History Of English Literature By Bhim Singh Dahiya

History of English Literature — Bhim Singh Dahiya

3. Thematic Groupings

Rather than listing authors year by year, Dahiya groups them by movement. For instance, "The University Wits" (Marlowe, Greene, Peele, Lyly) are treated as a single unit before Shakespeare, allowing students to see influence.

2. The Anglo-Norman & Middle English Period (1066–1500)

• Key Focus: The fusion of French and English cultures, Romance literature, and the rise of religious and secular poetry.
• Critical Analysis of Chaucer: Dahiya dedicates an entire sub-chapter to The Canterbury Tales, dissecting its realism, characterization, and linguistic significance (the South-Eastern dialect).
• Notable Mention: William Langland’s Piers Plowman and the anonymous Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

1. The Anglo-Saxon Period (450 – 1066 AD)

Dahiya describes this era as the "dawn" of English literature. He emphasizes that the literature of this time reflects the struggle for existence. history of english literature by bhim singh dahiya

• Context: The Angles, Saxons, and Jutes invaded Britain. The society was tribal and warrior-like.
• Themes: Love of freedom, bravery in battle, and melancholy (due to the harsh climate and constant war).
• Key Works:
  • Beowulf: The greatest epic of the age. Dahiya analyzes it not just as a monster story, but as a reflection of the heroic code of the Germanic tribes.
  • Elegies: The Wanderer and The Seafarer represent the loneliness of the exile.