English literature is a huge literature and it is consisted of two Litereatures, which are the British and the American literature.
Of course the British Literature began before the American literature. Each Literature has its great writers and each literature is known by its own period..

I am sure you will study step by step the most important thing about both British and American Literature. However, there is something important in literature whish you have to read carefully about each writer and know his or her great works. besdies, searching in the net will help you a lot to know how some of their great works are discussed and analysed in some web sites. This will help you a lot in learning how to analysis any work in future inshallah

If you have any more comments i am ready to help you. Wish you all luck inshallah