AMERICAN ROMANTICISM 1800-1865

CHARACTERISTICS OF AMERICAN ROMANTICISM Writers celebrated individualism, nature, imagination, creativity, and emotions Interest in fantasy and supernatural “deep” Good triumphs over evil, usually Strong focus on inner feelings Imagination over reason/ intuition over fact Short stories, novels, and poetry

EARLY ROMANTICS The first imaginative/creative literature that was distinctly American Washington Irving (folktales) William Cullen Bryant (poetry) James Fenimore Cooper (novels)

FIRESIDE POETS Most popular poets of the time. Read at home by the fireside Poems contained strong family values, patriotism, etc. Often memorized in elementary schools Representative Poets Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Oliver Wendell Holmes James Russell Lowell John Greanleaf Whittier

TRANSCENDENTALISM Philosophy that came to America from Europe Occurred after Revolutionary War Belief that man’s nature is inherently good Man and society are perfectible (utopia) Stresses individualism, self- reliance, and intuition Representative Authors: Ralph Waldo Emerson Henry David Thoreau

DARK ROMANTICISM Also known as Gothic or Anti-transcendentalism Man’s nature is inherently evil Whatever is wrong with society—sin, pain, evil– has to be fixed by fixing the individual man first Use of supernatural Strong use of symbolism Dark landscapes, depressed characters Representative authors: Nathaniel Hawthorne Herman Melville Edgar Allan Poe

THE SECRET TO UNDERSTANDING AMERICAN LITERATURE: Every literary period is a reaction to the period that came before it.

SO WHAT CHANGED? Puritanism Rationalism Romanticism God God directly influences and controls the world Less emphasis on God Less emphasis on God, there is only natural order Things happen because God’s intervention Laws of nature Destiny Man’s Nature Man is inherently evil Man is inherently good Man is good, civilization corrupts Source of truth Reason and Logic Intuition and self-reflection Fate We are predetermined what we are going to do in life, nothing changes that. God lets the world run its course without interfering We can influence our own lives, but we are destined for certain things Truth is available to The elect Everybody Those who commune with nature

REMEMBER: EACH LITERARY PERIOD IS A REACTION TO THE PERIOD THAT CAME BEFORE IT. Colonial Lit/Puritanism God controls universe in mysterious ways Holy Bible contains all truth Diaries, journals, personal narratives Revolutionary Lit/Rationalism More logic/reason based Mankind should seek further Truth/knowledge Political/patriotic writings Romanticism Less emphasis on God, only a natural order More idealistic Truth comes from intuition and self reflection

VIDEO TIME Take notes on the following videos Washington Irving: Bio, works, and style Legend of Sleepy Hollow: Summary and Analysis

Charting the Literary Periods On a sheet of copy paper, create a timeline of the literary periods we have covered so far (starting with the Native American Period and ending with Romanticism). Within your timeline you must include: A total of 4 Literary time periods Dates of the time period Label of the time period At least 5 characteristics or focuses of each time period At least 1 historical event of each time period List at least 2 themes that exist and evolve throughout multiple time periods Choose one theme and explain in 4-5 sentences how that theme exists throughout all of the time periods. Your timeline needs to be neat and colorful. It is due at the end of the class period. Use your notes over the literary time periods we have taken this year so far to help you connect each literary period together with theme.