EVOLUTION OF LITERATURE

English literature, in the etymological sense of the word, had, so far as we know, no existence until Christian times. There is no evidence either that the heathen English had adopted the Roman alphabet, or that they had learned to employ their native monumental script (the runes) on materials suitable for the writing of continuous compositions of considerable length. It is, however, certain that in the pre-literary period at least one species of poetic art …

…way, being more formal. They were though still less formal than the Augustans but more formal than the Romantics. The Victorians focused on class and society, using allusions and symbols in their work. Putting in main themes of realism and social criticisms. Literature is looking to find the balance between formalism and abstractness, a balance between realism and fantasy, humanism and totalitarianism. A balance is always needed in the universe and sometimes even in literature.