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    English Literature

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    English literature began emerging in the 7th or 8th century AD following the withdrawal of Roman troops from Britain. This led to a long period of unrest and war as invading Anglo-Saxons conquered much of the country. By the 6th century, the Britons had been pushed to the western borders and established small tribal governments, allowing English literature to begin developing. In 597, Pope Gregory I sent Augustine to Britain to convert the people to Christianity, establishing the influential Benedictine abbey at Canterbury. Two important early scholars were Bede the Venerable, who wrote the influential Ecclesiastical History of the English People, and monk Alcuin, who helped revive Latin scripts under Charlemagne and was one of

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    English Literature

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    English literature began emerging in the 7th or 8th century AD following the withdrawal of Roman troops from Britain. This led to a long period of unrest and war as invading Anglo-Saxons conquered much of the country. By the 6th century, the Britons had been pushed to the western borders and established small tribal governments, allowing English literature to begin developing. In 597, Pope Gregory I sent Augustine to Britain to convert the people to Christianity, establishing the influential Benedictine abbey at Canterbury. Two important early scholars were Bede the Venerable, who wrote the influential Ecclesiastical History of the English People, and monk Alcuin, who helped revive Latin scripts under Charlemagne and was one of

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    English literature began emerging in the 7th or 8th century AD following the withdrawal of Roman troops from Britain. This led to a long period of unrest and war as invading Anglo-Saxons conquered much of the country. By the 6th century, the Britons had been pushed to the western borders and established small tribal governments, allowing English literature to begin developing. In 597, Pope Gregory I sent Augustine to Britain to convert the people to Christianity, establishing the influential Benedictine abbey at Canterbury. Two important early scholars were Bede the Venerable, who wrote the influential Ecclesiastical History of the English People, and monk Alcuin, who helped revive Latin scripts under Charlemagne and was one of

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    20 views1 page

    English Literature

    Uploaded by

    xxxx
    English literature began emerging in the 7th or 8th century AD following the withdrawal of Roman troops from Britain. This led to a long period of unrest and war as invading Anglo-Saxons conquered much of the country. By the 6th century, the Britons had been pushed to the western borders and established small tribal governments, allowing English literature to begin developing. In 597, Pope Gregory I sent Augustine to Britain to convert the people to Christianity, establishing the influential Benedictine abbey at Canterbury. Two important early scholars were Bede the Venerable, who wrote the influential Ecclesiastical History of the English People, and monk Alcuin, who helped revive Latin scripts under Charlemagne and was one of

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    English literature

    The literature of England is one of the highest achievements of a great nation. It should not,
    however, be read simply as a national expression. It is a body of significant statements about
    abiding human concerns. The language in which it is written has evolved over hundreds of
    years and is still changing. Several nations, including Canada, the United States, and Australia,
    are indebted to England for a literary heritage.

    Old English Literature

    The beginnings of English literature appeared in the 7th or 8th century AD. After the Romans
    withdrew their troops from Britain in 410, there followed a long period of social unrest, war, and
    turbulence. The Britons were forced to defend themselves alone against Picts and Scots from
    Scotland. Then the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes came from the European continent. They
    plundered city after city. If these invaders left any literature, none of it has survived. By the
    middle of the 6th century the Britons had been pushed to the western borders of England,
    where they set up small tribal governments. When this society became established, English
    literature began.
    In 597 Pope Gregory I sent Augustine to convert the British to Christianity. He established a
    Benedictine abbey at Canterbury as the seat of his diocese. This became the center of learning
    and scholarship of all Western Europe.

    Early Works of Scholarship

    Bede the Venerable, a monk, was the greatest Anglo-Saxon scholar. His beautifully written
    Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum (Ecclesiastical History of the English People) is a
    monumental account of his times. (See also Bede the Venerable.)
    Another monk, Alcuin, was probably the most learned man in the Europe of his time. He was a
    liturgical reformer and was largely responsible for the revival of Latin scripts under
    Charlemagne. Alfred the Great made contributions to this already rich literature by writing in the
    native tongue and encouraging scholarly translations from Latin into Old English (Anglo-Saxon).
    Alfred translated some Latin texts himself into the tongue of the West Saxons; and it was under
    him, probably, that the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle was begun. This history of the chief events of
    each year is of prime importance to historians. Under Alfred, Bede's Historia ecclesiastica also
    was translated from the Latin, so that the people could study their past. (See also Alfred the
    Great.)

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