The Influences of British Literature on People Over the Ages - Essay Example

The Influences of British Literature on People Over the Ages The influence of British literature on people over the ages is one of great importance, and must be taken carefully into consideration when approaching any form of literary works of the present day. The ways in which this form of literature has influenced us as a society in general is truly astounding. In light of this, it seems worthwhile to consider just what the effects are of British literature on people over the ages. British literature is considered to consist of literature from the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. The majority of this literature and the earliest as well, were written in the English language, but there are also separate literatures in Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Scots, Cornish, Manx, Jerriais, Dgernesiais, and other languages. “Irish writers have also played an important part in the development of the English-language literature.” (“Wikipedia”, 2006). It was in the late medieval period (1200-1500) when the ideals of courtly love began to enter England, which therefore began the writings of the same topic. English drama was especially popular at this time, and one of the most profound dramatic literature writers, who is also in fact considered to be England’s first great writer, Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-1400), wrote in Middle English. Chaucer is the author of The Canterbury Tales, which is easily one of the most respected and notorious works of British literature of all time. The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories, two of which were written in prose, the rest of which were written in verse. Some of the tales are original and some are not, and the themes of the tales vary as well. The characteristics of the general topics range anywhere from courtly love to avarice; with the general genre ideas ranging from romance and Breton lai, to sermon and fabliau. Some of the tales take a more serious note while others take a more humorous edge; regardless of the separate ideals and supposed annotation of the tales, it is argued that “…the greatest contribution that this work made to English literature was in popularizing the literary use of the vernacular language.” (“Wikipedia”, 2006). This, considered to be Chaucer’s masterpiece, was created during Chaucer’s ‘final period’, and considered also to be one of the most brilliant works in all literature. Briefly, it is a poem which introduces a group of pilgrims journeying from London to the shrine of St. Thomas a Becket at Canterbury. To help pass the time they decide to tell stories, and together the pilgrims represent a wide cross section of 14th Century English life. The Renaissance period followed the middle ages, and it was during this time period that vernacular literature truly flourished. The difference in the literature of this era was that of its religiousness, as the majority of the works which were composed during this period were produced under Queen Elizabeth I and King James I; the literature of the Renaissance period has been noted for its interest in the human being as a worthy subject. In other words, the transformation of both English language and literature in this period can be seen to move away from the medieval Middle English literature period in that it was more recognizably modern Elizabethan literature through the use of religion. This period is also characterized by the influence of the classics, especially in literature. The Renaissance truly embraced literature, and the study of their classical poets led not only to their transition into English but also the adaptation of their verse forms and systems of poetic metre. “An illustration of the linguistic explosion caused by the Renaissance is the addition of more than 10,000 new words to the language in a short space of time, mainly from Latin.” (“Tiscali”, 2006). William Shakespeare, one of the most notorious and distinguished characters of literature of all time, completed most of his works during the Renaissance period. Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright who wrote it is estimated about thirty-eight plays, along with a collection of sonnets and a variety of other poems. Although a number of Shakespeare’s plays have the reputation of being among the greatest in the English language and in Western literature, a few of the most well-known are: Hamlet, King Leir, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Henry VI, Part 1. Shakespeare’s works have been and still are notoriously known as being one of the most major influences on subsequent theatre, as well as the literature of today. Shakespeare’s works were one of the most well-known for influencing people over the ages, and continue to do so today, centuries later. In literary terms, the modern period consists of the time span from 1900-1945. The modern period was in all actuality a movement of sorts, which “…grew out of a sense of disillusionment with Victorian era attitudes of certainty, conservatism, and objective truth.” (“Wikipedia”, 2006). The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, which was written by Douglas Adams, is a multi-media phenomenon today, but originally debuted as a radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1978. The literary works was published in 1979, and is certainly one of the most notorious literary pieces from the modern era. Adams’ book is a prime example of the influences of British literature on people over the ages. The similarities towards the earliest forms of British literature are obviously embedded, but the differences are astounding. The influences of British literature can be dated as far back to the time as the literature itself was first created, but can still be predominantly noted in the majority of all things in the modern times. Though the styles and formats have seemed to adapt entirely for the most part, the underlying of the traditional British language genres and topics will always remain. By viewing different literary works from as far back as the medieval times up to the present day, as has been shown in this essay, we can clearly see the factors which have been influenced, such as the use of vernacular language which continues to hold an incredibly strong worth in literary works today. This is one of the most acknowledged continued and obvious influences, although there are many more certainties which are simply not as recognized. All of these influences are strong and have been and always will be a crucial part of our literature as a whole. References “Academic”. (n.d.). The Canterbury Tales. Retrieved April 2, 2006, from http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/webcore/murphy/canterbury/ “Infoplease”. (2006). The Canterbury Tales. Retrieved April 1, 2006, from http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0857259.html Jokinen, A. (1996). Anthology of Middle English Literature (1350-1485). Retrieved April 3, 2006, from http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/ “Librarius”. (2006). The Canterbury Tales. Retrieved April 1, 2006, from http://www.librarius.com/cantales.htm “Library”. (2006). Old English Literature. Retrieved April 4, 2006, from http://www.georgetown.edu/labyrinth/library/oe/oe.html “Norton”. (2006). 20th Century. Retrieved April 2, 2006, from http://www.wwnorton.com/nael/welcome.htm Pridmore, J. (2005). British and American Literature (1800-1899). Retrieved April 3, 2006, from http://www.literaryhistory.com/19thC/Outline.htm “Tiscali”. (2006). Renaissance English Literature. Retrieved April 2, 2006, from http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m0097743.html “Wikipedia”. (2006). British literature. Retrieved April 4, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_literature Read More