左金梅等编著的这本《新编英国文学》是英文版英国文学史教材，按时间顺序介绍了中世纪、伊丽莎白时代、17世纪、新古典主义时代、前浪漫主义时期、浪漫主义时代、维多利亚时代、现代主义时代及后现代主义时期英国文学发展的概况，重点介绍并分析了各个时期的代表作家及重要作品。

本书内容新颖，条理层次分明，重点突出，便于读者在较短的时间内掌握有关的知识。较好地兼顾了思想性、艺术性、学术性、可读性和实用性。

Chapter 1 Old Enslish Literature

 Ⅰ.Historical Background

 Ⅱ.The Development of the English Language

 Ⅲ.Literary Features

 Ⅳ.Representative Writers and Works

 Ⅴ.Beowulf and the Heroic Epic Tradition

Chapter 2 Middle Engilsh Literature(1066-1510)

 Ⅰ.Historical Background

 Ⅱ.Literary Features

 Ⅲ.Roruance and Sir Gawain

 Ⅳ.Popular Ballad

 Ⅴ.Medieval Drama

 Ⅵ.William Langland and Piers Plowman

 Ⅶ.Geoffrey Chaucer

 Ⅷ.Reading

Chapter 3 Literature of Renaissance and Reformation(1510-1620)

 Ⅰ.Historical Background

 Ⅱ.Literary Features

 Ⅲ.Renaissance Poetry

 Ⅳ.Renaissance Prose

 Ⅴ.Renaissance Drama

 Ⅵ.William Shakespeare

 Ⅶ.Reading

Chapter 4 Literature of Revolution and Restoration(1620-90)

 Ⅰ.Historical Background and Literary Features

 Ⅱ.Seventeenth-Century Prose

 Ⅲ.Seventeenth-Century Drama

 Ⅳ.Seventeenth-Century Poetry

 Ⅴ.John Milton

 Ⅵ.Reading

Chapter 5 The Eighteenth Century Literature(1690-1780)

 Ⅰ.Historical Background

 Ⅱ.Literary Features

 Ⅲ.Eighteenth-Century Poetry

 Ⅳ.Eighteenth-Century Prose

 Ⅴ.Eighteenth-Century Novel

 Ⅵ.Eighteenth-Century Drama

 Ⅶ.Reading

Chpater 6 The Literature of the Romantic Period(1780-1831)

 Ⅰ.Historical Background

 Ⅱ.Literary Features

 Ⅲ.Romantic Poetry

 Ⅳ.Romantic Essayists

 Ⅴ.The Novel in the Romantic Period

 Ⅵ.Reading

Chapter 7 Victorian Literature (1832-1900)

 Ⅰ.Historical Background

 Ⅱ.Literary Features

 Ⅲ.Victorian Novel

 Ⅳ.Victorian Poetry

 Ⅴ.Victorian Critics and Historians

 Ⅵ.Victorian Drama

 Ⅶ.Reading

Chapter 8 The Twentieth Century Literature (1900-45)

 Ⅰ.Historical Background

 Ⅱ.Literary Features

 Ⅲ.Modem Poetry to 1945

 Ⅳ.Modem Drama to 1945

 Ⅴ.Modem Novels to 1945

 Ⅵ.Reading

Chapter 9 Engiish Literature Since 1945

 Ⅰ.Historical Background

 Ⅱ.Literary Features

 Ⅲ.Drama Since 1945

 Ⅳ.Novel Since 1945

 Ⅴ.Poetry Since 1945

 Ⅵ.Reading

Selected Bibliography