American Literature from 1600 Through the 1850s (The Britannica Guide to World Literature)

Fiercely nationalistic in their espousal of independence and, later, their critique of democracys shortcomings and faith in their newfound nations potential, the first prominent American writers exhibited a profound pride in the territory that would come to be known as the United States. Predating even the Declaration of Independence, much early American writing entailed commentary on the newly developing American society. As it evolved from political to literary in nature, American writing increasingly began to distinguish itself on the world stage. This volume examines the literature of the country in its nascence and writers such as Poe, Hawthorne, and Emerson, who helped cultivate a uniquely American voice. TITLE......Page 4 COPYRIGHT......Page 5 CONTENTS......Page 6 INTRODUCTION......Page 11 THE REPUBLIC......Page 16 I HEAR AMERICA SINGING......Page 19 CHAPTER 1 EARLY AMERICAN LITERATURE......Page 22 THE STATE OF VERSE......Page 26 THE STORY OF MARY ROWLANDSON......Page 30 CHAPTER 2 THE 18TH CENTURY......Page 34 WRITERS OF THE REVOLUTION......Page 37 THOMAS PAINE......Page 39 LIFE IN AMERICA......Page 40 IN EUROPE: “RIGHTS OF MAN”......Page 43 ASSESSMENT......Page 45 THE NEW NATION......Page 46 DRAMA AND THE NOVEL......Page 50 JOEL BARLOW......Page 51 ROBERT MONTGOMERY BIRD......Page 53 HUGH HENRY BRACKENRIDGE......Page 54 CHARLES BROCKDEN BROWN......Page 55 WILLIAM HILL BROWN......Page 57 WILLIAM BYRD OF WESTOVER......Page 58 TIMOTHY DWIGHT......Page 59 OLAUDAH EQUIANO......Page 60 ELIZABETH GRAEME FERGUSON......Page 63 HANNAH WEBSTER FOSTER......Page 64 PHILIP FRENEAU......Page 65 SARAH KEMBLE KNIGHT......Page 66 SARAH WENTWORTH APTHORP MORTON......Page 68 SUSANNA ROWSON......Page 69 MERCY OTIS WARREN......Page 70 PHILLIS WHEATLEY......Page 71 WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT......Page 74 WASHINGTON IRVING......Page 77 EARLY YEARS......Page 80 NOVELS......Page 83 CULTURAL AND POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT......Page 86 RETURN TO AMERICA......Page 87 JAMES FENIMORE COOPER: THE AMERICAN SCENE......Page 88 EDGAR ALLAN POE......Page 101 LIFE AND WRITINGS......Page 103 APPRAISAL......Page 106 OTHER SIGNIFICANT WRITERS OF THE AGE......Page 110 MARIA GOWEN BROOKS......Page 111 JOSEPH DENNIE......Page 112 JOSEPH RODMAN DRAKE......Page 113 JAMES HALL......Page 114 JOHN P. KENNEDY......Page 115 JAMES KIRKE PAULDING......Page 116 JOHN HOWARD PAYNE......Page 117 WILLIAM GILMORE SIMMS......Page 118 CHAPTER 4 THE AMERICAN RENAISSANCE......Page 121 OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES......Page 122 HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW......Page 124 JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL......Page 128 THE TRANSCENDENTALISTS......Page 131 RALPH WALDO EMERSON......Page 133 MATURE LIFE AND WORKS......Page 134 EARLY LIFE......Page 141 FRIENDSHIP WITH EMERSON......Page 143 LITERARY CAREER......Page 144 MOVE TO WALDEN POND......Page 145 LATER LIFE AND WORKS......Page 147 ASSESSMENT......Page 148 BRONSON ALCOTT......Page 149 ORESTES AUGUSTUS BROWNSON......Page 151 GEORGE RIPLEY......Page 153 NEW ENGLAND REFORMERS AND HISTORIANS......Page 154 GEORGE BANCROFT......Page 155 RICHARD HENRY DANA......Page 158 MARGARET FULLER......Page 159 WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON......Page 161 EDWARD EVERETT HALE......Page 168 JULIA WARD HOWE......Page 169 JOHN LOTHROP MOTLEY......Page 170 FRANCIS PARKMAN......Page 171 LITERARY CAREER......Page 172 HARRIET BEECHER STOWE......Page 175 JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER......Page 177 HAWTHORNE, MELVILLE, AND