• The Anglo-Saxon Period: Old English literature, epic poetry (e.g., Beowulf), and early Christian influence.
• The Medieval Period: The development of Middle English literature, Chaucer, allegory, and romance literature.
• The Renaissance: Elizabethan drama, Shakespeare, Marlowe, and the sonnet form; Humanism and its impact on literature.
• The Enlightenment: The rise of prose, satire, and periodicals; Key authors like Dryden and Pope.
• The Romantic Period: Poetry of Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley, Keats, and the rise of the Gothic novel.
• The Victorian Period: Novelists like Dickens, Eliot, and the emergence of realism in literature.
• The Modernist Period: Early 20th century literature, the impact of the World Wars, stream of consciousness, and authors like James Joyce and Virginia Woolf.

History of English Literature is a comprehensive survey of the key periods in the development of English literature. Starting with the Anglo-Saxon era, the course explores the transformation of English literature through the medieval, Renaissance, Enlightenment, Romantic, Victorian, and Modernist periods.

This subject emphasizes major literary movements such as the Renaissance and Romanticism, while also focusing on significant cultural and political contexts that influenced the development of English writing. Students will study the works of major writers and poets, and the course introduces various literary forms including drama, poetry, and the novel.

Discussions will include the historical background to major literary works, the rise of literary criticism, and the interplay between literature and societal changes.