Book Title: British Literature to 1800

Book Description

In English 2201 we have been given a tall order: to survey a thousand years of British literary history. It is impossible to share with you all the characters, the narratives, and the textual moments that have captivated us as scholars of premodern literature. Yet, while crafting this textbook, we have sought to offer the most compelling assortment possible. This diverse, engaging selection of texts will allow you to form a nuanced impression of premodern literature while questioning what it has meant to write in English over the centuries. The Prelude to this textbook will introduce you to the monumental changes that textual culture has undergone since the early Middle Ages—from the specialist labors of medieval manuscript production to the mechanical and cultural power of the printing press all the way to the age of digital literacy. The following units cover four discreet literary periods: Pre-Conquest Medieval Literature (origins–1066), Post-Conquest Medieval Literature (1066–1485), Renaissance Literature (1485–1660), and finally Eighteenth-Century Literature (166–1800). Alongside literary texts (modernized and annotated where appropriate), we have provided readings on cultural and historical developments, video lectures, guiding reading questions, and writing prompts for recitations. We merely ask that you draw connections, ask how this literature speaks to your own experience, and, most of all, read eagerly.