Let's see some of the most crucial characteristics of the most important literary periods:
Middle Ages: The literary writings are in Old English. The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 is the beginning of 200 years of the French domination in English letters.Chaucer's "The General Prologue to The Canterbury Tales" has long been recognized as one of the greatest masterpieces of English literature, certainly the finest and most influential work of fiction from the Middle Ages. For most literary historians, English literature begins well before Chaucer's greatest poem, but this particular work marks the start of the tradition which is still readily accessible in the original language to the diligent reader, even though Chaucer's Middle English requires the constant help of a glossary.
Renaissance: A cultural movement which began in Italy during the 15th century and spread around Europe during the 17th century. Education was not offered for girls, except for daughters of the nobility and Puritans, and even then subjects were focused on chastity and housewifery.The period is characterized by the influence of the classics (in literature, language, and philosophy), as well as an optimistic forward-thinking approach to the potential of humans (known as Renaissance humanism. The spread of Protestantism was influential in literature. The English poet and playwright, William Shakespeare, who flourished during this period, is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon".
Neoclassical Period: Neoclassical Literature was written in a period where social order was undergoing tremendous changes. In the so called Enlightenmemt Period, people believed that natural passions aren't necessarily good; natural passions must be subordinated to social needs and be strictly controlled. Authors believed that reason was the primary basis of authority. They believed that social needs are more important than individual needs and that man could find meaning in order - religious, social, the order of nature, government and literary forms. Neo-Classical Style was a style in art, architecture, and the decorative arts that flourished in Europe and North America from about 1750 to the early 1800s, marked by the emulation of Graeco-Roman forms.
Romantic Period: While literature from the Classical period was based on reason, order and rules, literature and art from the Romantic period was based on emotion, adventure and imagination. The name "romantic" itself comes from the term "romance" which is a genre of prose or poetic heroic narrative originating in medieval literature. Romanticism reached beyond the rational and Classicist ideal models to elevate medievalism and elements of art and narrative perceived to be authentically medieval. Gothic fiction is a genre that combines elements of both romance and terror. Prominent features of this genre are: terror, the supernatural , Gothic architecture, castles, doubles, death and secrets.
Modern Period: The early modern period is a term initially used by historians to refer mainly to the period roughly from 1500 to 1750 in Western Europe. Theatrical power flourishes this period.
Post-Modern Period: The term Postmodern literature is used to describe certain tendencies in post-World War II literature. Although it is a continuation of modernist period (paradoxes and fragmentation), modernist literature seeks meaning in a chaotic world whereas postmodernist literature is not only avoiding the possibility of meaning, at the same time it is parodying it.