Literature in Britain and Ireland is a survey of literature on the British Isles since the time
of the Anglo-Saxons. Despite this wide angle the linguistic regional and ethnic
differentiations in each particular period are being emphasised. Because of its combination
of traditional and innovative components of English Studies this history of literature is
useful as a study book accompanying courses as well as an incentive for discoveries while
reading. The chapters are systematically structured to allow profiles along the history of
genres. In addition to poetry drama short stories and the novel different forms of
non-fictional prose are being highlighted too. Innovative tendencies in teaching English
literature are taken into account beyond the consideration of popular and contemporary
literature.
