Aims & Objectives:

The objective of this course is to acquaint students with the movements and literary giants in the history of literature and to inform the readers about how historical and socio-cultural events influence literature written in Engllish. Although the scope of this course is quite expansive, the readers shall focus on 16th to late 19th century that is till the Romantic Movement. Histories of literature written by some British Literary historians will be consulted to form some socio-cultural and political cross connections. In its broader spectrum, the course covers a reference to the multiple factors from economic theories to religious, philosophical and metaphysical debates that overlap in these literary works of diverse nature and time periods under multiple contexts. The readings of literature in this way i.e. within the socio-cultural context will help the readers become aware of the fact that literary worlds are basically a referential product of the practice that goes back to continuous interdisciplinary interaction. All the following ages would be taught in two dimensions: firstly the brief introduction of the important events of that age which influenced the thoughts & the lives of writers & secondly the works of important writers of that particular movement.

Course Contents

• Medieval Engllish period (1000- 1453 AD)
• Renaissance (1453 – 1616 AD)
• Puritan Age (1616 – 1660 AD)
• Augustan Age (1660 – 1789 AD)
• Romantic Age (1789 – 1832 AD)
• Victorian Age (1835 – 1900 AD) including early and later Victorian Age
• 20th Century

Recommended Readings

• Compton-Rockett. A. (1940). A history of Engllish literature. Thomas-Nelson & Sales.
• Daiches, D. (1961). A critical history of Engllish literature. VOL.1-4 London: Secker & Warburg.
• Evans, I. (1976). A short history of Engllish literature. London. PEngluin.
• Ford, B. (1976). The new pelican guide to Engllish literature. VOL.1-9 London PEngluin.
• Gillie, C. Longman, Compance to Engllish Literature 2nd edition London Longman 1977.
• Long William Engllish Literature: Its History & Significance for the life of Engllish, enlarged edition 2006.
• Sanders Andrew, The Short Oxford History of Engllish Literature, Oxford University Press 2002.