Thursday, May 15, 2014

American Renaissance / Transcendentalism (Peter, Sarper)

American Renaissance

When was the American Renaissance?

The period does not have a specific range, although Matthiessen referred to it as 1850-1855 in his book, other authors have referred to it as the 1830s throughout the Civil War (1861-1865).

What is the American Renaissance?


American Renaissance, also called New England Renaissance is the period in which a lot of American masterpieces were published.

The phrase “American Renaissance” was originated by Francis Otto Matthiessen in his book American Renaissance: Art and Expression in the Age of Emerson and Whitman.


Why is this period important?

The importance of this period comes from the fact that during this period, American writers were for the first time considered equal or near-equal to European writers.

Writers of the period



-Ralph Waldo Emerson
-Emily Dickinson-Walt Whitman

Characteristics


  • The Romantic period of American literature.
  • American authors appear as equals to European writers.
  • Inspired by a new focus on humanism
  • Closely related with Transcendentalism
   (Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoerau)

Example: Mine by Emily Dickinson


MINE by the right of the white election!
Mine by the royal seal!
Mine by the sign in the scarlet prison
Bars cannot conceal!
 
Mine, here in vision and in veto!
       5
Mine, by the grave’s repeal
Titled, confirmed,—delirious charter!
Mine, while the ages steal!

Masterpieces of the period


  • The Scarlet Letter
  • Representative Men
  • The House Of the Seven Gables
  • Moby-Dick
  • Leaves of Grass
  • Walden





Sources


1 comment:

  1. Font's a little small but otherwise short and sweet.
    Not really much else to say.
    3*Nick

    ReplyDelete