Characteristics of American Literature By the Time Periods

Pre 1800’s: Native Americans Oral traditions/myths

Pre 1800’s: Puritans Bible was model for Puritan writing; each individual life was journey to salvation. Saw direct connections b/t Biblical events and their own lives. Writing explored inner and outer lives for signs of God’s work. Diaries and histories were most common forms; emphasized the workings of God. Plain style, stressed clarity of expression and avoided complicated figures of speech.

Pre-1800’s: Rationalism Arrive at truth using reason rather than authority of past, religion, or intuitive (non-rational) means God created universe but doesn’t interfere with its workings. World operates according to God’s rules and through use of reason, we can discover those rules. Ppl are basically good and perfectible. Since God wants ppl to be happy, they worship God best by helping other ppl. Human history is marked by progress toward a more perfect existence.

Romanticism Values feeling and intuition over reason/ rationalism. Places faith in inner experience and the power of the imagination. Shuns the artificiality of civilization and seeks unspoiled nature. Prefers youthful innocence to educated sophistication. Champions individual freedom and the worth of the individual

Romanticism cont. Contemplates nature’s beauty as a path to spiritual and moral development. Looks backward to the wisdom of the past and distrusts progress. Finds beauty and truth in exotic locales, the supernatural realm, and the inner world of the imagination. American Romanticists saw westward expansion and frontier life as their greatest inspiration See poetry as the highest expression of the imagination. Find inspiration in myth, legend, and folk culture

American Romantic Hero Start to see divergence from European topics as America expands westward and breaks with European traditions. Is young or possesses youthful qualities Is innocent and pure of purpose Has a sense of honor based not on society’s demands but on some higher principal. Has knowledge of ppl and life based on deep, intuitive understanding, not on formal learning. Loves nature and avoids town life Quests for some higher truth in the natural world.

Romanticism: Fireside Poets Relied on European traditions such as English themes, obvious symbols, meter and imagery. Poems were often read aloud by the fire and were immensely popular Subject matter: love, patriotism, nature, family, God, religion Although European in style, often introduced American themes: folk themes, abolitionists issues, American landscape descriptions, American Indian culture, celebrations of American ppl, places, events.

Transcendentalism First uniquely American literature Everything in the world, including human beings, is a reflection of the divine soul. Physical facts of the natural world are a doorway to the spiritual or ideal world. Seek the Divine --Ppl can use their intuition to behold God’s spirit revealed in nature or in their own souls. Self-reliance and individualism must outweigh external authority and blind conformity to custom and tradition. Spontaneous feelings and intuition are superior to deliberate intellectualism and rationality.

Gothic Disagreed with positive view of human nature of Transcendentalists Still valued intuition over logic and reason (like transcendentalists) Still saw signs and symbols in the human spirit (like transcendentalists) Focused on dark side of human nature and explored the subconscious mind: sin guilt, madness, evil, pain, failure of traditional religion Used wild, haunted landscapes