Studied by 0 people
Looks like no one added any tags here yet for you.
early native american literature
nothing written; purely oral
very diverse but often had common theme of nature
songs or poems often repetitive (chant-like) and often feature vivid imagery + symbolism
william bradford (1590-1657)
leader among puritans
wrote history of the colony, Of Plymouth Plantation
anne bradstreet (1612-1672)
married to governor of massachusetts bay colony
considered 1st american poet
“to my dear and loving husband”
*used inversion*
jonathan edwards (1703-1758)
leader of the first great awakening (1730s attempt to draw believers back to the church through emotion)
nature as a source of revelation
views prominent in formation of religious philosophy and protestant concepts
“sinner’s in the hand of an angry God” known for vivid images of hell to scare listeners
revolutionary literature
philosophy originated from enlightenment ideas
chief rhetorical skill was oratory (fervent speeches or argumentative pamphlets)
effected by thoughts of european philosophers and french revolution ideals
phillis wheatley (1753-1784)
brought to america as a slave
well known throughout colonies for her writing
“on being brought from africa to america)
criticized for her seemingly pro-slavery stance, praising the system that enslaved her
thomas paine (1753-1784)
wrote and published Common Sense (cogent argument for independence)
served in continental army
The American Crisis (so powerful it supposedly saved the revolution)
olaudah equiano (1745-1792)
captured and sold into slavery at 11
bought his freedom and moved to england
worked as an assistant to a scientist and published his autobiography
romanticism
increased focus on the individual inspired by the age of reason/enlightenment
emphasis on the common man
experiments in art and forms of expression; embrace imagination
NATURE seen as embodiment of God; folklore becomes important; escape from city life
romantic hero
young or child-like
loves nature
identifies with common man
seeks higher truth
distrusts city life
uneasy around women
Natty Bumppo is prime example in James Fennimore Cooper’s The Leatherstocking Tales
washington irving (1783-1859)
“father of american literature”
first to make his living through writing and first to be recognized in england
folklore tradition
“legend of sleepy hollow” and “rip van winkle”
fireside poets
immense popularity
poems families would read around the fire
school children often memorized their works
active abolitionists
william cullen bryant (1794-1878)
poet and journalist
first “literary celebrity”
began publishing poems at 14 and composed most famous work “thanatopsis” at 17
founder of the republican party
henry wadsworth longfellow (1807-1882)
“paul revere’s ride” and “psalm of life”
1st to translate Dante’s Divine Comedy and 1st to be honored with bust in Westminster Abbey
john greenleaf whittier (1807-1892)
“snowbound”
poet and politician
james russell lowell (1819-1891)
“a fable for critics” (criticized other writers and himself)
oliver wendell holmes (1809-1894)
“old ironsides”
“the chambered nautilus”
doctor, lawyer, poet
transcendentalism
every individual can reach ultimate truth through spiritual intuition (higher than reason/sensory experience)
God is present in every aspect of nature (including man)
everyone is capable of apprehending God through intuition
nature is symbolic of spirit
strong emphasis on individualism over conformity (intuition and spontaneous feelings superior)
ralph waldo emerson (1803-1882)
mentor, spokesperson, and chief personality of transcendentalism
philosopher, essayist, poet
Nature (1836), Self-Reliance, The Over-Soul.
Founded The Dial magazine; advocated for abolition, women's rights, and equality for African-Americans.
Emphasized individualism and unity through the "Over-Soul" connecting humanity, God, and nature.
Influenced by Eastern philosophy (Brahma); critiqued for being out of touch with oppressed communities.
henry david thoreau
Writer, philosopher, naturalist, early ecologist.
Walden: Or Life in the Woods, Civil Disobedience.
Advocated simplicity, individual rights, and civil disobedience against unjust laws.
Supported John Brown, the Underground Railroad, and opposed the Mexican-American War.
Inspired Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; viewed as a pioneer in environmentalism.
Lived over two years at Walden Pond; jailed for refusing to pay taxes to a pro-slavery government.
Once seen as Emerson's pupil or an idealist; now recognized as an influential thinker and writer.
margaret fuller (1810-1850)
close with important thinkers, especially Emerson because of their connection in editing The Dial
editor and writer for The New York Tribune
author of feminist publication, Woman in the Nineteenth Century
died in a shipwreck and lost her last manuscript
bronson alcott (1799-1888)
established fruitlands, a vegetarian utopian community that failed
highly respected lecturer and noted conversationalist
influence on emerson’s philosophy and lived thoreau’s ideas of civil disobedience
brook farm
utopian community that lasted 7 years
known for its high quality school
closed the school and devoted themselves to a socialistic approach, investing all money into communal living
building burned down shortly after and it did not thrive after that
oenida
religious utopian community noted for the practice of “complex marriages” where every man was husband to every woman
believed the second coming had already occurred
thrived for 30 years on sales of steel trays
new harmony
community for science and natural philosophy
self-proclaimed “brightest and most promising” scientists in the nation
fell apart because of financial disputes
established a western center of scientific discovery
shaker communities
communal ownership of goods, celibacy, and strict separation of the sexes in work and home
known for their simple furniture
nathaniel hawthorne (1804-1864)
Novelist, short story writer, known for exploring human nature and morality.
The Scarlet Letter, Twice-Told Tales.
Known for ornate descriptions, formal dialogue, allegory, and symbolism.
Less optimistic than his Romantic and Transcendentalist contemporaries, with a psychological focus on inner struggles.
Friend of Herman Melville, who dedicated Moby-Dick to him; influenced Melville's approach to writing.
Born in Salem, MA, and descended from a judge in the Salem witch trials
theodore parker (1810-1860)
transcendentalist, unitarian minister, and reformer
“minister to the transcendentalists”
supporter of john brown
inspired abe lincoln and others
julia ward howe (1819-1910)
poet, abolitionist, and transcendentalist
worked to improve hygienic conditions for civil war soldiers
“The battle hymn of the republic”
edgar allan poe (1809-1849)
better known as critic than author in his lifetime
art for art’s sake
poetry and short stories like “the raven” and stories of auguste dupin
herman melville (1819-1891)
spent years on ships and whaling vessels
wanted to write something more serious (maybe inspired by hawthorne) and wrote moby dick about his experiences
only became famous long after his death
frederick douglass (1818-1895)
born into slavery and worked as a laborer
escaped to Massachusetts and became a vocal abolitionist
advisor to Lincoln during the civil war
abolitionist paper The North Star
published autobiography
sojourner truth (1797-1883)
abolitionist and women’s rights activist
delivered speech “Ain’t I a Woman?”
controversial views on equal rights for slaves and women
slant rhyme
words that almost rhyme
sight rhyme
words that look like they should rhyme but don’t
rhetorical question
question asked to produce an effect on the reader, not seeking a reply
popular technique of poets and speech writers
parallel structure
repetition of a grammatical form
ex: “to be or not to be” “i think therefore i am”
caesura
pause in the middle of a line of poetry
onomatopoeia
word sounds like its meaning
enjambment
continuation from one line of poetry directly into the next
alliteration
repetition of sound
hyperbole
significant exaggeration
sonnet
fourteen line poem with a specific rhyme scheme and often written in iambic pentameter
english sonnet
ABAB CDCD EFEF GG
italian sonnet
ABBA ABBA CDE CDE
