Early American Literature Midterm Section I

Transcendentalism

Transcendentalism is a movement that emphasizes individual intuition, self-reliance, nature, and independence from social expectations. In early American literature, Ralph Waldo Emerson's “Self-Reliance” shows this idea by arguing that people should trust their own judgment instead of conforming to society.

Civil Disobedience

Civil disobedience is the refusal to obey a law or government action because a person believes it is unjust. In Henry David Thoreau's “Resistance to Civil Government,” Thoreau argues that individual conscience should take priority over blindly obeying an unjust government.

Creation Story

A creation story explains how the world, people, animals, or parts of nature came into existence and often expresses a culture's beliefs and values. In the Cherokee origin story “How the World Was Made,” the creation of the world through animals and natural forces shows the close relationship between people, animals, and nature.

City on a Hill

A city on a hill is a community that is highly visible and expected to serve as an example for others. In John Winthrop's “A Model of Christian Charity,” Winthrop tells the Puritans that the world will be watching their new community, so their success or failure will reflect on their religious mission.

A Preface

A preface is introductory material placed before a text to explain the work, prepare readers, or establish the author's credibility. In the prefatory material to Phillis Wheatley's Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, statements verifying Wheatley's authorship show the racial prejudice she faced as an enslaved Black woman and writer.

Poetic Identity

Poetic identity is the role or identity a poet creates for themselves through their writing. In Anne Bradstreet's “The Prologue,” Bradstreet presents herself as a woman poet while responding to the belief that women were less capable writers than men.

A Religious Community

A religious community is a group whose shared religious beliefs shape its members' values, behavior, and responsibilities. In John Woolman's A Journal of the Life and Travels of John Woolman, in the Service of the Gospel, Woolman's Quaker beliefs and community influence his conscience and his growing opposition to slavery.

A Covenant

A covenant is a binding agreement that creates responsibilities between two parties, especially between people and God. In John Winthrop's “A Model of Christian Charity,” the Puritans believe they have entered into a covenant with God and that breaking it could bring punishment on the whole community.

A Trickster

A trickster is a clever and disruptive character who breaks rules or ignores warnings, often teaching a lesson through the problems that follow. In the Winnebago oral tradition's The Winnebago Trickster Cycle, “The Trickster and the Talking Bulb,” Trickster ignores a warning and creates trouble for himself, showing the consequences of foolish or rule-breaking behavior.

A Book Metaphor

A book metaphor treats something such as nature or the world as though it were a book that can be read and interpreted for deeper meaning. A possible course pairing is Ralph Waldo Emerson's Nature, where the natural world is treated as a source of symbols and spiritual truths; use this pairing only if Nature was one of your assigned readings.

Maecenas

Maecenas was a Roman patron of poets, and his name became associated with someone who supports writers and artists. In Phillis Wheatley's “To Maecenas,” Wheatley uses Maecenas and other classical references to show her literary knowledge and establish herself as a serious poet.

Individual vs. Society

Individual versus society is a conflict between a person's own beliefs and the expectations of the larger community. In Ralph Waldo Emerson's “Self-Reliance,” Emerson argues that individuals should trust their own judgment rather than change themselves simply to conform to society.

An Autobiography

An autobiography is a written account of a person's own life in which the author is also the narrator and main subject. In Samson Occom's “A Short Narrative of My Life,” Occom tells the story of his own education, religious experiences, and the circumstances that shaped his life.

Epistolary Writing

Epistolary writing is writing presented in the form of letters. In Rebecca Samuel's letters from Virginia, Samuel writes to her family about her experiences and the difficulties of living without a strong Jewish religious community.

A Sonnet

A sonnet is a fourteen-line poem with a structured form that often includes a change or turn in thought. In Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz's “Sonnet 145,” she uses the sonnet form to question the value placed on physical beauty and suggest that appearance is temporary compared with intellectual or inner worth.