English poetry originated at the turn of the 12th-13th centuries; it is inextricably linked with the names of such creators of literary art as Jeffrey Chaucer, Robert Burns, John Keats and, of course, William Shakespeare. The first work of such a literary genre in England is rightfully considered the poem "Beowulf", named after its main character - a brave young man who defended his country from the devastating raids of the dragon. The poem was written at the beginning of the 13th century and is a perfectly preserved example of ancient Anglo-Saxon literature. More than 10% of the text (the size of which, by the way, is 3,182 lines) is written 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 higher educational institutions they study only a short course of English poetry. Russian schoolchildren know very well who William Shakespeare is, but they hardly know the names of Joseph Addison, Matthew Arnold, Robert Browning.
The founder of English literature is generally considered the author of the Canterbury Tales, Jeffrey Chaucer, who lived in the 14th century. His main work, written in Middle English, remained incomplete. The Canterbury Tales is a collection of short stories written in poetic and prosaic form (22 in total). All the narrative is conducted on behalf of the pilgrims going to Canterbury to worship the relics of the martyr Thomas Becket (in Russian translations the saint usually appears as Thomas of Canterbury).
Medieval authors are recognizable by the style of presentation of their works around the world. So, the syllable of the famous Shakespeare cannot 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, remain relevant today. According to Shakespeare's poems, a huge number of performances were staged and many films were shot in many countries, which testifies to the author's recognition around the world.
Many Russian readers know the name of George Byron. This English romantic poet became famous under the name of Lord Byron. Byron's works are known to Russians thanks to their numerous translations by poets of the Silver Age. The most famous literary masterpieces of Lord Byron are considered “Corsair”, “Cain”, “Lara”.
Many english poets 16-19 centuries wrote their works in the vein of romanticism. For example, John Keats, who passed away in 1821, brought a considerable amount of romantic innovations to the country's poetry. His works are filled with an elegant literary description of all the joys of life, the beauty of the world. The most famous works of Keats are "Ode to a Greek vase" and "Endemion".
Among the creators of literary art, a special place is occupied by English poets - women: Elizabeth Browning, Gene Engelow, Sarah Coleridge, Emily Bronte. The latter, by the way, is best known to the Russian admirer of foreign poetic art as the author of Wuthering Heights and many works written in poetic form.
Authors of the 19-20 centuries depart from the romantic style, their works are mainly written in the spirit of naturalism. In our country, the most famous English poets of the 20th century are Harry Graham, author of Poetic Economy, Keith Wright, author of Sergeant Smith Parrot 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 citizens of their country and foreigners.