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There was very little English literature in this time and this is due to several reasons. First, all books were hand written and were religious in nature. They were done in themonasteries and the church ruled what could be written. Second, the printing press wasn't invented, so there were no mass books for a general population. Paper and ink were very expensive. Third, people didn't know how to read or write. The stories they knew were oral either by bards or told in the churches as parables and bible stories. The stain glass windows also served the purpose of telling The Bible stories and so did passion plays. It wasn't until the Renaissance that literature grew and books could be used by the common man.

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Q: Describe the trends in English literature during the Middle Ages Were they reflective of life at the time?
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