1. THE HISTORY OF LITERATURE

2. CLASSICAL ANTIQUITY

3. Ancient Greek Writers (Before 300 A.D.) Homer is considered the forefather of Greek Literature. He wrote two epic poems: The Iliad and The Odyssey.

4. The Iliad chronicles the events of the Trojan War in which the Greeks infamously invade Troy by hiding in a wooden horse. The Odyssey is about Odysseus and his epic journey at sea in which he escapes the infamous Cyclops.

5. Famous Greek Playwrights who wrote “Classical Tragedies” Aeschylus Three plays called The Oresteia Euripides Medea Sophocles Oedipus the King

6. The Romans pretty much imitated the Greeks. Virgil’s Aeneid emulated Homer’s The Iliad. Virgil took a character from The Iliad, and gave him connections to Rome.

7. We also see this kind of copycatting in mythology: Greek Mythology ZEUS POSEIDON APHRODITE Roman Mythology JUPITER NEPTUNE VENUS

8. THE MIDDLE AGES

9. Beginning in the 5 th century A.D., Christian scribes transcribed Anglo Saxon poems, producing some of the very first writings in the English language (Old English).

10. One of these poems is entitled Beowulf. Robert Zemeckis ruined it. Legit versionTainted, smutty version

11. In the 14 th century, Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales. It’s a collection of stories written in verse (in a language called Middle English) told from the perspective of medieval pilgrims, trading tales while on a pilgrimage.

12. An Example of Middle English : Chaucer utilized the “heroic couplet,” which later became the traditional English form for epic and narrative poetry.

13. During the Renaissance, the invention of the printing press (1400 A.D.) changed literature forever.

14. THE ELIZABETHAN ERA

15. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth (1558-1603), there were many gifted authors who wrote famous poems and dramas. You might recognize one. Christopher Marlowe William Shakespeare Sir Philip Sydney During this time, the “Great Chain of Being” reigned.

16. The First Novels. All three works have been suggested as the first novel written in English. Oroonoko by Aphra Behn 1688 Robinson Crusoe By Daniel Defoe 1719 Pamela By Samuel Richardson 1740

17. Augustan Literature The politically-charged and satirical literature of the early 18th-century—especially that of Pope and Swift— which viewed the Rome of Caesar Augustus (27 BC- 14 AD) as a Golden Age. This was the period when Ovid, Horace, and Virgil wrote their greatest works using the ode, the epic, and the “Heroic Couplet.”

18. Infamous Augustan Poets Alexander Pope Author of “Rape of the Lock” Master of the Heroic Couplet Jonathan Swift Author of Gulliver’s Travels Master of Satire

19. GOTHIC LITERATURE

20. A genre of late-18 th century, Gothic literature featured mysterious or supernatural elements and set the stage for what we now call “horror stories.” Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Matthew Lewis’ The Monk

21. ROMANTICISM

22. Causes of the Romantic Movement Execution of Charles IFrench Revolution Copernican TheoryTechnological Advancements

23. In the 18 th century, Romantic art and poetry explored themes such as nature, emotion, beauty, freedom, and individualism.

24. British Romantic Poets William WordsworthSamuel Taylor ColeridgeLord Byron

25. Early American Romantic Novels The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne Moby Dick By Herman Melville

26. TRANSCENDENTALISM

27. In the early to mid 19 th century, Transcendentalism was an American philosophical and literary movement that rejected materialism, focusing on a return to nature and the idea that we all share one spirit.

28. Famous Transcendental Writers Ralph Waldo EmersonHenry David Thoreau

29. Victorian Literature

30. Produced during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901), Victorian literature is often considered a bridge between the romantic-era works of the previous century and what would become the literature of the newly industrialized world of the 20 th century. It was concerned with realism, morality, and imagination.

31. Famous Victorian Writers Charles Dickens Great Expectations Lewis Carroll Alice in Wonderland Edward George Bulwer-Lytton Paul Clifford

32. REALISM

33. 19 th century Realism, as opposed to Romanticism, depicted everyday, commonplace events. Stories were often social or historical realities. One of the most famous realist works is the French novel entitled Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert.

34. Mark Twain is a famous American Realist. Mark TwainHis famous protagonist Huck Finn

35. NATURALISM

36. Naturalism is a mid-19 th century literary movement that sought to depict a believable world where heredity and environment shaped a character’s personality. Known for frankness and pessimism, Naturalism was highly influenced by Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species (1859).

37. Famous Naturalist Writers Edith Wharton Ethan Frome Jack London White Fang

38. MODERNISM

39. Modernism was a 20 th century literary and artistic movement that provided radical breaks with traditional modes of Western art, thought, religion, and morality. Novels criticized social hierarchies and experimented with new forms of storytelling, such as stream of consciousness. T.S. Elliot’s The Waste Land is a quintessential Modern poem.

40. Causes of the Modern Movement Sigmund Freud Industrial Revolution World War I

41. Modern Minimalism “Slice of life” stories “Slice of life” stories Realistic instead of flowery Realistic instead of flowery Economy with words (no fluff) Economy with words (no fluff) “No ideas but in things”– W.C.W. “No ideas but in things”– W.C.W. Shortest short story ever: “For sale: baby shoes, never used.” – Ernest Hemingway Shortest short story ever: “For sale: baby shoes, never used.” – Ernest Hemingway

42. Famous Modern Writers Franz Kafka The Metamorphosis Joseph Conrad Heart of Darkness James Joyce Ulysses

43. POSTMODERNISM

44. Mid to late 20 th century Postmodern literature is characterized by a disjointed, fragmented blend of high and low culture that reflects the absence of tradition and structure in a world driven by technology and consumerism. George Orwell’s 1984 depicted a nightmarish vision of the future where the government controlled every aspect of a citizen’s life: even thought and emotion.

45. Causes of Postmodernism World War IIHolocaust Nuclear WarMass Consumerism

46. Postmodern works oftentimes intend to get away from the illusion of literature through fragmentation, paradox, and an absence of “meaning.” :

47. Famous Postmodern Writers Albert Camus The Stranger Eugene Ionesco Rhinoceros Ken Kesey One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest