Derrick, David, Alice, Tom,

Daniel, Frances, and Katie

Romanticism[American Literature]

Introduction

Romantic literature and American authors helped to create a sense of independent national pride though their artistic creativity. They established America as a cultural center, thereby developing America's national intellectual identity. By helping to develop a sense of American culture, these authors facilitated the structure of an independent nationhood.

A Brief Discussion of Romanticism:

•Romanticism was an international movement which arose as a response to enlightenment ideals and the French revolution. •The cold rationalism and materialism of the enlightenment were rejected for a far more emotional movement with an almost religious appreciation of nature and worship of the individual misunderstood hero. •Humans were essentially good; the problem was civilization.

A Brief Discussion of Romanticism:

•The initial strongholds of Romanticism were England and Germany. •The American movement was greatly inspired by English poets such as Coleridge, Keats, and Byron. •Nationalism was a key element in romanticism. English, German as well as American movements all had nationalistic trends.

•American Romanticism had a large focus on a return to nature. •It idealized American heroes, such as the framers of the constitution. •It helped give birth to the distinctly American Transcendentalism.

Characteristics of American Romanticism

The Fireside Poets

•The majority of the individuals covered in this presentation were fireside poets. •Consisted of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, William Cullen Bryant, John Greenleaf Whittier, James Russell Lowell, and Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Washington Irving

American Author

(1783 – 1859)

Background Information• Born on April 3, 1783 and died on November 28, 1859.

• Raised in Manhattan, New York, by his parents William and Sarah.

• His family was comprised of merchants, who encouraged him in his pursuits as a writer, as well as a politician.

• Appointed in 1842 Minister to Spain for the United States of America.

• First American author to receive international fame and recognition.

• Received several honors and awards not only in America, but in European countries as well such as England and Spain.

Key Works• Sketch Book (1819-1820)

−“Rip Van Winkle”−“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”

• History of Christopher Columbus (historical)

• Tour on the Priaries (Western)

• Astoria (Western)

• The Adventures of Captain Bonnevile, U.S.A. (Western)

Themes and Influence• Throughout his work, he satirizes historical and overly-exalted

figures for their god-like status.

• Irving incorporated his memories of New York and America into his writing, as well as the other numerous places to which he traveled in his career.

• Washington Irving’s work helped to expand American nationalism by exploiting the common English language of the United States. Irving’s works united Americans around a shared appreciation of his literature.

• This led to a national bonding by creating “American” literature and “American” culture in the United States; American nationalism arose because of a common appreciation of Irving’s writing.

• Irving’s work has left unifying effects on the United States that can be seen even today. For example, the New York Knicks basketball team got their name from a pen name of Irving’s: Diedrich Knickerbocker.

Influence (continued)• Irving’s writing also brought about a national

sense of permanence and national direction.• Irving became well known in much of Europe as

well as across America. By reshaping the image of the United States as an intellectual country in the international community, Irving created a sense of American permanence on both the national and international levels.

• Irving’s work also illustrated the permanence of national democratic ideals. Although Irving often poked fun at United States society in his writing, his work was still celebrated as an American achievement, proving the strength of the concept of free speech.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

American Poet

(1807 – 1882)

Background Information• Born and raised in Portland, Maine.

• Resigned as a Harvard professor in 1854.

• Provided his family a comfortable living exclusively with the income from his writing.

• Longfellow’s work is loved for its American themes and its cadence and easy rhymes.

Key Works • Evangeline: A Tale of Arcadie

• The Song Of Hiawatha

• The Landlords Tale: Paul Revere’s Ride

• The Courtship of Miles Standish

Themes and Influence• Recurrent themes in his work include:

• American nationalism

• Freedom/oppression

• Romance

• Critics suggest that Longfellow desired to establish “American Mythology” in his poems, which helped instill a sense of American belonging in his readers.

• Poems like The Song of Hiawatha, The Courtship of Miles Standish and The Landlord’s Tale; Paul Revere’s Ride, tell narratives that have become better known than the actual historical facts.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

American Novelist

(1804 – 1864)

Background Information• Born in Salem, MA.

• Had a Puritan family.

• His father died.

• Rich relatives paid for his education at Bowdoin College.

Key Works• Wrote a lot of short stories

• First book written in 1828, Fanshawe.

• The House of Seven Gables

• The Scarlet Letter, 1st American psychological novel.

Themes and Influence• Individualism

• Society

• Guilt

• Alienation

• Puritan Society in New England

• Hawthorne continued to push people’s ideas while he wrote very controversial material, which explored individualism, the society, guilt and alienation.

• Hawthorne helped to affect nationalism because of being considered the first physiological author with controversial ideas. He also brought in the idea of America and the culture into the works, with the ideas of his home, Salem, and Puritan ideals.

Oliver Wendell Holmes

American physician and poet

(1809 - 1894)

Background Information

Date Event

1809 Born in Massachusetts

1829 Graduated Harvard

1830 Wrote his patriotic poem “Old Ironsides”

1836 Published his first collection of poetry named, bizarrely enough—Poems

1843 Published an influential medical article: , Contagiousness of Puerperal Fever

1857 Became a major contributor to Atlantic Monthly giving a series of poems.

1858 Publishes a series of collected essays: The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table

1894 Went to sing with the choir eternal.

Key Works: “Old Ironsides”

"Old Ironsides.--- It has been affirmed upon good authority that the Secretary of the Navy has recommended to the Board of Navy Commissioners to dispose of the frigate Constitution…Since it has been understood that such a step was in contemplation we have heard but one opinion expressed, and that in decided disapprobation of the measure. Such a national object of interest, so endeared to our national pride as Old Ironsides is, should never by any act of our government cease to belong to the Navy, so long as our country is to be found upon the map of nations.—New York Journal of Commerce: Tuesday, September 14, 1830

Themes and Influences• Oliver Wendell Holmes’ writings had a clear

patriotic streak. As poet Laureate of Boston he wrote poetry for significant holidays and birthdays of famous individuals

• Oliver Wendell Holmes was influenced by his time with fellow American authors in Boston, and by those overseas in England.

[Conclusion]

• American authors created a unique culture, that was distinct from European culture.

• Their ideas aided American individualism and intellectual thought.

• By spreading American ideas via literature they helped unite the newly formed nation.

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