English poets: from the early Middle Ages to the present day, features of their creativity

English poetry originated at the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries, it is inextricably linked with the names of such literary artists as Jeffrey Chaucer, Robert Burns, John Keats and, of course, William Shakespeare. The first work of such literary genre in England is rightly considered the poem "Beowulf", named after its main character - a brave youth who defended his country from devastating dragon raids. The poem was written in the early 13th century and is a perfectly preserved specimen of ancient Anglo-Saxon literature. More than 10% of the text (the size of which, by the way, is 3182 lines) is written exactly in Old English.

English poets are literary figures who wrote works in English regardless of their nationality, faith and place of residence. In Russian schools and institutions of higher education only a short course of English poetry is studied. Russian students perfectly know who William Shakespeare is, but they hardly know the names of Joseph Addison, Matthew Arnold, Robert Browning.

The founder of English literature in general is the author of "Canterbury Tales" Jeffrey Chaucer, who lived in the 14th century. His main work, written in Middle English, has remained unfinished. "Canterbury Tales" is a collection of short stories written in poetic and prosaic form (total 22). All the narration is conducted on behalf of pilgrims going to Canterbury to worship the relics of the martyr Thomas Beckett (in Russian translations, the saint usually appears as Thomas of Canterbury).

Medieval authors are recognizable in the style of the presentation of their works throughout the world. Thus, the syllable of the famous Shakespeare can not be confused with the syllable of other authors, despite the numerous translations of his works into foreign languages. Many of the problems raised by William Shakespeare, who lived in the 16th century, in his tragedies and comedies, still remain relevant today. According to Shakespeare's poems, a huge number of performances have been staged and many films have been shot in many countries, which indicates the author's recognition throughout the world.

Many Russian readers know the name of George Byron. This English poet-romantic became famous under the name of Lord Byron. Byron's works are known to Russians due to their numerous translations by the poets of the Silver Age. The most famous literary masterpieces of Lord Byron are "Corsair", "Cain", "Lara".

Many English poets 16-19 centuries they wrote their works in the key of romanticism. For example, John Keats, who died in 1821, brought a lot of romantic innovations to the poetry of the country. His works are filled with an elegant literary description of all the joys of life, the beauty of the surrounding world. The most famous works of Keats are "Ode to the Greek Vase" and "Endemion."

Among the creators of literary art a special place is occupied by English poets - women: Elizabeth Browning, Gene Ingelow, Sarah Coleridge, Emily Bronte. The latter, by the way, is most known to the Russian admirer of foreign poetic art as the author of the "Wuthering Heights" and many works written in poetic form.

Authors of the 19-20 centuries depart from the romantic style, their works are mostly written in the spirit of naturalism. In our country, the most famous English poets of the 20th century, such as Harry Graham, the author of "Poetic Economy", Keith Wright, the author of "The Parrot of Sergeant Smith" and others. Their creative research left a mark not only on the pages of printed publications and electronic books, but also in the hearts of many admirers of their talent. Modern English poets and their predecessors undoubtedly left a rich cultural heritage to future generations of both their citizens and foreigners.