Includes index.

English literature: its history and its significance for the life of the English speaking world is an all encompassing study of English literature from Anglo-Saxon times to the twentieth century. It interprets literature both biographically and historically by showing how each work reflects not just the writer’s life and thoughts but also the spirit of the age and the nation’s history. It also shows the development of the English literary canon in terms of complexity, from the earlier simple moral allegories to the complex issues addressed in twentieth century writings. Along with works of literature, this book also analyses important events and social conditions in each period, the lives of important authors, as well as literary epochs. With helpful summaries, bibliographies and tables of chronological events, this book is the best possible guide for students to understand the vast pantheon of English literature.