* Oral tradition was still dominant. The Black Death killed a huge portion of the population, leading to social and economic upheaval. This upheaval disrupted the existing social order, and as a result, literacy rates plummeted.
* Medieval literature was primarily focused on religious themes. While the plague may have inspired some religious texts, it didn't drastically change the dominant themes in medieval literature.
* The surviving written works were often lost or destroyed. Many manuscripts and records perished due to the plague and subsequent social unrest.
Therefore, it's difficult to identify specific famous pieces of British literature directly influenced by the Black Death. However, there are some works that were written around that period that might have been indirectly impacted by the plague's aftermath:
* "The Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1387-1400): While not written during the plague itself, the social upheaval and death toll following the plague might have influenced Chaucer's portrayal of a diverse cross-section of society in his tales.
* "Piers Plowman" by William Langland (c. 1360-1387): This allegorical poem, written during the Black Death, uses the plague as a backdrop to discuss social injustice and the need for moral reform. It reflects the anxieties and uncertainties of the time.
* "Everyman" (c. 15th century): This morality play, while not directly about the plague, reflects the pervasive theme of death and mortality that would have been heightened during the plague years.
While there aren't many famous pieces of British literature directly about the Black Death, its indirect impact on the social and economic fabric of England, and the religious and moral concerns it sparked, can be seen in some of the works mentioned above.
It's important to remember that many writings from this period have been lost, and the Black Death undoubtedly shaped the literary landscape in ways we might never fully understand.