WHITMAN......Page 180 NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE......Page 182 FIRST WORKS......Page 183 RETURN TO SALEM......Page 185 LAST YEARS......Page 187 MAJOR NOVELS......Page 188 ASSESSMENT......Page 189 HERMAN MELVILLE......Page 190 WANDERINGS AND VOYAGES......Page 191 THE YEARS OF ACCLAIM......Page 193 THE YEARS OF WITHDRAWAL......Page 197 WALT WHITMAN......Page 199 CIVIL WAR YEARS......Page 202 LATER LIFE......Page 203 WALT WHITMAN: LETTER TO RALPH WALDO EMERSON......Page 208 REPUTATION......Page 222 EPILOGUE......Page 223 GLOSSARY......Page 224 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 226 INDEX......Page 229 BACK COVER......Page 238 TITLE 4 COPYRIGHT 5 CONTENTS 6 INTRODUCTION 11 THE REPUBLIC 16 I HEAR AMERICA SINGING 19 CHAPTER 1 EARLY AMERICAN LITERATURE 22 THE STATE OF VERSE 26 THE STORY OF MARY ROWLANDSON 30 CHAPTER 2 THE 18TH CENTURY 34 WRITERS OF THE REVOLUTION 37 THOMAS PAINE 39 LIFE IN AMERICA 40 IN EUROPE: “RIGHTS OF MAN” 43 ASSESSMENT 45 THE NEW NATION 46 NOTABLE WORKS OF THE PERIOD 50 POETRY 50 DRAMA AND THE NOVEL 50 OTHER SIGNIFICANT FIGURES OF THE CENTURY 51 JOEL BARLOW 51 ROBERT MONTGOMERY BIRD 53 HUGH HENRY BRACKENRIDGE 54 CHARLES BROCKDEN BROWN 55 WILLIAM HILL BROWN 57 WILLIAM BYRD OF WESTOVER 58 TIMOTHY DWIGHT 59 OLAUDAH EQUIANO 60 ELIZABETH GRAEME FERGUSON 63 HANNAH WEBSTER FOSTER 64 PHILIP FRENEAU 65 SARAH KEMBLE KNIGHT 66 SARAH WENTWORTH APTHORP MORTON 68 SUSANNA ROWSON 69 MERCY OTIS WARREN 70 PHILLIS WHEATLEY 71 CHAPTER 3 EARLY 19TH-CENTURY LITERATURE 74 WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT 74 WASHINGTON IRVING 77 JAMES FENIMORE COOPER 80 EARLY YEARS 80 NOVELS 83 CULTURAL AND POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT 86 RETURN TO AMERICA 87 JAMES FENIMORE COOPER: THE AMERICAN SCENE 88 EDGAR ALLAN POE 101 LIFE AND WRITINGS 103 APPRAISAL 106 OTHER SIGNIFICANT WRITERS OF THE AGE 110 MARIA GOWEN BROOKS 111 JOSEPH DENNIE 112 JOSEPH RODMAN DRAKE 113 JAMES HALL 114 JOHN P. KENNEDY 115 JAMES KIRKE PAULDING 116 JOHN HOWARD PAYNE 117 WILLIAM GILMORE SIMMS 118 CHAPTER 4 THE AMERICAN RENAISSANCE 121 NEW ENGLAND BRAHMINS 122 OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES 122 HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW 124 JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL 128 THE TRANSCENDENTALISTS 131 RALPH WALDO EMERSON 133 EARLY LIFE AND WORKS 134 MATURE LIFE AND WORKS 134 HENRY DAVID THOREAU 141 EARLY LIFE 141 FRIENDSHIP WITH EMERSON 143 LITERARY CAREER 144 MOVE TO WALDEN POND 145 LATER LIFE AND WORKS 147 ASSESSMENT 148 BRONSON ALCOTT 149 ORESTES AUGUSTUS BROWNSON 151 GEORGE RIPLEY 153 JONES VERY 154 NEW ENGLAND REFORMERS AND HISTORIANS 154 GEORGE BANCROFT 155 RICHARD HENRY DANA 158 MARGARET FULLER 159 WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON 161 EDWARD EVERETT HALE 168 JULIA WARD HOWE 169 JOHN LOTHROP MOTLEY 170 FRANCIS PARKMAN 171 LITERARY CAREER 172 ASSESSMENT 175 HARRIET BEECHER STOWE 175 JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER 177 HAWTHORNE, MELVILLE, AND WHITMAN 180 NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE 182 FIRST WORKS 183 RETURN TO SALEM 185 LAST YEARS 187 MAJOR NOVELS 188 ASSESSMENT 189 HERMAN MELVILLE 190 WANDERINGS AND VOYAGES 191 THE YEARS OF ACCLAIM 193 THE YEARS OF WITHDRAWAL 197 WALT WHITMAN 199 CIVIL WAR YEARS 202 LATER LIFE 203 WALT WHITMAN: LETTER TO RALPH WALDO EMERSON 208 REPUTATION 222 EPILOGUE 223 GLOSSARY 224 BIBLIOGRAPHY 226 INDEX 229 BACK COVER 238 1615301240,9781615301249 This book describes literary development in American literature from religious and political writings of the seventeenth century to a burst of creativity known as the American Renaissance from the 1830s to the 1860s