affected the growth of writing. The British Isles have always been a multilingual landscape, and the language or rather languages have always been in constant change. The Celtic /ˈkɛltɪk/ heritage, the Viking invasion, the Norman invasion, the deep penetration of Latin as the lingua franca /ˌlɪŋgwə ˈfraŋkə/ a language that is adopted as a common language between speakers
INTRODUCTION INTO THE HISTORY OF ENGLISH LITERATURE
English literature and English history
In this introductory lecture it better to say something about the intimate connection between English literature and English history. They go hand in hand: they are both sides of the same coin. English history is considered as the fundamental base for English literature. A history of English literature has therefore a national, as well as a personal character and interest. The inner life of each generation is revealed in the literature. In studying English literature, according to the chronological method of history, let us always try to think of it as the progressive revelation of the mind and spirit of the English people. We shall look in detail at the social and cultural history of the centuries in which the British literary tradition has grown, and explore the historical experience as well as the literary importance of the writers it considers.
English literature as an integral part of the world cultural heritage
English literature is an integral part of the world cultural heritage. The best traditions of English art have enriched the world literature. The masterpieces of English prose and poetry were translated into almost all languages, thus winning the recognition far overseas.
Together we shall explore the long, jagged /ˈdʒagɪd/ history of writing in the British Isles, from the Anglo-Saxon and the early Christian period up to the present day. Strong emphasis is made on the growth and development of the English language, and how changing understanding of the nature of language has affected the growth of writing. The British Isles have always been a multilingual landscape, and the language or rather languages have always been in constant change. The Celtic /ˈkɛltɪk/ heritage, the Viking invasion, the Norman invasion, the deep penetration of Latin as the lingua franca /ˌlɪŋgwə ˈfraŋkə/ a language that is adopted as a common language between speakers