American literature that depicted American society and its Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg) and the

landscape. Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and

1970s (embodied in the work of Amiri
American literature is the product of a Between 1830 and 1870 writers like Baraka) can be identified, there is little
diversity of peoples, regions, Edgar Allen Poe, Emily Dickinson, else that binds American writers
philosophies, and ways of life. Beyond Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, together beyond their geographic and
the intrinsic pleasure and usefulness of and Walt Whitman typified what chronological proximity. Prominent
knowing more about the history of this became known as the Romantic contemporary writers include the
literature, a focus in American Period, in which writings tended to novelists Toni Morrison, Kurt
literature or American studies can value the individual above the group, Vonnegut, and Philip Roth; the poets
benefit undergraduates in several the subjective over the objective, Sylvia Plath, Adrienne Rich, and Rita
ways. Students considering graduate emotion over reason, and nature over Dove; and the playwrights David
school in English can experience man-made order. During this same
intensive immersion in the literary time period, both free and enslaved Mamet and August Wilson.
history of the United States, with the African Americans (e.g., William Wells
textual interconnections and the Brown) published fiction and slave
cultural insights that follow from taking narratives.
a variety of related courses. Students
considering careers as high school The national suffering that resulted
teachers will need to know not only from the Civil War (1861–1865) also
how to teach close reading, but also shaped the literature of the period
ways of teaching a wide variety of immediately following, as the twin
texts, including works by ethnic trends of realism and naturalism
(African American, Hispanic American, presented a realistic view of the world
and Native American) and women —often with a focus on the urban
writers, since many high school middle and working classes—between
courses now emphasize American 1870 and 1910. Celebrated writers of
literary diversities. Students interested this style of literature include Mark
in fields such as advertising, Twain, Theodore Dreiser, Henry
marketing, or public relations will find James, and Paul Laurence Dunbar.
the richest exposure to American
culture in this sequence. Writers of the Modernist Period (1910–
1945) were influenced by the upheaval
Study the field of American literature, of the first half of the twentieth century,
which is the body of written works which was marked by two world wars
produced in the United States, and a global economic depression
including novels, short stories, drama, counter-balanced by sweeping
poetry, biographies/autobiographies, progress ushered in by advances in
works of history, essays, and literary science and technology. Writers
criticism. responded to these contradictory
impulses by creating works that were a
Some of the earliest works of complete break from past and marked
American literature go back to the by a profound sense of loss and
seventeenth century, when America disillusionment. Prominent writers from
still consisted of colonies of British this period include F. Scott Fitzgerald,
subjects. The prominent writing from Richard Wright, Ernest Hemingway,
this period and into the eighteenth Willa Cather, William Faulkner, e. e.
century was primarily nonfiction due to cummings, T. S. Eliot, and John
a general societal prejudice against Steinbeck. This was also a period of
fiction, with a focus on religion, history, the ascendance of American drama,
biographies, and philosophy. As the with Eugene O’Neill being the most
colonists moved toward independence prominent figure. This period also
from Britain in the latter half of the witnessed a wealth of African
eighteenth century, political writing American literature from the cultural
became prominent—particularly the movement of the 1920s known as the
writings of Benjamin Franklin and Harlem Renaissance, including the
Thomas Paine. works of Langston Hughes. African
American writing in the post-war period
Following independence, American focused on racism and the need for
political writing addressed the social change, as embodied in the
country’s future, while the prominent writings of Ralph Ellison, Richard
works of poetry and fiction either came Wright, James Baldwin, and
from Britain or were modeled on British Gwendolyn Brooks.
literature. This trend began to change
in the first decades of the nineteenth Overall, the era of American literature
century as American writers sought to after World War II is marked by
create a uniquely American literature. amazing diversity in form and style.
Writers such as Washington Irving and While some literary movements, such
James Fenimore Cooper wrote stories as the Beat movement of the 1950s
(represented foremost by Jack
Characteristics of Colonial tension between the colonial settlers
American Literature and Native Americans.

Colonial American literature emerged The Enlightenment

from the original U.S. colonies during
the period from 1607 to the late 1700s In the 18th century, the Enlightenment
and was largely influenced by British showed a great shift in colonial
writers. Many of the characteristics of American literature from a religious
colonial American literature can be foundation to scientific reasoning
found in the poems, journals, letters, applied to human nature, society,
narratives, histories and teaching culture and political awareness. Many
materials written by settlers and texts were written in pamphlet or
religious and historic figures of the narrative form and challenged the role
period. Colonial American literature of God and religious life, seeking to
includes the writings of Mary replace them with reason. Rational
Rowlandson, William Bradford, Anne thought and science were the new
Bradstreet and John Winthrop. themes. “The Autobiography of
Benjamin Franklin” and the pamphlet
Narrative Focus “Common Sense” by Thomas Paine
explored many of these new ideas.
Colonial American literature is Similar texts also led the way to more
characterized by the narrative, which awareness of social, economic and
was used extensively during this scientific issues. The American
period. Most of the literary works of Revolution played a large part in this
this genre are composed of letters, shifting of ideas.
journals, biographies and memoirs. An
example is Mary Rowlandson’s
narrative account “The Sovereignty
and Goodness of God: Being a The Whistle by Benjamin Frankin
Narrative of the Captivity and
Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson."
This narrative gives an insider’s story 'The Whistle' is a parabolic short story-
of a colonist being captured by Native cum-letter penned on the 10th of
Americans and describes the heavy November 1779 by American
hostility between the Native Americans Founding Father Benjamin Franklin.
and colonists. Rowland’s story is Franklin wrote this parabolic short
categorized as an autobiography and story-cum-letter at the age of 73 to
captivity narrative. Anne Louise Brillon de Jouy. She was
a French musician and composer.
Religion and Poetry

Religion is prominent in colonial

American literature and can be found Message of the story
mostly in Puritan writings. The Puritans
wrote about the religious foundations One such story is “The Whistle.” The story
of many of their settlements, especially relates how the seven-year-old Franklin's
the exodus from Britain, and employed delight in a new toy turns to dismay when
the constant theme that God should be he learns that he has paid far too much for
worshiped. They also used texts that it. Franklin crafted the tale into a moral
prepared them for worship. This
lesson urging others to question the
literature helped spread the message
of God, suggesting that “life was a test” undue value attributed to material
and the soul would face damnation if possessions
that test was failed. Ambition and hard
work were continuously stressed.
Many of the Puritan works were written
in poetry form. Anne Bradstreet’s
poetry, the “Bay Psalm Book,” and
Pastor Edward Taylor’s “Preparatory
Mediations” are good examples of
religious texts of the era. It was this
type of writing that led to the
Puritanism and Great Awakening
movements. Non-Puritan writers also
used religion to show the religious