History of English Literature

The fifth edition of Edward Albert’s History of English Literature, first published in 1979, offers its readers a detailed view of how English literature has evolved through the centuries. Starting from the Old English period to the literature of mid-twentieth century, the book takes a look at how English literature has developed across each period. It talks about the major literary genres of each age, like poetry, prose and drama, their major proponents and offers an extensive list of the notable works published during that period. Special focus has been given to Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton, Pope and Dryden, whose writings strongly influenced the literary output of their time. Each chapter also contains quotes, together with translations wherever needed, from the many works cited in the text. The book also comes with a broad list of writings under ‘Suggestions for Further Reading’ to guide readers who want to further explore the subject.

Table of Contents
1. The Old English Period
2. The Middle English Period
3. The Age of Chaucer
4. From Chaucer to Spenser
5. The Age of Elizabeth
6. The Age of Milton
7. The Age of Dryden
8. The Age of Pope
9. The Age of Transition
10. The Return to Nature
11. The Victorian Age
12. The Birth of Modern Literature
13. The Inter-War Years
14. The Mid-Twentieth Century
Suggestions for Further Reading
Index