Old English Period | 450 CE – 1066 CE

Caedmon	Unknown–c. 680	Caedmon’s Hymn (earliest surviving Old English poem)	658–680
Bede	673–735	Ecclesiastical History of the English People (written in Latin)	673–735
Cynewulf	Unknown (8th century)	– Juliana – Elene – The Fates of the Apostles – Christ II	700–800
Anonymous	N/A	Beowulf (epic poem, the oldest surviving long poem in Old English)	700 (circa)
King Alfred	849–899	Translations: Pastoral Care by Gregory the Great, Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius, and others	9th century
Anonymous	N/A	– The Wanderer – The Seafarer (elegiac poems)	950–970
Anonymous	N/A	The Exeter Book (contains riddles, religious poems, and elegies like The Wife’s Lament)	975 (circa)
Anonymous	N/A	The Vercelli Book (includes The Dream of the Rood)	1000 (circa)
Wulfstan	Died c. 1023	Sermo Lupi ad Anglos (Sermon of the Wolf to the English)	11th century
Ælfric of Eynsham	c. 955–c. 1010	Catholic Homilies, Lives of the Saints	11th century

Middle English Period | 1066 CE – 1485 CE

1. The Age Before Chaucer | 1066 – 1300

• Linguistic transition from Old English to Middle English
• Religious and didactic literature dominated
• Emerging vernacular narratives and moral instruction themes

Layamon	c. 1190–c. 1215	Brut (a Middle English chronicle based on Wace’s Roman de Brut)	1200 (circa)
Marie de France	12th century	Lais (a collection of Breton-inspired narrative poems)	1160–1199
Anonymous	N/A	The Owl and the Nightingale (debate poem in Middle English)	1189–1216
Anonymous	N/A	Ormulum (a Middle English verse homily)	12th century
Anonymous	N/A	The Ancrene Wisse (a guide for anchoresses, written in Middle English)	13th century
Anonymous	N/A	Cursor Mundi (a religious Middle English poem)	1300 (circa)

2. The Age of Chaucer | 1300-1400

Geoffrey Chaucer	c. 1343 -1400	The Canterbury Tales, Troilus and Criseyde, The Book of the Duchess, The House of Fame	1380–1400
John Gower	c. 1330 – 1408	Confessio Amantis, Vox Clamantis, Speculum Meditantis	1370–1400
William Langland	c. 1332 – c. 1386	Piers Plowman (allegorical narrative poem)	1360–1386
The Pearl Poet	Late 14th Century
John Barbour	c. 1320 – 1395	The Brus (an epic poem about Robert the Bruce)	1375 (circa)
Anonymous	N/A	The Vision of Piers Plowman (continuations and adaptations)	Late 14th century

3. The Age of Revival (The Age After Chaucer) | 1400 – 1485

• Revival of English literature, influenced by both classical learning and the early Renaissance
• The printing press, introduced by William Caxton, played a pivotal role in disseminating literature.
• Moral, allegorical, and didactic themes, reflecting the transitional period from medieval to Renaissance thought

Thomas Malory	c. 1415–1471	Le Morte d’Arthur (a compilation of Arthurian legends)	1469–1470
John Lydgate	c. 1370–c. 1451	Troy Book (an epic poem), The Fall of Princes, The Temple of Glass	1400–1450
William Caxton	c. 1422–1491	Introduced the printing press in England; published The Canterbury Tales, Le Morte d’Arthur, and other works	1476–1491
Henryson, Robert	c. 1425–1500	The Testament of Cresseid, Moral Fables	1470–1500
Anonymous	N/A	Everyman (a morality play), The Second Shepherds’ Play	Late 15th century
James I of Scotland	1394–1437	The Kingis Quair (an autobiographical dream-vision poem)	1420 (circa)
John Skelton	c. 1463–1529	The Bowge of Courte, Philip Sparrow, Why Come Ye Nat to Court?	Late 15th century
The Beginning of Tudor Rule	1485	The ascension of Henry VII, ending the Wars of the Roses and establishing the Tudor dynasty

The Renaissance & Reformation | 1485 CE – 1660 CE

1. Early Tudor Period | 1485 – 1558

Sir Thomas More	1478–1535	Utopia (a socio-political satire and humanist work)	1516
The Protestant Reformation in England	1534	The Act of Supremacy declared Henry VIII as the Supreme Head of the Church of England
John Skelton	c. 1463–1529	The Bowge of Courte, Colin Clout, Philip Sparrow	1500–1528
Henry VIII and the Dissolution of the Monasteries	1536–1541	Led to the redistribution of monastic lands and influenced religious themes in literature	1536–1541
The Renaissance Humanism Movement	15th–16th century	Emphasis on classical learning and individualism, as seen in works by Erasmus, More, and other scholars	1485–1558
Sir Thomas Wyatt	1503–1542	Introduced the sonnet form to English literature; notable works include Whoso List to Hunt and other Petrarchan sonnets	1520s–1540s
Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey	1517–1547	Developed the English sonnet form; translated Virgil’s Aeneid	1540s
The First Complete English Bible (Tyndale Bible)	1526	William Tyndale’s translation of the Bible into English; marked a shift in religious and literary accessibility	1526
The Courtly Love Tradition	15th–16th century	Poetry reflecting themes of courtly love, heavily influenced by Wyatt and Surrey	1485–1558
Nicholas Udall	1504–1556	Ralph Roister Doister (the first English comedy)	1553
The Accession of Mary I	1553	A return to Catholicism, influencing religious themes in literature	1553
The Printing of Early Chronicles	1516–1558	The rise of printed historical chronicles, such as The Chronicles of England	1516–1558

