The medieval church saw the formation of the major monastic orders (teacheroz.com).
Literature was being produced in England in three languages during the Middle Ages: Latin, French, and English. Whatever was written in England, expressing English thought and reflecting English social and intellectual conditions can rightly be considered a part of the national literature. (http://faculty.acu.edu). Literature, which was also important in the Middle Ages, had many characteristics. Listed below are a few of them.
1. Derivative--influenced particularly by French literature. .
2. Class consciousness-some written for aristocrats, some for the "lewd" (unlearned). .
3. Presence of women in the audience gives it a courtly tone. Poetry moves from the mead hall to the castle. .
4. It shows the all-important position of the church in medieval life. People were vitally concerned with the salvation of their souls. Religious literature was more mainstream than today. .
5. Didacticism--almost everything written had a moral purpose. .
6. Oral--meant to be heard rather than read. Verse was the normal medium. .
7. Impersonal--Most was anonymous; the main interest was in the poem rather than the poet; there was no publisher to publicize the author. Reproduction by hand gave literature a communal character. Finally, the attitude toward originality was much more relaxed than ours. Story material was common property, with originality demonstrated in the use made of old, authoritative sources. (http://faculty.acu.edu).
While these were the most important ones, other characteristics may have also come into the literature of the medieval age. Some of the characteristics of the Middle Ages were introduced when a new leader took control. The Middle Ages had many important leaders but the most influential and well loved of them was Charles the Great also called Charlemagne. Charlemagne reigned for 46-years, from 768 to 814. He was considered among the greatest leaders of the Middle Ages.
