A sonnet is a short lyric poem of fourteen iambic pentameter lines linked by an intricate rhyme scheme. It is a lyric because it can be tuned to a lyre, a musical instrument. Each of its fourteen lines consists of five feet (also known as meters) for which it is called pentameter. Again, each of…

Dramatic Monologue is a lyrical poem in the form of speech spoken by a single man. It is dramatic because it begins abruptly and in the development of its thought it takes several sudden turns which impart a dramatic dimension to the poem. In a dramatic monologue, the single speaker reveals his thoughts in the…

Modern Period starts with the beginning of the First World War in 1914 and ends in 1939 when the Second World War began. The First World War caused massive destruction not only to the socio-political structure of Europe, but also to the Western culture, belief, tradition, and values. After the war, the capacity of Christianity…

In English literature, the period from 1832 to 1901 is known as the Victorian period. It is named after Queen Victoria who reigned the United Kingdom from 1837 to 1981. The period is marked by the reformation bill, Charles Darwin’s evolution theory, Carl Marx’s concept of socialism, the industrial revolution, philosophical positivism, the conception of…

Towards the end of the 18th century, the neo-classical mode of writing was worn out and a new trend in literature became imminent. The new trend became visible in the mid-eighties. When the French revolution took place in 1789, the ground of the new kind of creative writing had already been prepared in the United…

The French word 'renaissance' has originated from the Latin word 'renasci' that means 'to be born again'. In English 'the Renaissance' means the rebirth or revival of the ancient Greek and Roman knowledge, art, and culture. The rebirth was caused by a historical event. In 1453, with the fall of the then Constantinople, the scholars…

Queen Elizabeth I of England ruled the then England from 1558 to 1603. After her name, this period is known as the Elizabethan period aka the golden age of prosperity in power, commerce, art, and nationalism of the English. It was the greatest age of English Drama. William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, and Ben Jonson were…

What are the Genres of Poetry? The students of English Literature must know the genres of poetry. They should know the elements that make a poem either narrative or lyric. They should know the fundamental features of the sonnet, ode, elegy, dramatic monologue, metaphysical poetry, modern poetry, and more. The knowledge of these forms makes…