2. Elizabethan Age | 1558-1603

• political stability, naval supremacy, and the flourishing of English arts under Queen Elizabeth I.
• Renaissance humanism, patriotism, and exploration of themes like love, tragedy, and ambition dominated the era.
• rise of English drama, with Shakespeare and Marlowe leading the way in establishing the foundations of modern theatre.
• defeat of the Spanish Armada and the establishment of professional playhouses significantly influenced literature and drama

Elizabeth I’s Accession	1558	Elizabeth I becomes Queen, marking the start of the Elizabethan era and a golden age of English culture and literature
(cont.) Renaissance Humanism in England	16th century	Continued focus on classical learning, individualism, and human potential
Edmund Spenser	1552–1599	The Faerie Queene (epic allegorical poem), Amoretti (sonnets), Epithalamion	1590–1596
William Shakespeare	1564–1616	Early works: Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Merchant of Venice, Henry IV, Julius Caesar	1590–1603
Christopher Marlowe	1564 – 1593	Doctor Faustus, Tamburlaine the Great, The Jew of Malta, Hero and Leander	1587–1593
Sir Philip Sidney	1554–1586	Astrophel and Stella (sonnet sequence), The Defence of Poesy, Arcadia	1570s–1580s
The Spanish Armada	1588	England’s naval victory over Spain; inspired patriotic themes in Elizabethan literature
Ben Jonson	1572–1637	Early works: Every Man in His Humour, Volpone (though written later, he rose to prominence during the Elizabethan age)	1598
John Lyly	1554–1606	Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit, Euphues and His England	1578–1580
Thomas Kyd	1558–1594	The Spanish Tragedy (a foundational revenge tragedy)	1587 (circa)
The University Wits	1580s–1590s	Group of playwrights and poets including Marlowe, Kyd, Lyly, Greene, and Peele; paved the way for Elizabethan drama	1580s–1590s
The Printing of Popular Ballads and Pamphlets	16th Century	Ballads and pamphlets became widespread, reflecting popular themes and concerns	1558–1603
Sir Walter Raleigh	1552–1618	The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd (response to Marlowe’s The Passionate Shepherd to His Love)	Late 16th century
The Formation of Professional Theatres	1576	James Burbage builds The Theatre, the first permanent public playhouse in England	1576
Francis Bacon	1561–1626	Essays, The Advancement of Learning	1597–1605

3. Jacobean Age | 1603-1625

• increasing political tension, skepticism, and religious unease.
• Drama reached new psychological depths, exploring themes of corruption, revenge, and mortality
• The 1611 translation had a profound and lasting impact on English prose and religious life
• Jacobean drama often focused on dark, tragic themes, with playwrights like Webster, Middleton, and Jonson creating masterpieces
• These performances were popularized at the royal court, reflecting the opulence and political propaganda of the era.

James I’s Accession	1603	James I becomes King of England, uniting the crowns of England and Scotland; the start of the Jacobean Age	1603
William Shakespeare	1564–1616	Late works: Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, The Tempest, Cymbeline	1603–1611
Ben Jonson	1572–1637	Volpone, The Alchemist, Bartholomew Fair, Epicoene, or the Silent Woman	1605–1614
The King James	1611	Authorized translation of the Bible into English; deeply influenced English prose and literature	1611
Francis Bacon	1561–1626	Novum Organum, The Essays, The Advancement of Learning	1605–1620
John Webster	c. 1580–c. 1634	The Duchess of Malfi, The White Devil	1612–1614
Thomas Middleton	1580–1627	The Changeling (with William Rowley), Women Beware Women, A Chaste Maid in Cheapside	1611–1624
Civic and Masque Theatre	1603–1625	The rise of court masques, elaborate theatrical performances often involving music, dance, and allegory	1603–1625
George Chapman	c. 1559–1634	Bussy D’Ambois, The Revenge of Bussy D’Ambois, translations of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey	1603–1616
John Donne	1572–1631	Holy Sonnets, Devotions upon Emergent Occasions, An Anatomy of the World	1609–1625
Political Unrest and Gunpowder Plot	1605	The failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605; increased political tensions and reflected in the literature	1605
John Fletcher and Beaumont	1584–1625, 1586–1616	Collaborative works: Philaster, The Maid’s Tragedy, A King and No King	1607–1611
The Decline of the Elizabethan Worldview	1603–1625	Shift towards darker themes, reflecting uncertainty, skepticism, and political instability	1603–1625

3. Caroline Age | 1625 – 1649

• increasing political and religious turmoil, culminating in the English Civil War and the execution of Charles I.
• Metaphysical Poetry explored complex spiritual and philosophical ideas using striking metaphors.
• Cavalier Poetry celebrated courtly themes and loyalty to the monarchy, often in a lighter and more accessible style.
• The masque continued as a popular art form, blending poetry, music, and dance, although the Civil War curtailed theatrical productions.
• Political and religious conflicts deeply influenced literature, with themes of loyalty, mortality, and divine providence appearing frequently.

