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This book is one of the most comprehensive works on the history of english literature. It provides a detailed account of all major writers, time periods, and genres in English literature. It also discusses important themes in literary works, specifically examining how they have been influenced by social and political changes going on during each period. By providing a wealth of information about a field that is often mired in academic jargon, it presents an accessible resource for students and educators alike. The book has been fully updated to include new editions from authors such as Thomas Hardy and Charles Dickens along with many others from previous years. In addition to its foundation in historical scholarship, this work also maintains its scholarly integrity through the use of appropriately detailed endnotes integrated throughout its text. In the first five chapters, the book covers the history of English literature from its beginnings to 1485. Each chapter focuses on a different genre or set of genres of literature and analyzes the historical factors that influenced their formation and development. In Chapter One, Stephen Greenblatt provides an account of Anglo-Saxon poetry. The discussion begins with earlier oral traditions and traces the formation of a specific Anglo-Saxon language through their translations of Latin works. The discussion of original Anglo-Saxon poetry is bookended by discussions of the development of oral traditions and their eventual imposition on written literature. Chapter Two, "The English Literature of the Middle Ages," provides an account of medieval literature from biblical criticism to romances. Greenblatt details how religious problems were increasingly regarded at the time as important literary topics, pointing out that it was God who was often responsible for communicating messages through other characters in plays and romances. In Chapter Three, "Medieval English Literature: The Tudors and Early Stuarts," Greenblatt discusses three figures whose influence on early modern literature was profound: Sir Thomas More, Sir Philip Sidney, and Sir Walter Raleigh. Greenblatt traces the development and eventual "renaissance" of each figure's literary legacy, and provides a detailed account of each man's activities during their lifetimes. In Chapter Four, "Mid-Tudor Literature: Late Humanism and the Shaping of Early Modern English Literature," Greenblatt discusses the literature of Sir Thomas Wyatt, as well as other late humanists such as the poet John Donne. In doing so, Greenblatt discusses how these figures attempted to combat optimism that had been engendered by late medieval literature. These critics questioned the very existence of originality in art and endeavored to define a new ideal for a literate culture. In Chapter Five, "Early-Stuart Poetry: Dryden and Pope," Greenblatt discusses the works of John Dryden and Alexander Pope. His discussion of Dryden examines the poet's attempts to fuse English traditions with Classical literary forms. To this end, he draws on contemporary scholarly research into the work of earlier English poets in order to provide his readers with fresh insights into their work. By demonstrating how Dryden's works are intertwined with classical models, Greenblatt argues that Dryden was not simply imitating classical models, but rather was attempting to create a hybrid literature that would be true to both ancient and modern times. cfa1e77820
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