History of english literature plan

Literary Features of the Period :

The literature of this period reflects peace, order and stability. The ideals are "compromise" and "construction". A dualism of reason and emotion, materialism and mysticism, religion and science or faith and doubt is very common in this period. Similarly a compromise between the old and the new, between freedom and restriction is also noteworthy. The literature of this period bears the influence of romanticism, and thus, there is a marked fusion of romanticism and intellectualism. Morality and prudery are at the centre of all thoughts. Towards the end of this period all these features of the Victorian Age gradually disappeared. A new movement known as the Decadence started. Its slogan was " art for art's sake". It emphasized sensationalism, egocentricity, the bizarre, the artificial, etc. in literature. Swinburne, Dowson, pater, Morris and the Rossettis are the decadents.

The Modern (1901-1939) and The Postmodern (1939....) Periods

The span from the death of Queen Victoria to the beginning of the Second World war (1939) is called the Modern Period and from 1939 onward is called the Postmodern Period. The Modern Period includes two shorter ages. The first decade of the Modern Period is called the Edwardian Period according to the reign of King Edward VII. The writers of this period were Hardy, Kipling, G. B. Shaw, W. B. Yeats, J. M. Synge, Conrad, Henry James and many others. The Edwardians reacted against Victorian ideals. The Victorians enjoyed willing submission to the voice of authority. But to these writers the authority became an object of scorn. The Victorians' general attitude of acceptance was replaced by the general attitude of cynicism and rejection. The years between 1910 to 1936 of this period is called the Georgian Period according to the reign of George V. The poets who published their poems in four anthologies entitled Georgian Poetry (1911-1922) are called " Georgian Poets". Georgian poetry is rural in subject matter, delicate in manner and traditional in from and technique. W. W. Gibson, Rupert Brooke, J. Masefield and Ralph Hodgson are among the best known Georgian poets. The important events of these periods were:

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  The Victorian peace and order was no more. Unrest and violence became very common .
  
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  Imperialism became a disturbing factor in world. German became rival of England that led to the First World War (1914-18)
  
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  Socialism had great influence on the English life and thought. Class feeling became dominant.
  
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  The Fabian Society which was founded in 1883 now started the emancipation of land and industrial capital from individuals to class ownership in peaceful way.
  
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  The movement for women's right of vote became strong. 
  
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  The two World Wars and their aftermath changed the traditional way of life. 
  
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  The Guild Socialist League was founded in 1915 which avoided all dangers of revolution. It favoured gradual change from capitalism to socialism. Bertrand Russel was one of the members of it.
  
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  In the thirties and afterwards frustration and discontent engulfed life.
  
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  The Rhymers' Club was formed. The members of the club concentrated on the beauty of sound and ornamentation of subject. W. B . Yeats was a member of this club for a certain time.