CONTENTS:

PART I

BOOK I – ORIGINS (650-1350)
I. ANGLO-SAXON LITERATURE (650-1066)
II. FROM THE NORMAN CONQUEST TO CHAUCER (1066-1350)

BOOK II – THE FOURTEENTH AND FIFTEENTH CEMTURIES (1350-1516). FROM CHAUCER TO THE RENASCENCE
I. THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY (1350-1400) – ROUND ABOUT CHAUCER
II. GEOFFREY CHAUCER (1340-1400)
III. THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY – FROM THE DEATH OF CHAUCER TO THE RENASCENCE (1400-1516)

BOOK III – THE PREPARATION FOR THE RENASCENCE (1516-78)
I. THE PART OF THE HUMANISTS
II. THE REFORMATION AND THE RELIGIOUS CONTROVERSIES FROM 1525 TO 1578
III. POETRY – ITALIANISM, WYATT AND SURREY – SACKVILLE AND "THE MIRROR FOR MAGISTRATES" – GASCOIGNE
IV. THE THEATRE FROM 1520 TO 1578

BOOK IV – THE FLOWERING OF THE RENASCENCE (1578-1625)
I. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE GREAT PERIOD
II. THE PIONEERS: LYLY, SIDNEY, AND SPENSER
III. POETRY FROM 1590 TO 1625
IV. PROSE FROM 1578 TO 1625
V. THE DRAMA UNTIL SHAKESPEARE, FROM 1580 TO 1592
VI. SHAKESPEARE’S PLAYS 91590-1616)
VII. SHAKESPEARE’S CONTEMPORARIES AND IMMEDIATE SUCCESSORS
VIII. SHAKESPEARE’S SUCCESSORS – DRAMA UNDER CHARLES I (1625-42)

BOOK V – THE END OF THE RENASCENCE (1625-60)
I. PROSE FROM 1625 TO 1660
II. POETRY FROM 1625 TO 1660
III. MILTON

PART II

BOOK I – LITERATURE OF THE RESTORATION (1660-1702)
I. SOURCES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NEW LITERATURE
II. DRYDEN AND LYRICAL POETRY
III. SATIRE AND THE SATIRICAL SPIRIT
IV. THE THEATRE
V. RATIONALISM AND RESTORATION PROSE
VI. THE DISSIDENT WRITERS
VII. THE TRANSITION

BOOK II – CLASSICISM (1702-40)
I. THE AGE OF CLASSICISM
II. THE CLASSICAL SCHOOL OF POETRY
III. THE SPIRIT OF CONTROVERSY
IV. THE LITERATURE OF THE MIDDLE CLASSES
V. THE DAWN OF SENTIMENTALISM IN ENGLISH LITERATURE

BOOK III – THE SURVIVAL OF CLASSICISM (1740-70)
I. DOCTRINAL CLASSICISM: JOHNSON
II. THE POETRY OF SENTIMENT
III. THE NOVEL OF SENTIMENT
IV. REALISM
V. POLITICAL LITERATURE
VI. THE THEATRE
VII. RATIONALISM

BOOK IV – THE PRE-ROMANTIC PERIOD (1770-98)
I. THE AWAKENING OF IMAGINATION
II. THE RELIGIOUS AWAKENING
III. THE PRE-ROMANTIC NOVEL
IV. RATIONALISM
V. THE CLASSICAL TEMPERAMENTS
VI. THE FRENCH REVOLUTION AND ENGLISH LITERATURE
VII. PRE-ROMANTIC POETRY

BOOK V – THE ROMANTIC PERIOD 91798-1832)
I. THE FIRST GENERATION OF POETS
II. THE NOVEL
III. INTELLECTUALISM AND POLITICAL LITERATURE
IV. THE SECOND GENERATION OF POETS
V. THE SEMI-ROMANTICISTS

BOOK VI – THE SEARCH FOR BALANCE (1832-75)
I. THE NEW PERIOD – CAUSES AND CHARACTERISTICS
II. INTELLECTUALISM AND SCIENCE
III. THE IDEALISTIC REACTION
IV. THE POETRY OF THE VICTORIAN ERA
V. REALISM

BOOK VI – NEW DIVERGENCIES (1875-1940)
I. THE CHANGE IN LITERARY THOUGHT: CAUSES AND CHARACTERISTICS
II. THE REVOLT AGAINTS MECHANISM
III. THE NEW ROMANTICISM
IV. THE DOCTRINES OF ACTION
V. CONTEMPORARY TENDENCIES