Charles I’s Accession	1625	Charles I becomes King of England; tensions rise between monarchy and Parliament, leading to the English Civil War
Metaphysical Poetry	Early 17th century	Poets like John Donne, George Herbert, and Henry Vaughan explored spiritual and philosophical themes	1625–1649
John Milton	1608–1674	Early works: Comus (masque), Lycidas (pastoral elegy)	1634, 1637
George Herbert	1593–1633	The Temple (a collection of religious poems)	1633
Cavalier Poetry	Early 17th century	Poets like Robert Herrick, Richard Lovelace, and Thomas Carew celebrated themes of love, loyalty, and honor	1625–1649
Ben Jonson	1572–1637	Late works: The Sad Shepherd (pastoral play), A Tale of a Tub	1630–1637
Robert Herrick	1591–1674	Hesperides (a collection of poems)	1648
The English Civil War begins	1642	Armed conflict between Royalists (Cavaliers) and Parliamentarians (Roundheads); heavily influenced literature
John Suckling	1609–1642	A Ballad upon a Wedding, The Sessions of the Poets	1630s
Richard Lovelace	1617–1657	To Althea, from Prison, To Lucasta, Going to the Wars	1640s
Francis Quarles	1592–1644	Emblems (a collection of religious and allegorical poetry)	1635
Thomas Carew	1595–1640	An Elegy upon the Death of Dr. Donne, The Rapture	1620s–1630s
The Trial and Execution of Charles 1	1649	The monarchy ends with Charles I’s execution, transitioning to the Commonwealth period under Oliver Cromwell

3. Commonwealth Period / Puritan Interregnum |1649 – 1660

• Puritanical governance, emphasized simplicity, morality, and religious piety, which deeply influenced literature.
• Religious and moral topics dominated, and secular entertainment, like drama, was suppressed
• Although restrained, the groundwork for later intellectual developments (e.g., the Royal Society) was laid during this time

Oliver Cromwell’s Rule	1653–1658	Cromwell becomes Lord Protector, establishing a Puritan-dominated government	1653
John Milton	1608–1674	Eikonoklastes (defense of regicide), Defensio pro Populo Anglicano (defense of the English people)	1649, 1651
Religious Poetry	Mid-17th century	Religious themes dominate literature; writers like John Milton and George Herbert focus on divine and moral questions	1649–1660
Banning of Theatres	1642 (continued)	Public stage plays remain banned during the Commonwealth, suppressing dramatic literature	1649–1660
Andrew Marvell	1621–1678	To His Coy Mistress, An Horatian Ode upon Cromwell’s Return from Ireland	1650s
Puritan Influence on Literature	1649–1660	Emphasis on moral and religious themes; stark style; suppression of secular and extravagant works	1649–1660
John Bunyan	1628–1688	Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners (spiritual autobiography)	1660
Political Pamphlets and Tracts	Mid-17th century	Writers like Milton and Marvell produce tracts addressing governance, liberty, and religion	1649–1660
Scientific Advancements	17th century	Development of scientific thought continued; precursor to the Royal Society (founded 1660)	1649–1660
Battle of Worcester	1651	Final battle of the English Civil War; solidifies Cromwell’s control over England	1651
Milton’s Later Works	1608–1674	The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates, arguing for the right to depose tyrannical rulers	1649
Suppression of Arts and Entertainment	1649–1660	Strict Puritan morality leads to a decline in secular art forms, including drama and music	1649–1660
Richard Cromwell	1626–1712	Succeeds Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector but resigns within a year, leading to the collapse of the Commonwealth	1658–1659
Restoration Movement	Late 1650s	Growing unrest and desire for the monarchy’s return culminates in the Restoration of Charles II in 1660	1659–1660

The Age of Enlightenment / Neoclassical Period | 1660 CE – 1790 CE

1. Restoration Period | 1660 – 1700

• revival of monarchy and the arts, following years of Puritan suppression.
• Restoration comedies and tragedies flourished, characterized by wit, sexual themes, and critique of societal norms
• The Royal Society symbolized the age’s commitment to reason and experimentation.
• social and political commentaries.
• themes of slavery and colonialism, a precursor to later abolitionist literature.

