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English literature has a rich and diverse history, stretching back to the middle ages. Its progression and development have been influenced by several iconic figures, many of whom have earned the title “Father” of their specific literary form. This article will delve into the works and influence of these remarkable individuals who are considered the Fathers of English Literature, Prose, Poetry, Novel, and Drama.
Father of English Literature – Geoffrey Chaucer
When we talk about the “Father of English Literature,” the first name that comes to mind is Geoffrey Chaucer. Born around 1343, he stands as a literary bridge between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. His most famous work, “The Canterbury Tales,” has been celebrated as one of the earliest and most significant contributions to English literature.
Written in Middle English, Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” is a collection of 24 stories, presented as part of a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims. It provides an excellent insight into various aspects of English life and thought during the 14th Century. The vivid characterizations, diverse stories, and mixture of humor, tragedy, and instruction in his writing are the foundation of what we now recognize as English Literature.
Father of English Poetry – Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer also bears the title of “Father of English Poetry”. Before Chaucer, Latin and French were the dominant languages for literary expression in England. Chaucer was the first to demonstrate that English could be a vibrant, expressive, and respectable literary language.
In “The Canterbury Tales,” he uses iambic pentameter, a metrical form that became a standard in English poetry. He also innovated in his use of the heroic couplet, two lines of rhymed iambic pentameter, a form that was later perfected by poets like Alexander Pope and John Dryden. The beauty, wit, and wisdom expressed in his verses played a pivotal role in elevating the status of English poetry.
He was the first writer to be buried in Westminster Abbey, what has since come to be called Poets’ Corner. Chaucer also gained fame as a philosopher and astronomer, composing the scientific A Treatise for his 10-year-old son Lewis. He maintained a career in the civil service as a bureaucrat, courtier, diplomat, and member of parliament.
Original Text:
This frere bosteth that he knoweth helle,
And God it woot, that it is litel wonder;
Freres and feendes been but lyte asonder.
For, pardee, ye han ofte tyme herd telle
How that a frere ravyshed was to helle
In spirit ones by a visioun;
And as an angel ladde hym up and doun,
To shewen hym the peynes that the were,
In al the place saugh he nat a frere;
Of oother folk he saugh ynowe in wo.
Unto this angel spak the frere tho:
Now, sire, quod he, han freres swich a grace
That noon of hem shal come to this place?
Yis, quod this aungel, many a millioun!
And unto sathanas he ladde hym doun.
–And now hath sathanas, –seith he, –a tayl
Brodder than of a carryk is the sayl.
Hold up thy tayl, thou sathanas!–quod he;
–shewe forth thyn ers, and lat the frere se
Where is the nest of freres in this place!–
And er that half a furlong wey of space,
Right so as bees out swarmen from an hyve,
Out of the develes ers ther gonne dryve
Twenty thousand freres on a route,
And thurghout helle swarmed al aboute,
And comen agayn as faste as they may gon,
And in his ers they crepten everychon.
He clapte his tayl agayn and lay ful stille.
Modern Translation:
This friar boasts that he knows hell,
And God knows that it is little wonder;
Friars and fiends are seldom far apart.
For, by God, you have ofttimes heard tell
How a friar was taken to hell
In spirit, once by a vision;
And as an angel led him up and down,
To show him the pains that were there,
In all the place he saw not a friar;
Of other folk he saw enough in woe.
Unto this angel spoke the friar thus:
“Now sir”, said he, “Have friars such a grace
That none of them come to this place?”
“Yes”, said the angel, “many a million!”
And unto Satan the angel led him down.
“And now Satan has”, he said, “a tail,
Broader than a galleon’s sail.
Hold up your tail, Satan!” said he.
“Show forth your arse, and let the friar see
Where the nest of friars is in this place!”
And before half a furlong of space,
Just as bees swarm out from a hive,
Out of the devil’s arse there were driven
Twenty thousand friars on a rout,
And throughout hell swarmed all about,
And came again as fast as they could go,
And every one crept into his arse.
He shut his tail again and lay very still.
Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales
General Prologue, l. 1-12:
Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swych licour
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his halve cours yronne,
And smale foweles maken melodye,
That slepen al the nyght with open ye
(So priketh hem nature in hir corages);
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages.
Chaucer’s works, especially “The Canterbury Tales,” continue to be a major topic of study in English literature courses worldwide. They have been translated into numerous languages, bringing the vivid world of 14th-century England to readers around the globe.
Chaucer’s understanding of human nature, his humor and satirical insight, and his masterful storytelling continue to engage readers. The tales, varied in style and subject, present a microcosm of medieval society, covering a range of social classes, professions, and characters. They offer valuable insights into the social, political, and religious dynamics of the time.
His skill in poetic form and narrative structure, his innovative use of the heroic couplet, and his mastery of character development have influenced countless poets and writers who followed him. Chaucer’s works remain a touchstone for anyone interested in the evolution of the English language and the development of English literature.
Father of English Drama: William Shakespeare
English literature would be complete without mentioning the “Father of English Drama,” William Shakespeare. Born in 1564, Shakespeare’s work transformed English theatre and left an indelible mark on the world literature.
Known for his profound understanding of human nature, Shakespeare wrote 39 plays, including timeless works such as “Romeo and Juliet,” “Hamlet,” “Macbeth,” “Othello,” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” His ability to combine character development, psychological complexity, poetic beauty, and dramatic intensity set him apart as a playwright.
Shakespeare’s plays, written primarily in blank verse, demonstrated the potential of the English language in drama, both in its poetic capacity and its ability to capture the full range of human emotions and experiences. His genius lies not only in his memorable characters and stories but also in his mastery of the language, his innovation in dramatic structure, and his profound insight into the human condition.
Father of English Modern Drama:
Henrik Johan Ibsen or Henrik Ibsen was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. He was born in 20 March 1828 and died 23 May 1906. Henrik Ibsen is famously known as the Father of Modern Drama, and it is worth recognizing how literal an assessment that is.
As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as “the father of realism” and one of the most influential playwrights of his time. His major works include Brand, Peer Gynt, An Enemy of the People, Emperor and Galilean, A Doll’s House, Hedda Gabler, Ghosts, The Wild Duck, When We Dead Awaken, Rosmersholm, and The Master Builder. Ibsen is the most frequently performed dramatist in the world after Shakespeare, and A Doll’s House was the world’s most performed play in 2006.
The Norwegian playwright was not merely one of a wave of new writers to experiment with dramatic form, nor did he make small improvements that were built upon by successors. Rather, Ibsen himself conceived of how the theatre should evolve, and, against great adversity, fulfilled his vision.
“The standing of the theater in the 1850s was at its lowest, in both Europe and the United States,”
supplies Ibsen scholar Brian Johnston.
“In Britain, for example, the last new play of any significance to appear until the arrival of A Doll’s House in London in 1889 was Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s The School for Scandal (1777). During one of the most prolific periods of English-speaking literature, which saw the full flowering of the Romantic movement in poetry and the arts and the rise of the realistic novel as a major literary genre, not a single drama of major significance appeared.
It was the period, in fiction, of Austen, the Brontës, Dickens, George Eliot, Hawthorne, Melville, James, Wharton; in poetry, of Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley, Keats, Tennyson, Browning, Whitman. No other period has been at once so rich in literature and so barren in drama.”
Adding to the obstacles was the fact that Ibsen hailed from Norway, a country with almost no dramatic tradition of its own. Because Denmark had ruled Norway for the previous 500 years, most theatre was performed in Danish, by Danish companies.
Father of the English Novel:
Daniel Defoe:
Daniel Defoe is recognized as the “Father of the English Novel”. Born in 1660, Defoe was a versatile writer, producing works of journalism, political pamphlets, and conduct manuals. However, his most enduring contributions were his novels.
Defoe’s “Robinson Crusoe,” published in 1719, is often considered the first English novel. It tells the story of a man stranded on a desert island, employing realistic detail, psychological insight, and social observation. The prose style of Defoe, simple and straightforward, yet highly expressive and dramatic, set a new trend in English literature. It paved the way for the development of the novel as a dominant literary form in the 18th Century and beyond.
