Chapter 1 Old English Literature
Ⅰ. Historical Background
Ⅱ. The Development of the English Language
Ⅲ. Literary Features
Ⅳ. Representative Writers and Works
Ⅴ. Beowulf and the Heroic Epic Tradition
Chapter2 Middle English Literature
Ⅰ. Historical Background
Ⅱ. Literary Features
Ⅲ. Romance and Sir Gawain
Ⅳ. Popular Ballad
Ⅴ. Medieval Drama
Ⅵ. William Langland and Piers Plowman
Ⅶ. Geoffrey Chaucer
Ⅷ. Reading
Chapter3 Literature of Renaissance and Reformation （1510—1620）
Ⅰ. Historical Background
Ⅱ. Literary Features
Ⅲ. Renaissance Poetry
Ⅳ. Renaissance Prose
Ⅴ. Renaissance Drama
Ⅵ. William Shakespeare
Ⅶ. Reading
Chapter4 Literature of Revolution and Restoration
Ⅰ. Historical Background and Literary Features
Ⅱ. Seventeenth—Century Prose
Ⅲ. Seventeenth—Century Drama
Ⅳ. Seventeenth—Century Poetry
Ⅴ. John Milton
Ⅵ. Reading
Chapter5 The Eighteenth Century Literature
Ⅰ. Historical Background
Ⅱ. Literary Features
Ⅲ. Eighteenth—Century Poetry
Ⅳ. Eighteenth—Century Prose
Ⅴ. Eighteenth—Century Novel
Ⅵ. Eighteenth—Century Drama
Ⅶ. Reading
Chapter6 The Literature of the Romantic Period
Ⅰ. Historical Background
Ⅱ. Literary Features
Ⅲ. Romantic Poetry
Ⅳ. Romantic Essayists
Ⅴ. The Novel in the Romantic Period
Ⅵ. Reading
Chapter7 Victorian Literature
Ⅰ. Historical Background
Ⅱ. Literary Features
Ⅲ. Victorian Novel
Ⅳ. Victorian Poetry
Ⅴ. Victorian Critics and Historians
Ⅵ. Victorian Drama
Ⅶ. Reading
Chapter8 The Twentieth Century Literature
Ⅰ. Historical Background
Ⅱ. Literary Features
Ⅲ. Modem Poetry to 1945
Ⅳ. Modem Drama to 1945
Ⅴ. Modem Novels to 1945
Ⅵ. Reading
Chapter9 English Literature Since1945
Ⅰ. Historical Background
Ⅱ. Literary Features
Ⅲ. Drama Since 1945
Ⅳ. Novel Since 1945
Ⅴ. Poetry Since 1945
Ⅵ. Reading
Selected Bibliography
