ERAS OF AMERICAN LITERATURE

I. Pre-Columbian: ? to 1607II. Colonial: 1607-1770III. Revolutionary: 1770-1800IV. Romantic: 1800-1860V. Transcendental: 1840-1860VI. Realist: 1860-1900VII. Modern: 1900 - present

ORIGINS OF ROMANTICISM“AGE OF REVOLUTIONS”

England:1790s

William WordsworthSamuel Taylor Coleridge“spontaneous overflow

of powerful feelings”

ELEMENTS OF ROMANTICISM

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

ELEMENTS (CONT)

Vivid imagination Strong sense of supernatural and

mystery Strong passionate emotion, often not

accepted by society Non-conformity to society

ELEMENTS (CONT)

Subjectivity-feelings and opinions are more important/effective than fact/reason

Freedom from restraint and rebellion against limitations-especially those imposed by society

TRANSCENDENTAL AUTHORS

Emerson (Nature)

Thoreau (Walden)

Fuller (The Dial)

TRANSCENDENTALIST MOVEMENT

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

ELEMENTS OF TRANSCENDENTALISM

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

T. ELEMENTS (C0NT)

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

T. ELEMENTS (CONT)

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

HAWTHORNE’S BELIEFS

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