Syllabus of English literature

Literary Periods and Movements

Period/Movement	Background/Features	Key Authors & Works	Significant Developments
Ancient Greek Literature	Epic poetry, tragedy, and philosophy	Homer (Iliad, Odyssey); Aeschylus, Sophocles (Oedipus Rex); Euripides; Aristotle (Poetics)	Foundation of Western literature and philosophy
Old English Literature (Anglo-Saxon)	Germanic roots, pagan and Christian influences	Beowulf; Caedmon and Cynewulf (Christian poetry); Alfred the Great, Aelfric, and Bede (prose writers)	Development of Old English language and literature
Medieval English Literature (Age of Chaucer)	Influences of 14th-century social, political, and religious changes	Geoffrey Chaucer (Prologue to Canterbury Tales); Langland (Piers Plowman); John Gower	Black Death, Hundred Years' War, Peasants' Revolt; rise of English
Italian Literature	Major influence on English writers	Petrarch, Dante, Boccaccio	Inspired Chaucer and other English writers
The Renaissance Period	Humanism, classical revival, individualism	Shakespeare (Hamlet, Macbeth); Poets: Wyatt, Surrey, Spenser (The Faerie Queen), Sidney	Revival of Greek and Roman arts and culture
The Puritan Age	Reflects social, political, and religious upheavals	Metaphysical poets: John Donne ("The Extasie"), Andrew Marvell; Milton (Paradise Lost)	Rise of metaphysical poetry and religious reflection in literature
The Restoration Age	Social and political themes with heroic drama	John Dryden ("Essay of Dramatic Poesy"), William Congreve; John Bunyan (Pilgrim’s Progress)	Heroic tragedy, comedy, and development of satire
The Augustan Age	Satire, order, and reason	Alexander Pope (The Rape of the Lock), Dr. Samuel Johnson (Dictionary), Jonathan Swift (Gulliver’s Travels)	Reflected rationalism and satire of social norms
Age of Sensibility / Age of Johnson	Emotion, sensibility, transition towards Romanticism	Dr. Samuel Johnson	Movement toward emotional depth, early Romantic sensibilities
The Romantic Age	Emphasis on nature, emotion, and individualism	William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Byron, Percy Shelley, John Keats	Reaction against Enlightenment rationalism
The Victorian Period	Social realism, focus on morality, and exploration of social issues	Alfred Tennyson, Robert Browning, Thomas Hardy (Tess of the d'Urbervilles), Oscar Wilde	Rise of the novel and realistic portrayals of society
Modern Period & Postmodern Period	Modernism: Alienation, experimentation; Postmodernism: Irony, skepticism	W.B. Yeats, T.S. Eliot, Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, George Orwell	Fragmented narratives, absurdism, questioning of objective truth
American Literature	Diverse voices exploring American identity	Ernest Hemingway, Robert Frost, William Faulkner, Emily Dickinson, Edgar Allan Poe	Reflects American life and societal issues
World Literature	Expansive global voices	Miguel de Cervantes, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Rabindranath Tagore, Rumi	Shows cultural diversity and human themes across nations
Literary Movements in English Literature	Explores various artistic and literary ideologies	Transcendentalism, Realism, Naturalism, Imagism, Modernism, Postmodernism	Introduced new forms, styles, and thematic approaches
Miscellaneous Topics	Key literary forms and devices	Novels, poetry, figures of speech, forms of drama	Broad understanding of literary types and terminology

 PROPER UNDERSTANDING OF ENGLISH LITERATURE SYLLABUS 

Detailed Plan for Addressing Every Literary Era in the Course

This plan provides a structured approach with precise techniques for effectively studying each literary era, including foundational research, author studies, thematic analysis, and critical interpretation.

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1. Overview of the Roadmap

The objective is to develop a foundational understanding of key literary eras by examining themes, cultural contexts, and contributions from major writers in each century. This includes Western literature, the evolution of English literature, and significant global works.

Weekly Schedule:

• Phase 1 (Weeks 1-3): Literature from Antiquity to the Middle Ages
• Phase 2 (Weeks 4-6): Renaissance to Augustan Age
• Phase 3 (Weeks 7-9): Romantic to Victorian Era
• Phase 4 (Weeks 10-12): Modern to Post-Modern, Including American and World Literature

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2. Study Plan and Phase-by-Phase Strategy

Phase 1 (Weeks 1-3): Ancient to Medieval Literature

Week 1: Literature from Ancient Greece

• Focus: Overview of the influence of Greek literature on Western thought.
• Key Authors: Aristotle, Plato, Euripides, Sophocles, Aeschylus, Homer.
• Highlights:
• Summarize The Odyssey and The Iliad.
• Review excerpts from Aristotle's Poetics and Plato's The Republic.
• Discuss themes like fate, human psychology, and heroism.
• Plan:
• Map mythological elements in key epics.
• Explore philosophical insights to understand ancient Greek thought.

