English literature

English literature, literature written in English since c.1450 by the inhabitants of the British Isles; it was during the 15th cent. that the English language acquired much of its modern form. For the literature of previous linguistic periods, see the articles on Anglo-Saxon literature and Middle English literature (see also Anglo-Norman literature).

For literature written by English speakers elsewhere, see American literature; Australian literature; Canadian literature, English; New Zealand literature; and South African literature.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• The Postwar Era to the Present
• The Early Twentieth Century
• Poetry
• Nonfiction
• The Novel
• The Victorian Age
• The Romantic Period
• The Eighteenth Century
• The Jacobean Era, Cromwell, and the Restoration
• The Tudors and the Elizabethan Age
• Bibliography

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See more Encyclopedia articles on: English Literature, 20th cent. to the Present