The peculiarities of middle english period in literature introduction

THE PECULIARITIES OF MIDDLE ENGLISH PERIOD IN LITERATURE

INTRODUCTION ……………………………………………………. 3
CHAPTER I. MIDDLE ENGLISH LITERATURE

1. 
   Characteristics of middle English literature 6
   
2. 
   Early and late period………………………………………………………….8
   

CHAPTER II. THE FEATURES OF MIDDLE ENGLISH LITERATURE

1. 
   Middle English poetry...................................................................................11
   
2. 
   Middle English prose...................................................................................19
   
3. 
   Middle English dramas ………………………………………………………..21
   

REFERENCES………………………………………………………………….23

INTRODUCTION

The history of English literature actually includes several "stories" of various kinds. This is literature belonging to specific socio-political eras in the history of England; literature reflecting certain systems of moral ideals and philosophical views; literature, which has its inherent internal (formal, linguistic) unity and specificity. At different times, this or that "story" came to the fore. The heterogeneity of definitions is entrenched in the names that are usually given to various periods of English literature. Some periods are designated by the name of prominent political or literary figures (“Victorian Era”, “Johnson Age”), others by dominant literary ideas and themes (“Renaissance”, “Romantic Movement”), still others (“Old English Literature” and “Middle English Literature”). Literature") - according to the language in which the works were created.The actuality of this work can be analysis of literary samples created during this period, studying the characteristics of medieval English literature
There are two periods in the history of English literature before the Renaissance, each marked by both historical milestones and changes in language. The first, Old English period begins in 450-500 with the invasion of Britain by the Germanic tribes, usually referred to as Anglo-Saxon, and ends with the conquest of the island by William of Norman in 1066. The second, Middle English period begins around 1150, when the indigenous language, supplanted for some time from use, became widespread again. as a written language. Before the Norman conquest, the language of England was German, which was a variety of dialects of the low coast of Germany and Holland, but during the Middle English period this language underwent numerous internal changes, and after the 13th century. fairly enriched by borrowings from French.

The Norman conquest of 1066 brought about profound changes in all spheres of English life. Borrowed from France and implemented on the French model, the feudal system transformed all social institutions, including cultural, legal, economic and political ones. Perhaps most importantly, Norman French became the language of the nobility and the royal court, while Latin still dominated learning. People did not stop writing in English, they continued to teach it, but for more than a century it retreated into the shadows, although it was spoken by the majority of the population. At the end of the 12th century English became widespread again, its grammatical structure was greatly simplified, but the vocabulary of the conquerors only slightly affected its vocabulary. Intensive borrowing from French began only at the end of the 13th century. for a number of reasons, including influenced by the poetry of Chaucer. Changes in language brought about corresponding changes in the structure of the verse. The rhythmic organization of a line increasingly relied on the total number of syllables rather than stress alone, as in Old English; end rhyme as the basis of poetic harmony replaced internal alliteration.