Restoration of Charles II	1660	Charles II is restored to the throne, ending the Puritan Commonwealth and ushering in a revival of arts and literature	1660
John Milton	1608–1674	Paradise Lost (epic poem), Paradise Regained, Samson Agonistes	1667, 1671
John Dryden	1631–1700	Absalom and Achitophel, Mac Flecknoe, Annus Mirabilis, The Hind and the Panther, Restoration dramas	1660s–1680s
Samuel Pepys	1633–1703	The Diary of Samuel Pepys (detailed accounts of Restoration society, the Great Fire, and the Plague)	1660–1669
The Great Fire of London	1666	Devastates much of the city; sparks rebuilding efforts and inspires literature
Restoration Comedy	Late 17th century	Celebrated wit, satire, and sexual innuendo; playwrights include William Congreve, George Etherege, and Aphra Behn	1660s–1700
William Wycherly	1641–1716	The Country Wife (Restoration comedy)	1675
Aphra Behn	1640–1689	Oroonoko (proto-novel about slavery and colonialism), The Rover	1688, 1677
Issac Newton	1643–1727	Principia Mathematica (revolutionizes physics and mathematics)	1687
William Congreve	1670–1729	The Way of the World (Restoration comedy)	1700
The Licensing Act of 1662	1662	Reimposed censorship on printed works, limiting freedom of the press
The Glorious Revolution	1688	Overthrow of James II and the establishment of constitutional monarchy under William III and Mary II
Thomas Otway	1652–1685	Venice Preserv’d (tragedy)	1682
The Royal Society	1660	Founded to promote scientific thought and experimentation
Sir George Etherege	1636–1692	The Man of Mode (Restoration comedy)	1676
Satirical Literature	Late 17th century	Satire becomes a dominant literary form; Dryden and others critique politics, society, and rival writers	1660–1700
Jeremy Colllier	1650–1726	A Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage (critique of Restoration drama)	1698

2. Augustan Age | 1700 – 1750

Neoclassical Movement	Early 18th century	Literary movement emphasizing order, clarity, and classical ideals; major forms include satire, essays, and poetry	1700–1750
Alexander Pope	1688–1744	The Rape of the Lock, The Dunciad, An Essay on Criticism, An Essay on Man	1712–1743
Jonathan Swift	1667–1745	Gulliver’s Travels, A Modest Proposal, The Drapier’s Letters	1726, 1729, 1724–1725
The Spectator (Joseph Addison and Richard Steele)	1711–1712	Essays promoting morality and societal values through accessible prose	1711–1712
Daniel Defoe	1660–1731	Robinson Crusoe, Moll Flanders	1719, 1722
The Rise of the Novel	Early 18th century	Emergence of prose fiction as a dominant form; pioneered by Defoe, Richardson, and Fielding	1700–1750
Samuel Richardson	1689–1761	Pamela, Clarissa	1740, 1748
Henry Fielding	1707–1754	Joseph Andrews, Tom Jones	1742, 1749
Battle of Blenheim (War of the Spanish Succession)	1704	British victory under Marlborough; celebrated in political and patriotic literature	1704
The Licensing Act of 1737	1737	Imposed strict censorship on plays, reshaping theatrical production	1737
Samuel Johnson	1709–1784	Early works; notable contributions to essays and periodicals	1730s–1740s
James Thomson	1700–1748	The Seasons (a series of blank-verse poems celebrating nature)	1726–1730
Edward Young	1683–1765	Night Thoughts (a long poem exploring themes of death, immortality, and religion)	1742–1745
George Berkeley	1685–1753	A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge (philosophy)	1710
The Beggar’s Opera (John Gay)	1685–1732	A satirical ballad opera critiquing corruption in society	1728
The Enlightenment	18th century	Intellectual movement emphasizing reason, science, and skepticism	1700–1750
David Hume	1711–1776	A Treatise of Human Nature (philosophy)	1739–1740
William Hogarth (Painter and Satirist)	1697–1764	Satirical engravings such as A Harlot’s Progress and Marriage A-la-Mode	1730s–1740s
Robert Walpole	1676–1745	Britain’s first de facto Prime Minister; inspired political satire in literature	1721–1742