Week 2: Anglo-Saxon Era in Old England

• Emphasis: Christian influence, oral traditions, and heroic verse.
• Principal Writers: King Alfred, Caedmon, Cynewulf, and anonymous poets.
• Highlights:
• Analyze passages from Beowulf.
• Examine works like Bede’s Ecclesiastical History.
• Approach:
• Study oral and written histories.
• Investigate Christian themes in pagan narratives.

Week 3: Chaucer’s Age and Medieval English Literature

• Emphasis: Religious dynamics, satire, and social critique.
• Main Authors: Geoffrey Chaucer, John Gower, William Langland.
• Highlights:
• Examine passages from The Canterbury Tales and Piers Plowman.
• Plan:
• Explore religious and social critique.
• Analyze character portrayals to understand medieval life.

Phase 2 (Weeks 4-6): Renaissance to Augustan Age

Week 4: Italian Renaissance Literature

• Focus: Humanism, love, and morality.
• Key Authors: Dante Alighieri, Petrarch, Boccaccio.
• Highlights:
• Read selections from Divine Comedy, Decameron, and Petrarch’s sonnets.
• Plan of Action:
• Discuss moral issues with Renaissance humanism.
• Identify early Renaissance literary techniques.

Week 5: The English Renaissance

• Focus: Exploration of tragedy, ambition, and the human spirit.
• Key Authors: William Shakespeare, Edmund Spenser, Christopher Marlowe.
• Highlights:
• Review Hamlet, Macbeth, and Dr. Faustus.
• Strategy:
• Analyze themes of identity, destiny, and ambition.
• Discuss Renaissance humanism reflected in literature.

Week 6: Restoration and Puritan Eras

• Emphasis: Social satire, moral and spiritual reflection.
• Key Authors: John Donne, John Milton, Francis Bacon, John Dryden.
• Highlights:
• Read selections from Paradise Lost, Pilgrim’s Progress, and Essay of Dramatic Poesy.
• Plan:
• Examine Restoration satire and Puritan themes.
• Compare moral perspectives across authors.

Phase 3 (Weeks 7-9): Romantic to Victorian Era

Week 7: Romantic and Augustan Eras

• Emphasis: Individualism, nature, satire, and emotional depth.
• Key Authors: William Wordsworth, John Keats, Jane Austen, Jonathan Swift, Alexander Pope.
• Highlights:
• Read Gulliver’s Travels, Rape of the Lock, and Romantic poetry.
• Approach:
• Contrast Romantic individualism with Enlightenment satire.
• Discuss Romantic critiques of social norms.

Week 8: The Victorian Era

• Emphasis: Existential questions, class conflict, and industrial challenges.
• Key Authors: Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, Alfred Lord Tennyson.
• Highlights:
• Analyze A Tale of Two Cities and Tess of the d’Urbervilles.
• Plan:
• Discuss social criticism in Victorian literature.
• Examine existential and moral themes.

Week 9: Modernism Transition

• Emphasis: Shift from Victorian norms to contemporary themes.
• Notable Authors: Thomas Hardy.
• Highlights:
• Explore Hardy’s poetry and prose reflecting skepticism.
• Plan:
• Analyze the introduction of modern themes into Victorian literature.

Phase 4 (Weeks 10-12): Modern to World Literature

Week 10: Modern and Post-Modern Era

• Emphasis: Disillusionment, narrative experimentation, and fragmentation.
• Key Authors: T.S. Eliot, James Joyce, Virginia Woolf.
• Highlights:
• Read The Waste Land, Ulysses, and To the Lighthouse.
• Plan:
• Examine themes of alienation and fragmented narratives.
• Discuss postmodern critiques of tradition.

Week 11: American Literature

• Emphasis: Individuality, freedom, and social critique.
• Key Authors: Ernest Hemingway, Emily Dickinson, Edgar Allan Poe.
• Highlights:
• Review Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea and Poe’s Gothic themes.
• Plan:
• Discuss American literature’s distinct voice.
• Contrast American and European literary traditions.

Week 12: World Literature

• Emphasis: Spiritual themes, cultural diversity, and global perspectives.
• Key Authors: Miguel de Cervantes, Rabindranath Tagore, Rumi, Khalil Gibran.
• Highlights:
• Read passages from Gitanjali, Don Quixote, and Rumi’s poetry.
• Plan:
• Discuss universal themes across cultures.
• Examine how culture influences literary themes.

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3. Study Advice and Techniques

1.     Comparative Analysis: Regularly analyze themes, styles, and philosophies across eras.

2.     Discussion Groups: Engage in discussions to deepen understanding of complex texts.

3.     Notes and Summaries: Keep summaries of each major text, noting key themes and characters.

4.     Weekly Reflections: List key takeaways at the end of each week, identifying areas needing more focus.