Research Guides: Literary Periods: Overview

Guide Contents

English majors must "read historically" and take a course in each of these literary periods: Medieval Literature, Early Modern Literature, Literature in the Age of Revolutions, and Modern to Contemporary Literature. This guide aims to assist you with this task.

Ancient (Pre-500)
Medieval (500-1500)
Early Modern (1500-1775)
Age of Revolutions (1775-1900)
Modern to Contemporary (1900-Present)

Research Help by Topic

Literary Periods
Research by era: Ancient, Medieval, Early Modern Age of Revolutions, Modern to Contemporary
Literature & Geographical Regions
American, British, Postcolonial, Southern, and Western lit
Literary Genres: Form
Novels, Plays & Drama, Poetry, Short Stories
Literary Genres: Theme
Crime & Mystery Fiction, Folk & Fairy Tales, Gothic & Horror Stories, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction & Fantasy Lit, and Environment & Ecology in Fiction
Literature: Diversity & Multiculturalism
Literatures of different people and groups: African & African American, Hispanic & Latin American, Jewish, Native American, Disabilities, Women & Gender, and LBGTQIA
Literature & Creative Writing
Of particular use to those with creative writing specialization
Literature: Graduate & Advanced Studies
Additional resources, including digital humanities info, for advanced researchers, graduate students, & faculty members
Literature: Reference and More
Contains the odd database that may be of use, book reviews, dictionaries, finding biographical info, LC Call #s for literature, and MLA citation style help.

Research Librarian

Rebecca Graff

Contact:

regraff@smu.edu

Subjects: English, Medieval Studies

Background & Reference

Literature and Its Times
Call Number: Fondren Library, Centennial Reading Room, Reference, PN50 .L574 1997
Provides the historical background of often-studied literary works from around the world. Entries feature: a brief introduction to the work; discussion of the work's historical setting; an overview of the events of the time that the work was written; and the work in focus.