3. The Age Of Johnson / The Age of Sensibility | 1750 – 1790

Samuel Johnson	1709–1784	A Dictionary of the English Language, The Rambler (essays), Rasselas, Lives of the Poets	1755, 1750–1752, 1759, 1779–1781
James Boswell	1740–1795	The Life of Samuel Johnson (a landmark in biographical literature)	1791
Edmund Burke	1729–1797	A Philosophical Enquiry into the Sublime and Beautiful, Reflections on the Revolution in France	1757, 1790
Oliver Goldsmith	1728–1774	The Vicar of Wakefield, She Stoops to Conquer, The Deserted Village	1766, 1773, 1770
Thomas Gray	1716–1771	Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard	1751
William Cowper	1731–1800	The Task, Olney Hymns	1785, 1779
The Bluestocking Group	1750s–1780s	Literary group promoting intellectual engagement among women, led by Elizabeth Montagu and others	1750s–1780s
James Macpherson	1736–1796	Ossian Poems (claimed as translations of ancient Gaelic epics, sparking controversy)	1760–1765
Richard Brinsley Sheridan	1751–1816	The Rivals, The School for Scandal	1775, 1777
Horace Walpole	1717–1797	The Castle of Otranto (first Gothic novel)	1764
Samuel Johnson	1709–1784	A Dictionary of the English Language, The Rambler (essays), Rasselas, Lives of the Poets	1755, 1750–1752, 1759, 1779–1781
Sensibility Movement	Mid-18th century	Emphasis on emotional responsiveness, sympathy, and moral virtue in literature	1750–1790
Fanny Burney	1752–1840	Evelina, Cecilia (novels exploring manners and societal norms)	1778, 1782
The American Revolution	1775–1783	Inspired literature reflecting political and philosophical debates about liberty and governance	1775–1783
Thomas Chatterton	1752–1770	Poems of Thomas Rowley (medieval-inspired poetry, later revealed as forgeries)	1770s
The Sublime in Literature	Mid-18th century	Influenced by Edmund Burke’s theory; inspired works with themes of awe, terror, and nature	1750–1790
William Blake	1757–1827	Poetical Sketches	1783
Reynolds and the Royal Academy of Arts	Founded 1768	Sir Joshua Reynolds’ lectures promoted neoclassical aesthetics	1768
The French Revolution (Beginning)	1789	Sparked interest in themes of freedom, equality, and revolution in literature	1789

Romantic Period | 1785 CE – 1832 CE

William Blake	1757–1827	Songs of Innocence, Songs of Experience, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell	1789, 1794, 1790–1793
William Wordsworth	1770–1850	Lyrical Ballads (with Coleridge), The Prelude	1798, 1850
Samuel Taylor Coleridge	1772–1834	The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Kubla Khan, Biographia Literaria	1798, 1816, 1817
Percy Bysshe Shelley	1792–1822	Ozymandias, Prometheus Unbound, Adonais	1818, 1820, 1821
John Keats	1795–1821	Ode to a Nightingale, Ode on a Grecian Urn, To Autumn	1819
Lord Byron	1788–1824	Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, Don Juan, She Walks in Beauty	1812–1818, 1819–1824
Mary Shelley	1797–1851	Frankenstein, The Last Man	1818, 1826
The French Revolution	1789	Inspired revolutionary ideas and themes of liberty and equality in literature	1789
The Gothic Revival	Late 18th century	Continued growth of Gothic literature, including Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein	1785–1832
Sir Walter Scott	1771–1832	Waverley (historical novel), Ivanhoe	1814, 1819
Jane Austen	1775–1817	Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma	1811, 1813, 1815
Romanticism (Movement)	Late 18th–early 19th c.	Focused on emotion, nature, imagination, and individualism; reaction against industrialization and neoclassicism	1785–1832
Industrial Revolution	Late 18th century	Profound social and economic changes that influenced themes of alienation and progress in Romantic literature	1780s–1830s
Anna Laetitia Barbauld	1743–1825	Eighteen Hundred and Eleven, poems exploring political and social themes	1812
William Hazlitt	1778–1830	Table Talk, The Spirit of the Age (essays exploring literature, philosophy, and culture)	1820s
Charles Lamb	1775–1834	Essays of Elia	1823
Thomas De Quincey	1785–1859	Confessions of an English Opium-Eater	1821
The Peterloo Massacre	1819	Event that influenced radical literature and themes of political justice	1819
John Clare	1793–1864	The Shepherd’s Calendar, poems exploring rural life and nature	1827
Leigh Hunt	1784–1859	The Story of Rimini	1816
The Reform Act	1832	Marked the end of the Romantic period, initiating political reform and a shift in literary focus	1832

Victorian Period | 1785 CE – 1832 CE

1. Early-Victorian Period | 1832 – 1848

Charles Dickens	1812–1870	Sketches by Boz, The Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby	1836, 1836–1837, 1837–1839, 1838–1839
Elizabeth Barrett Browning	1806–1861	Poems (Volume 1), The Seraphim, and Other Poems	1838, 1838
Thomas Carlyle	1795–1881	Sartor Resartus, The French Revolution: A History	1833–1834, 1837
Alfred, Lord Tennyson	1809–1892	Poems, Chiefly Lyrical, Poems (Volume 2), The Lady of Shalott	1830, 1842, 1832
Emily Brontë	1818–1848	Began writing Wuthering Heights	1845–1847
Charlotte Brontë	1816–1855	Began writing Jane Eyre	1846–1847
Industrial Revolution	19th century	Profound social and economic changes impacting literature and themes of class, labor, and industrial life	1830s–1840s
Elizabeth Gaskell	1810–1865	Mary Barton (a novel addressing working-class struggles)	1848
The Chartist Movement	1838–1857	Working-class movement advocating for political reform	1838–1857
Social Problem Novel	1830s–1840s	Literature addressing social issues such as poverty, child labor, and industrial conditions	1830s–1840s
Robert Browning	1812–1889	Pauline, Paracelsus	1833, 1835
George Borrow	1803–1881	The Bible in Spain	1843
Victorian Poetry	1830s–1840s	Themes of morality, nature, and social change emerged in the poetry of Tennyson, Browning, and Barrett Browning	1832–1848
The Reform Act of 1832	1832	Expanded voting rights; inspired political and social commentary in literature	1832
The Corn Laws (Repeal Movement Begins)	Early 1840s	Advocated for free trade, influencing themes of economic reform in literature	1830s–1840s
Friedrich Engels	1820–1895	The Condition of the Working Class in England	1845

