ENG 272 LogoBritish Literature II: Revolution, Reaction, Reform examines British literature from the late eighteenth century to the present, a period that witnessed the American and French Revolutions, slave revolts such as the Haitian Revolution, a “revolution in female manners,” the Industrial Revolution, the twentieth-century revolutionary wave in Europe, as well as World War I and World War II, and, of course, artistic revolutions. We will consider how the authors and literary works of this period might be reacting to change, advocating for reform, or participating in literary revolutions—whether revolution is understood in the sense of “revolving” or of “revolting,” going full circle to return to a previous (more perfect?) time or experiencing/effecting a great alteration or rupture.

Access the works for annotations assignments in COVE Studio here: ENG 272, Fall 2025

The digital edition of Frankenstein for annotations and the map project can be found here: Mary Shelley, Frankenstein (1818)

Timelines, Galleries, and Maps


"The Importance of Being Earnest" Premieres | Timeline Entry

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Abolition of the Slave Trade Act | Timeline Entry

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The Great Exhibition | Timeline Entry

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The Industrial Revolution | Timeline Entry

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The Napoleonic Wars Threaten Britain | Timeline Entry

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Wordsworth's Grave (Hine) | Gallery Image

By the time the quintessential Romantic poet William Wordsworth (1770-1850) died, he was England's Poet Laureate, and he was revered by people of Victorian England. This wood engraving of Wordsworth's grave illustrated an 1860 article titled "A Group of Graves" in Once a Week magazine (vol. 3, p. 273). This image is in the Public Domain.

In the article, author… more

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St. Oswald's Church, Grasmere | Place

St. Oswald's Church is the parish church of Grasmere, Rydal, and Langdale in the Lake District, Cumbria, England. The Romantic-era poet William Wordsworth and his family worshiped here, and Wordsworth, his wife Mary, his sister Dorothy, some of their children and other family members are buried or memorialized in the church graveyard. A memorial stone to William Wordsworth as Poet Laureate,…

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Illegal Organ Trade | Timeline Entry

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Doing “What Feels Good” | Timeline Entry

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Industrialization of Printing Press | Timeline Entry

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