American Literary Periods

AMERICAN LITERARY PERIODS

Periods Genre & Style Characteristics Historical Context Examples

COLONIAL

1620-1750 Sermons, diaries, personal narratives

Sermons written in plain style rather than ornate

Religious poetry Focuses on daily life, moral attitudes, and political unrest

Literature is instructive, reinforces authority of the Bible and church Predestination: fate determined by God

All are sinful and must be saved by Christ

"Puritan" began as an insult by traditional Anglicans to those who criticized or wished to "purify" the Church of England. Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation

Bradstreet's "Upon the Burning of Our House"

Edwards's "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"

Though not written during Puritan times, The Crucible & The Scarlet Letter depict life during the time when Puritan theocracy prevailed (1692, Salem Witch Trials).

REVOLUTIONARY

1750-1800 Political pamphlets

Travel writing

Persuasive writing Literature instills pride, spurs patriotism, and common agreement

National mission and the American character Encourages support for the Revolutionary War

Writings of Jefferson, Paine, Henry

Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac and "The Autobiography"

ROMANTICISM

1800-1860 Character sketches

Slave narratives

Poetry

Short stories Celebrates the individual, nature, imagination & emotions

Value intuition over reasoning

Flee corruption of civilization and limits of rational thought toward the integrity of nature and freedom of the imagination

Instill proper gender behavior for men & women

Re-imagine the American past Expansion of magazines, newspapers, and book publishing

Industrial revolution leads questioning the "old ways" (English ways) of doing things

Slavery debates

Civil War (1861-1865) is pivotal Irving's "Legend of Sleepy Hollow"

Melville's