2. Mid-Victorian Period | 1848 – 1870

William Blake	1757–1827	Songs of Innocence, Songs of Experience, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell	1789, 1794, 1790–1793
William Wordsworth	1770–1850	Lyrical Ballads (with Coleridge), The Prelude	1798, 1850
Samuel Taylor Coleridge	1772–1834	The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Kubla Khan, Biographia Literaria	1798, 1816, 1817
Percy Bysshe Shelley	1792–1822	Ozymandias, Prometheus Unbound, Adonais	1818, 1820, 1821
John Keats	1795–1821	Ode to a Nightingale, Ode on a Grecian Urn, To Autumn	John Keats
Lord Byron	1788–1824	Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, Don Juan, She Walks in Beauty	Lord Byron
Mary Shelley	1797–1851	Frankenstein, The Last Man	Mary Shelley
The French Revolution	1789	Inspired revolutionary ideas and themes of liberty and equality in literature	The French Revolution
The Gothic Revival	Late 18th century	Continued growth of Gothic literature, including Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein	1785–1832
Sir Walter Scott	1771–1832	Waverley (historical novel), Ivanhoe	1814, 1819
Jane Austen	1775–1817	Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma	1811, 1813, 1815
Romanticism (Movement)	Late 18th–early 19th c.	Focused on emotion, nature, imagination, and individualism; reaction against industrialization and neoclassicism	1785–1832
Industrial Revolution	Late 18th century	Profound social and economic changes that influenced themes of alienation and progress in Romantic literature	1780s–1830s
Anna Laetitia Barbauld	1743–1825	Eighteen Hundred and Eleven, poems exploring political and social themes	1812
William Hazlitt	1778–1830	Table Talk, The Spirit of the Age (essays exploring literature, philosophy, and culture)	1820s
Charles Lamb	1775–1834	Essays of Elia	1823
Thomas De Quincey	1785–1859	Confessions of an English Opium-Eater	1821
The Peterloo Massacre	1819	Event that influenced radical literature and themes of political justice	1819
John Clare	1793–1864	The Shepherd’s Calendar, poems exploring rural life and nature	1827
Leigh Hunt	1784–1859	The Story of Rimini	1816
The Reform Act	1832	Marked the end of the Romantic period, initiating political reform and a shift in literary focus	1832

3. Late-Victorian Period | 1870 – 1901

Thomas Hardy	1840–1928	Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Jude the Obscure, The Mayor of Casterbridge	1891, 1895, 1886
Oscar Wilde	1854–1900	The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Canterville Ghost	1890, 1895, 1887
Henry James	1843–1916	The Portrait of a Lady, The Turn of the Screw, Daisy Miller	1881, 1898, 1878
George Bernard Shaw	1856–1950	Pygmalion, Man and Superman, Mrs. Warren’s Profession	1912, 1903, 1902
Gerard Manley Hopkins	1844–1889	The Wreck of the Deutschland, God’s Grandeur, The Windhover	1875, 1877, 1877
Rudyard Kipling	1865–1936	The Jungle Book, Kim, If—	1894, 1901, 1895
Thomas Morris (M. P. Shiel)	1865–1947	The Purple Cloud, The Last Man	1901, 1898
H.G. Wells	1866–1946	The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine, The Invisible Man	1898, 1895, 1897
Henry Arthur Jones	1851–1929	The Case of Rebellious Susan, The Liars	1893, 1887
The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (Continued Influence)	1848–1860s	The movement continued into the late Victorian period, influencing the aesthetic and themes of late Victorian poetry.	1848–1900s
The Aesthetic Movement	Late 19th century	Emphasized “art for art’s sake,” with figures like Oscar Wilde, and sought to elevate beauty over social or political messages	1870s–1890s
The Decadent Movement	1890s–1900s	Reaction against Victorian morality and social values, focusing on excess, sensuality, and artifice (led by Oscar Wilde)	1890s
Social Reform & Feminism	Late 19th century	The rise of suffragette movements and literature advocating for gender equality, including works by George Eliot and others	1870s–1900
Charles Dickens (Posthumous Influence)	1812–1870	Continued posthumous influence as his works were adapted for stage and film	1880s–1900s
The Boer War (1899–1902)	1899–1902	The impact of imperial wars, like the Boer War, influenced themes of imperialism and British identity in literature	1899–1902
The Rise of Modernism	Late 19th century	Beginning of a transition from Victorian realism to Modernism, focusing on experimental form and perspective in the 20th century	1890s–1901
Walter Pater	1839–1894	The Renaissance, Marius the Epicurean	1873, 1885

