Puritan Style Simple, Straightforward. Purpose for Literature : provide spiritual instruction –Mostly sermons, letters Puritanism ~ Where we’ve been…

1700S The Colonial Period/Revolutionary Period

Emphasized reason and logic The Founding Fathers: Revolutionary Period

A Nation is Born (unit 2) Age of Reason/Enlightenment Valued ________ over ______________ Valued ________ over ______________ Reason & Science ________________________ Reason & Science ________________________ Literature of the time period Political Documents Political Documents

American Romanticism The 1800s- 19 th century

A Growing Nation (unit 3) Rapid expansion of population Rapid expansion of population Agricultural advancement Agricultural advancement Industrial advancement Industrial advancement Technological advancements Technological advancements

Problems Facing the Nation North vs. South North vs. South Economic security/superiority Economic security/superiority Slavery expansion Slavery expansion Political leadership Political leadership

American Romanticism Roots in Europe Roots in Europe In the U.S., it ran from In the U.S., it ran from relationships to others and to God. relationships to others and to God.

Romance: Less formal version of epic Romance: Less formal version of epic Noble character on a series of adventures Noble character on a series of adventures Pastoral setting Pastoral setting Love interest and the idealization of women Love interest and the idealization of women

Characteristics of American Literary Romanticism 1. INDIVIDUALISM Popularized by the frontier tradition Popularized by the frontier tradition Abolitionism Abolitionism

Rejection of the Puritan belief in total depravity:  People were naturally benevolent  Mind was a tabula rosa at birth  Corrupted by institutions that sought to dehumanize individuals sought to dehumanize individuals  People worth highlighting are those closest to Nature closest to Nature  “Noble savage”

2. IMAGINATION Reaction against the earlier age’s emphasis on Reason Reaction against the earlier age’s emphasis on Reason

3. EMOTION Feeling is now considered superior Intuition leads one to truth Truth/reality are now highly subjective

4. NATURE The means of knowing Truth God reveals himself solely through Nature Nature becomes a moral teacher Eden-like and untouched by Adam’s fall A A retreat for men

5. DISTANT SETTINGS Both in terms of time and place Both in terms of time and place Used to comment on attitudes of the time period Used to comment on attitudes of the time period

Part of the American Romantic Movement Believed that: Truth could not be perceived with the five senses Human soul is part of the Oversoul or universal spirit, which it returns to at a person’s death Held nature in as an object of worship

TRANSCENDENTAL OPTIMISTS RALPH WALDO EMERSON FFFFamous for poetry, Nature and “Self- Reliance” SSSSpokesman for transcendentalism who was very optimistic about humans’ benevolent nature SSSSpent much of his life in Concord, Mass LLLLectured and made the rounds as a proponent of transcendentalism

TRANSCENDENTAL OPTIMISTS HENRY DAVID THOREAU Probably best known for Civil Disobedience and Nature Practiced his own preaching Influenced future leaders

Walden Walden I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear, nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life..." I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear, nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life..."

Anti - Transcendentalism Hawthorne and Melville Evil Abounds Not Optimistic

American Authors

1.WASHINGTON IRVING ( ) Not so much fiction as “sketches” Not so much fiction as “sketches” Distinctly American settings and characters Distinctly American settings and characters The History of New York The History of New York Narrator: Diedrich Knickerbocker Narrator: Diedrich Knickerbocker “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” THE KNICKERBOCKERS

EDGAR ALLAN POE ( ) In his short stories and poetry applied universal standards of literary criticism. Developed the American short story; brevity concept. GOTHIC ROMANTICISM GOTHIC ROMANTICISM

2. JAMES FENIMORE COOPER ( ) First successful American author Grew up in Cooperstown, NY Wrote 32 novels, including The Last of the Mohicans and The Leatherstocking Tales

NEW ENGLAND SCHOOL 1.Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 2.Oliver Wendell Holmes 3.John Greenleaf Whittier 4.James Russell Lowell