Movements in American Literature AP Lang & Comp

Puritan/ Colonial 1650 – 1750 Earliest settlement literature Reflects religious emphasis of the break from England Theocracy

Reason & Revolution 1750 – 1800 Heavy political emphasis Highly reactive to the “blind faith” of the prior period Emphasis on logic and independence Shift to democratic ideal

American Romanticism 1800 – 1860 A shift to writing for creative expression, imagination, and entertainment Birth of the American short story and first American novel “Distinctly American” fiction and poetry

The American Renaissance 1840 – 1860 Also known as the “Flowering of New England” Notable overlap with the Romantics Encompassing three concurrent movements: – Transcendental – Anti-Transcendental – Fireside Poetry A focus on the “possibilities” of human nature

War & Reconciliation 1855 – 1865 Social unrest, conflict, and uncertainty reflected in the writing Return to a “truer” focus in literature, real life and times Emphasis on Americana / national identity (collective and individual)

Realism/Regionalism/Naturalism 1865 – 1915 A focus on the everyday influence of places, events, rural vs. urban life Each movement had a distinction, but literature and authors often fell into multiple movements Influence of industrialization & migrant workforce

Modernism 1915 – 1946 Emphasis on pursuit of the American Dream Literature is highly reflective of major societal influences Stylistically experimental Progress in prose, fiction, drama, and poetry

Harlem Renaissance 1920s & 1930s Sub-movement of Modernist period Emergence of urban African-American voice Range of cultural experience in arts

Post-Modernism 1946 – 1985 Emergence of technological and scientific themes Highly unorthodox in stylistic elements Influence of mass media