Edwardian Period | 1901 CE – 1914 CE

Joseph Conrad	1857–1924	Heart of Darkness, Lord Jim, Nostromo	1899, 1900, 1904
E.M. Forster	1879–1970	A Room with a View, Howards End, Where Angels Fear to Tread	1908, 1910, 1905
Henry James	1843–1916	The Ambassadors, The Wings of the Dove, The Golden Bowl	1903, 1902, 1904
Virginia Woolf	1882–1941	Mrs. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, The Voyage Out	1925, 1927, 1915
Katherine Mansfield	1888–1923	The Garden Party, Bliss, Prelude	1922, 1916, 1918
H.G. Wells	1866–1946	The War in the Air, The First Men in the Moon, Kipps	1908, 1901, 1905
John Galsworthy	1867–1933	The Forsyte Saga, The Man of Property, The Silver Box	1906, 1906, 1906
Ford Madox Ford	1873–1939	The Good Soldier, Parade’s End	1915, 1924
George Bernard Shaw	1856–1950	Pygmalion, Man and Superman, Mrs. Warren’s Profession	1902, 1903, 1902
Rudyard Kipling	1865–1936	Just So Stories, Kim, The Jungle Book	1902, 1901, 1894
The Edwardian Novel	Early 20th century	Focused on class, society, and individual struggles, with authors like Forster, Galsworthy, and Conrad as key figures	1901–1914
Modernism (Early)	Early 20th century	Early modernist experimentation with form and style in reaction to Victorianism and Edwardian societal values	1900s–1914
Social Change and Suffrage Movement	Early 20th century	The fight for women’s suffrage and labor rights significantly influenced literature (key figures like Emmeline Pankhurst)	1900–1914
The Titanic Disaster (1912)	1912	Event that influenced works on human hubris, social class, and the fragility of civilization in literature	1912
The Boer War (Legacy)	1899–1902	Reflections on imperialism, identity, and the costs of empire appeared in the works of writers like Conrad and Kipling	1901–1914
The Edwardian Period’s Rise of Psychological Realism	Early 20th century	A move away from Victorian realism to more complex psychological explorations of characters’ inner lives and motives	1901–1914

Georgian Period | 1910 CE – 1936 CE

George Bernard Shaw	1856–1950	Pygmalion, Man and Superman, Major Barbara	1902, 1903, 1905
Rupert Brooke	1887–1915	1914 and Other Poems, The Soldier	1914
Wilfred Owen	1893–1918	Dulce et Decorum Est, Anthem for Doomed Youth, The Parable of the Old Man and the Young	1917, 1917, 1918
Siegfried Sassoon	1886–1967	Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man, The War Poems of Siegfried Sassoon, The Old Huntsman	1928, 1918, 1917
T.S. Eliot	1888–1965	The Waste Land, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, The Hollow Men	1922, 1915, 1925
Virginia Woolf	1882–1941	Mrs. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, Jacob’s Room	1925, 1927, 1922
D.H. Lawrence	1885–1930	Sons and Lovers, Women in Love, Lady Chatterley’s Lover	1913, 1920, 1928
E.M. Forster	1879–1970	Howards End, A Passage to India, Where Angels Fear to Tread	1910, 1924, 1905
Gerard Manley Hopkins	1844–1889	Poems, The Wreck of the Deutschland, The Windhover	1918, 1875, 1877
H.G. Wells	1866–1946	The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine, The Invisible Man	1901, 1895, 1897
The Georgian Poets (including Rupert Brooke, Edward Thomas, and others)	Early 20th century	Focused on pastoral poetry, traditional verse, and nature, often contrasting the horrors of war with the beauty of the English countryside	1900–1936
The Bloomsbury Group	Early 20th century	A group of intellectuals and writers including Virginia Woolf, E.M. Forster, and Lytton Strachey, influencing modernism, art, and society	1910s–1930s
Modernism (Continued Development)	Early 20th century	A literary movement characterized by experimental forms, psychological depth, and themes of alienation (Eliot, Woolf, and others)	1910s–1930s
World War I	1914–1918	Major influence on literature, particularly the war poets and the disillusionment reflected in works by Owen, Brooke, and Sassoon	1914–1918
The Irish Literary Revival	Early 20th century	Irish authors like W.B. Yeats, James Joyce, and George Bernard Shaw contributed to a national literary movement, influencing the Georgian period	1900s–1930s
Feminist Movement (Women Writers)	Early 20th century	Writers like Virginia Woolf and others addressed feminist concerns in their works, advancing the role of women in literature	1910s–1930s
The Great Depression	1929–1939	Economic downturn influenced literature’s focus on social realism and economic hardship (notably in the works of D.H. Lawrence)	1929–1936

