History of literature

The study and account of literary works, forms, and traditions as they develop across time and cultures. It traces how writing is shaped by historical conditions and how literary traditions influence one another.

Literary canon: A body of works regarded as especially significant within a literary tradition. Canon formation determines which works become central to accounts of literary history.
Printing press: A machine or system for producing multiple copies of texts through printing. Printing altered the scale, speed, and social reach of literary circulation.
Epic of Gilgamesh: An ancient Mesopotamian epic poem preserved in several versions, including Akkadian cuneiform tablets. It is among the earliest surviving works of extended literature.
Nationalism: A political principle that identifies a people with a nation and supports its self-determination. National movements have shaped national literary canons and histories.
Canon formation: The historical process through which certain works become recognized as authoritative or exemplary. It raises questions about who selects the works that histories preserve and teach.
Periodization: The division of history into named periods based on perceived changes or continuities. Literary histories use periods to make long developments legible, though boundaries remain contested.
Translation: The expression of a text's meaning in another language. Translation carries works across linguistic boundaries and reshapes their reception.
Homer: The ancient Greek poet traditionally credited with composing the Iliad and the Odyssey. The Homeric epics became enduring models for Greek and later European literary traditions.
Postcolonial literature: Literature engaging with the legacies and structures of colonialism and its aftermath. It revises histories that marginalized colonized writers and cultures.
Decolonization: The dismantling of colonial rule and its continuing political, cultural, and intellectual effects. Decolonizing literary history challenges inherited hierarchies of languages and traditions.

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