Henry Fielding:
Henry Fielding is considered as “Father of English Novel”. He was an English novelist, irony writer and dramatist known for earthy humour and satire. He was born at Sharpham Park, Glastonbury, Somerset, South West England, UK. He studied at Leyden, and began to write theatrical comedies, becoming author/manager of the Little Theatre in the Haymarket (1736). However, the sharpness of his burlesques led to the Licensing Act (1737), which closed his theatre.
In search of an alternative career, he was called to the bar (1740), but his interests lay in journalism and fiction. On Richardson’s publication of Pamela (1740), he wrote his famous parody, Joseph Andrews (1742). Several other works followed, notably The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling (1749), which established his reputation as a founder of the English novel. As a reward for his government journalism, he was made justice of the peace to Westminster, where he helped to form the Bow Street Runners within the police force.
Fielding married his first wife, Charlotte Craddock, in 1734. She died in 1744. In 1747 he married his wife’s former maid, Mary Daniel. She was pregnant at the time of their marriage. Mary bore five children, three of whom died young.
Fielding’s ardent commitment to the cause of justice as a great humanitarian in the 1750s (for instance, his support of Elizabeth Canning) coincided with a rapid deterioration in his health. This continued to such an extent that he went abroad to Portugal in 1754 in search of a cure. Gout, asthma and other afflictions made him use crutches. He died in Lisbon two months later. His tomb is located inside the city’s English Cemetery (Cemitério Inglês).
Father of English Prose:
There is a lot of debate on this issue.
Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626):
The “Father of English Prose” is a title bestowed upon the English author and statesman Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626). Bacon was a pioneer of the English language and a significant figure in the development of English prose. He was also a philosopher, scientist, lawyer, and statesman, who served as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England.
Bacon is best known for his philosophical works, including “Novum Organum” and “The Advancement of Learning,” in which he laid the groundwork for the scientific method and argued for the importance of empirical observation and experimentation. He believed that knowledge should be based on observation and experimentation rather than on mere speculation or tradition.
Bacon’s writing style was characterized by clarity, concision, and a focus on the practical rather than the abstract. He rejected the ornate and convoluted style that was common in his time, and instead wrote in a plain and direct manner that was accessible to a wide audience. This approach to writing had a profound influence on the development of English prose and helped establish it as a powerful medium of communication.
Bacon’s impact on the English language extended beyond his own writing. He was a driving force behind the translation of the King James Bible, which is considered a masterpiece of English prose. He also played a significant role in the development of the English essay, a form of writing that was popularized by his friend and contemporary, the writer and philosopher Michel de Montaigne.
In recognition of his contributions to English prose and his impact on the language, Bacon has been widely regarded as the “Father of English Prose.” His influence can be seen in the work of countless writers who followed in his footsteps, from John Locke to Thomas Jefferson to Charles Darwin.
In conclusion, Sir Francis Bacon’s contributions to English prose and language cannot be overstated. His focus on clarity, directness, and practicality revolutionized English writing, and helped establish it as a powerful and influential medium of communication. His works continue to be studied and appreciated today, and his legacy as the “Father of English Prose” remains secure.
John de Mandeville:
Some people say John de Mandeville “has been called the “Father of English Prose.
William Tyndale may be regarded as the father of English prose as a whole, but when only Anglo-Saxon period is considered, there is no such conclusive answer. Some consider Alfred the Great to be the father of English prose. Following is an excerpt from the Wikipedia article “Old English Literature”:
The most widely known secular author of Old English was King Alfred the Great (849–899), who translated several books, many of them religious, from Latin into Old English. Alfred, wanting to restore English culture, lamented the poor state of Latin education:
So general was [educational] decay in England that there were very few on this side of the Humber who could…translate a letter from Latin into English; and I believe there were not many beyond the Humber
— Pastoral Care, introduction
Alfred proposed that students be educated in Old English, and those who excelled should go on to learn Latin.