Modern Period | ~1914 CE – 1945 CE

T.S. Eliot	1888–1965	The Waste Land, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, The Hollow Men	1922, 1915, 1925
Virginia Woolf	1882–1941	Mrs. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, Jacob’s Room	1925, 1927, 1922
James Joyce	1882–1941	Ulysses, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Dubliners	1922, 1916, 1914
D.H. Lawrence	1885–1930	Sons and Lovers, Women in Love, Lady Chatterley’s Lover	1913, 1920, 1928
Gertrude Stein	1874–1946	Three Lives, Tender Buttons, The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas	1909, 1914, 1933
E.M. Forster	1879–1970	A Passage to India, Howards End, Where Angels Fear to Tread	1924, 1910, 1905
W.B. Yeats	1865–1939	The Second Coming, The Tower, The Winding Stair	1920, 1928, 1929
Dylan Thomas	1914–1953	Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, Under Milk Wood, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog	1951, 1954, 1940
Aldous Huxley	1894–1963	Brave New World, Crome Yellow, Point Counter Point	1932, 1921, 1928
H.G. Wells	1866–1946	The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine, The Invisible Man	1901, 1895, 1897
W.H. Auden	1907–1973	The Age of Anxiety, The Shield of Achilles, Funeral Blues	1947, 1955, 1936
The Bloomsbury Group	Early 20th century	A group of intellectuals and writers including Virginia Woolf, E.M. Forster, and Lytton Strachey, influencing modernism, art, and society	1910s–1930s
Modernism	Early 20th century	A literary movement characterized by experimentation with form and content, stream of consciousness, and a break with tradition (Woolf, Joyce, Eliot)	1910s–1940s
Existentialism and Absurdism	1920s–1940s	The focus on individualism, meaninglessness, and existential crises, with authors like Beckett and Camus influencing literature	1920s–1940s
The Harlem Renaissance	1920s	While not British, this cultural movement in the U.S. influenced British writers and themes of race, identity, and culture in works of writers like Langston Hughes and others	1920s
World War I	1914–1918	The war influenced much of the literature of the time, particularly with the disillusionment expressed in works by Owen, Sassoon, and other war poets	1914–1918
The Great Depression	1929–1939	This global economic downturn influenced many works focused on poverty, class struggles, and the failure of social systems. Key writers include Huxley and Woolf	1929–1939
World War II	1939–1945	World War II influenced the literature of the time, with writers reflecting on the impact of war, totalitarianism, and social collapse.	1939–1945

Postmodern Period | 1945 CE –

Samuel Beckett	1906–1989	Waiting for Godot, Endgame, Krapp’s Last Tape	1953, 1957, 1958
Angela Carter	1940–1992	The Bloody Chamber, Wise Children, Nights at the Circus	1979, 1991, 1984
Salman Rushdie	1947–Present	Midnight’s Children, The Satanic Verses, The Moor’s Last Sigh	1981, 1988, 1995
Julian Barnes	1946–Present	Arthur & George, The Sense of an Ending, Flaubert’s Parrot	2005, 2011, 1984
Ian McEwan	1948–Present	Atonement, Amsterdam, Enduring Love	2001, 1998, 1997
Jeanette Winterson	1959–Present	Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, Written on the Body, The Passion	1985, 1992, 1987
Kazuo Ishiguro	1954–Present	The Remains of the Day, Never Let Me Go, The Buried Giant	1989, 2005, 2015
Thomas Pynchon	1937–Present	Gravity’s Rainbow, The Crying of Lot 49, V.	1973, 1966, 1963
Martin Amis	1949–Present	Money, London Fields, The Information	1984, 1989, 1995
Don DeLillo	1936–Present	White Noise, Underworld, Libra	1985, 1997, 1988
Postmodernism	Mid 20th century–Present	Literary movement characterized by a rejection of metanarratives, experimental forms, intertextuality, and playfulness with language and meaning	1945–Present
Metafiction	Late 20th century	Fiction that self-consciously addresses the devices of fiction, often breaking the fourth wall (e.g., If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino)	1950s–Present
Magical Realism	20th–21st century	The blending of magical or fantastical elements with reality, seen in the works of writers like Gabriel García Márquez and Rushdie	1960s–Present
Feminist Literature	Mid 20th century–Present	Literature that addresses gender, identity, and the power dynamics of patriarchy, often seen in writers like Angela Carter, Jeanette Winterson, and Doris Lessing	1960s–Present
The Fall of the British Empire	Mid 20th century	The postcolonial perspective influences literature, as writers explore themes of cultural identity, migration, and postcolonial issues	1945–Present
Cultural and Technological Shifts	Late 20th–21st century	The rise of digital technology, the internet, and mass media leads to new ways of storytelling and interactivity in literature	1990s–Present
The Rise of Digital Literature and E-books	2000s–Present	The advent of digital literature, e-books, and interactive narratives; new forms of storytelling emerge in digital formats	2000s–Present
Globalization and Postcolonial Themes	21st century	Writers like Aravind Adiga, Zadie Smith, and Bernardine Evaristo address issues of globalization, migration, and cultural identity	2000s–Present
Environmental Literature	21st century	Focus on climate change, environmental degradation, and sustainability in works by writers like Amitav Ghosh, and others	2000s–Present
Transculturalism and Multiculturalism	21st century	Exploration of multicultural identity, migration, and intercultural exchange in the works of authors like Zadie Smith	2000s–Present
Queer Literature	21st century	Writers like Sarah Waters, Jeanette Winterson, and Ali Smith explore LGBTQ+ themes, gender identity, and sexualities	2000s–Present