Movements in American Literature

Objective

This lesson will examine major American literary movements, schools of thought, and the writers who influenced and shaped them.

Previously Covered:

• In the previous lesson, we discussed major critical approaches and theories.

The Pilgrims and Their Descendents

Much of American literature parallels the nation’s historical events. In keeping with that fact, it makes sense that colonial literature was the first major literary period in America. The atmosphere of the time was serious and religious. Much of the writing reflects the trials and experiences of the settlers and what the founders encountered in the New World. Life was hard for them, and they often depended on their faith in God to pull them through. Due to religious persecution, the Puritans left England to settle in America. This accounts for the heavy Puritan influence that permeated much of colonial literature.

Here are some key principles of colonial literature for you to know.

The following are the major writers and their works you should know:

American Romantics and Transcendentalists 1820–1865

The Romantic movement originated in continental Europe, spread to England, and finally landed in the United States. This period occurred during a time of great change in America. The country was looking inward and focusing on itself. This focus can be seen in the key principles of Romanticism:

• It is a celebration of the individual, the human psychological state, and the sublime.
• Romantic writers often studied the idea of death and the macabre.
• Characters were often out of the ordinary, meaning they had unusual personalities, lived alternative lifestyles, or experienced life circumstances outside the norm.

Some of the key Romantic writers and their works include:

• Edgar Allen Poe
  • “The Raven”
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart”
• Washington Irving
  • “Rip Van Winkle”
• Nathaniel Hawthorne
  • The Scarlet Letter
• Herman Melville
  • Moby Dick
• Emily Dickinson
  • “Because I could not stop for Death”
  • “I heard a fly buzz”

Some key notes on these major works:

The Romantic movement encouraged many writers to document their ideas using the medium of poetry. This group of poets was called the Fireside poets. They were household names, famous and widely read while they were alive. Here are a couple of key principles to know about them:

Aside from knowing about the Fireside poets, it is important to know some of their works:

William Cullen Bryant:

• “Thanatopsis”
• “To a Waterfowl”

Oliver Wendell Holmes:

• “Old Ironsides”
• “The Chambered Nautilus”

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:

• “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere”
• “The Song of Hiawatha”
• “Evangeline”

James Russell Lowell:

• “To the Dandelion”
• “The Changeling”

John Greenleaf Whittier:

• “Snow-Bound: A Winter Idyl”
• “Ichabod”

In some ways the Romantics bred the Transcendentalists, as the two share similar themes in their work. The major difference is that the Transcendentalists focused more on nature and the individual’s relationship with it. A key term tied to this group is self-reliance. Self-reliance conveys the ideal of living without the niceties of society and materialism. Transcendentalists believed that an ideal spiritual state existed once one transcended the physical and empirical world. They celebrated the self and considered the individual an integral part of nature. Three major American writers came from this movement.

Let’s stop here for a moment and review. The next part of American literature indicates a great shift in thinking so this is a good place to break and look at what we have covered.

Reality Sets In

After 1865 the United States experienced a significant amount of growth and expansion. Things were settling down after the Civil War, and the nation was advancing toward World War I. Writers and citizens began to lose their romantic notions and were moving toward a more realistic worldview. As a result, the next literary period to influence American writing was aptly dubbed Realism. As we progress through the lesson, keep in mind the fact that Realism was a reaction to Romanticism.

Key principles of Realism:

• Literary characters are ordinary people representative of the time and region in which the authors were writing.
• Writers use the vernacular (common language, slang) to give a more realistic feel.
• Writers aim to “tell it like it is” and resist the urge to follow their imaginations.

Major Realists include Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), whose Adventures of Huckleberry Finn uses the vernacular to tell the tale of a boy born poor and unhappy. The book concerns itself with the important issues of the day: racism and slavery.

Another Realist to remember is Henry James. His Daisy Miller, in true Realist fashion, provides detailed and realistic character descriptions and presents characters that are lifelike.

William Dean Howells, Edith Wharton, and Sarah Orne Jewett are also notable major American writers of this period.

The Harlem Renaissance

Starting in 1920, a truly unique outburst of creative works by African-Americans sprung forth in music and the literary and visual arts. This cultural movement was first known as “the New Negro Movement” which evolved into “The Harlem Renaissance.” This movement exalted the talents of African-Americans and served to redefine the culture’s mode of creative expression.

Spurred by the great African-American migration northward to cities such as Washington, D.C., Chicago, Greenwich Village and Harlem in Manhattan, between the years 1920 and 1940, this richly dynamic mix of radical black intellectuals, writers, painters, and gave birth to an unprecedented time of success for black artists of all kinds.

Important works of the time include:

Modernism

As the Harlem Renaissance was winding down, the Modernist movement was gathering momentum in the United States. Modernism in America took hold in the period between World War I and World War II (1917–1945). During this time, the United States was experiencing a great economic and artistic shift. The Great Depression was a huge influence as was the somber mood of war. Following are some key principles to remember about this brief but powerful time in literature:

Major Modernist prose writers include:

• F. Scott Fitzgerald (This Side of Paradise, The Great Gatsby)
• Ernest Hemingway (The Old Man and the Sea, For Whom the Bell Tolls, A Farewell to Arms)
• William Faulkner (A Light in August, The Sound and the Fury)

Major Modernist poets include:

• Ezra Pound (“The Cantos of Ezra Pound”)
• T.S. Eliot (“Love Song of Alfred J. Prufrock”)
• William Carlos Williams (“Tract”)

Major Modern dramatist:

• Eugene O’Neill (Long Day’s Journey Into Night)

The following is a quick reference chart that illustrates the history of American literature:

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