I. Pre-Columbian: ? to 1607 II. Colonial: III. Revolutionary: IV. Romantic: V. Transcendental: VI. Realist: VII. Modern: present

England:  1790s  William Wordsworth  Samuel Taylor Coleridge  “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings”

 Love of nature  Strong sense of the beauty of the world, especially in nature and human emotion  Search for the ideal world where one can be in communion with nature  Strong conflict between science and nature

 Vivid imagination  Strong sense of supernatural and mystery  Strong passionate emotion, often not accepted by society  Non-conformity to society

 Subjectivity-feelings and opinions are more important/effective than fact/reason  Freedom from restraint and rebellion against limitations-especially those imposed by society

 Emerson (Nature)  Thoreau (Walden)  Fuller (The Dial)

 Truths that go beyond, or transcend, proof  Truths that are known to the heart and not necessarily to the mind  Truths that are felt emotionally, but cannot be proven logically  Values lie in the realm of instinct and intuition Great men are they who see that spiritual is stronger than any material force, that thoughts rule the world

 Mankind is naturally good with the ability to achieve higher levels of thinking and understanding.  Strong sense of morality and ethical seriousness (from Puritans), but reject rigid religious structure

 Believe in man’s path to individual enlightenment rather than man’s ability to receive divine light from God

 Appalled by coldness of the church  Humans are “God-bullied”  Christianity is impractical

 Believes in man’s inclination toward sin and evil, like his Puritan ancestors(but redemption can be found)  Finds Puritan history and his own ancestors to be hypocritical and severe  Writing exposes this hypocrisy and suggests compassion towards sinners