The Age of Reason or the Revolutionary Period in American Literature… (The late 1700s)

Puritans vs. the Revolutionary Period By the end of the 1700s, the Puritan influence on America began to wane Spurred by the work of many seventeenth-century thinkers—scientists such as Galileo and Newton, philosophers like Voltaire and Rousseau, and political theorist John Locke—the writers and thinkers of the Enlightenment valued reason over faith.

Puritans vs. the Revolutionary Period Unlike the Puritans, they had little interest in the hereafter, believing instead in the power of reason and science to further human progress. They believed that people are by nature good, not evil In contrast to the private soul-searching of the Puritans of New England, much of what was produced during the Revolutionary period was public writing.

How do events of a given time influence what is written? To answer this question, you should know that the most important pieces of literature during the AGE OF REASON, were political documents, speeches, and pamphlets (short, concise works that usually argue for or against a political cause.) Non-fiction (such as the forms mentioned above) was far more influential than fiction. Can you name any works that fit this description? List as many as you can.

List of political documents that we think might be a part of the Age Of Reason (Revolutionary Period) The Declaration of Independence (political document) Thomas Paine’s The Crisis (pamphlet) Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Phillis Wheatley “To His Excellency, General Washington” (poem)

The Age of Reason as a Literary Period Age of Reason: a movement that was marked by an emphasis on rationality rather than tradition, scientific inquiry instead of unquestioning religious dogma, and representative government in place of monarchy. Important writers: Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine, Patrick Henry, and any other of the so-called “Founding Fathers.”

Thomas Paine “Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must undergo the fatigue of supporting it.” Thomas Paine was a renowned pro-America writer and author of some of the most persuasive texts of the American Revolution He used “plain -style” language in an attempt to engage people of all classes in the struggle for American independence and for a rejection of government based on hereditary monarchy His bold and simple argument rallied a scattered citizenry to the cause of freedom and exerted considerable influence on the new nation’s emerging political philosophy Paine wrote the first of the American Crisis letter pamphlets after witnessing the loss of New York and joining the retreat to Newark…a text that George Washington ordered read to all the troops. Pamphlets helped to bolster the sagging spirits of the ill-fitted troops and firm the resolve of an occasionally diffident population

Benjamin Franklin ( ) “A life of leisure and a life of laziness are two things. There will be sleeping enough in the grave. “ Aphorism: A Penny Saved is a Penny earned Franklin wrote the first section of The Autobiography in 1771 at the age of 65. At the urging of friends, he wrote three more sections—the last shortly before his death. Though never completed, his Autobiography, filled with his opinions and suggestions, provides not only a record of his achievements but also an understanding of his character. Considered to be the “father of his country”

“A life of leisure and a life of laziness are two things. There will be sleeping enough in the grave. “ Born in Barbados, she was brought to the Americas as a slave. She was educated by the Wheatleys and began writing poetry as the age of twelve. In 1773 she published her first book of poetry called Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. She was the first African-American and first slave to ever to published. She was ultimately freed, but struggled against poverty the rest of her life. Phillis Wheatley 1753 – 17 84

Words Allusion – a reference to a statement, a person, a character, a place, or event from literature, history, art, religion, mythology, politics, sports, science, or culture Analogy -- a point-by-point comparison between two things for the purpose of clarifying the less familiar or the two Claim – in an argument, a claim is the writer’s position on an issue or problem Evidence – a specific piece of information that supports a claim Imagery – use of descriptive language to re-create word pictures/images to help evoke an emotional response that appeals to the five senses Theme – the central message of a story, poem, novel, or play that readers can apply to life Mood – the emotional quality (or the feeling it evokes) or atmosphere of a story Speaker – the voice that communicates with the reader of a poem, similar to the narrator in a work of prose Tone – a reflection of the writer’s or narrator/speaker’s attitude toward the subject or the audience Primary source – materials written or created by people who were present at events