Concetti Chiave
- American literature developed its own identity despite being expressed in English, influenced by a diverse society of exiles, adventurers, and emigrants.
- The 17th and 18th centuries saw British influence, with early movements like the Puritans focusing on religious writing, before evolving into a unique American voice.
- As America expanded westward, literature began reflecting the dichotomy between the East's wealth and the West's pioneering spirit, with prose writers like Edgar Allan Poe emerging.
- English Romanticism, as articulated in Wordsworth's Lyrical Ballads, emphasized nature, common life, simple language, and the emotional and imaginative aspects of poetry.
- Romantic poets critiqued elaborate language, advocating for poetry as a natural expression of emotions, with poets seen as individuals with heightened sensitivity and unique perspectives.
Origins of American Literature
American literature expresses itself in English but in an autonomous literature. The reason for this is not the distance between the two counties but the multiethnic American society made up of: exiles trying to escape religious persecution, adventurers, political refugees, emigrants wishing to start a new life. The literary production of the 17th and 18th century was strongly influenced by British literature, one of the first movement was the Puritans one. The Puritans wrote sermons, religious traces and diaries. As the 18th century progressed migrants from all over Europe moved in America, in the meanwhile the American colonies became an independent republic with George Washington as the first president. This encouraged the expansion towards the West and the Indian removal. America was divided in two forces: the East and the West. The East was characterized by the values of wealth and respectability, the west by the pioneer spirit and the country’s endless possibilities. It was especially in prose that truly American writers emerged: like the important works of Edgar Allan Poe and James Cooper.
Manifesto of English Romanticism
This test is taken from the preface to the second edition of Lyrical Ballads, regarded as the Manifesto of English Romanticism.
Wordsworth express a new concept of poetry which emphasized the importance of nature, common life, simple language, and the importance of emotions and imagination.
- the simple life is the subject of the poetry like before, but now the imagination change the narration.
- the romantic poets attack the poets that use an elaborate language because it is not clear; the elaborate language is not able to tell the feelings and the emotions.
- the poet is a men who speak to other men, and who have a different way of feel and a more sensible soul.
The poet considers himself superior because he sees the event with an other spirit: e sees the reality and change it in something different; he use the language to create something not visible.
- the poet lives a sensory experience, then in tranquillity he recollect the emotion and write the poem.For Wordsworth the poetry is a “spontaneous overflow of feelings”.
Domande da interrogazione
- What factors contributed to the development of an autonomous American literature in the 17th and 18th centuries?
- How did the East and West differ in their influence on American literature during the early years of the republic?
- What new concept of poetry did Wordsworth introduce in the Manifesto of English Romanticism?
American literature developed its autonomy due to the multiethnic society composed of exiles, adventurers, political refugees, and emigrants, despite its English expression. The influence of British literature was strong, particularly through the Puritan movement, but the emergence of an independent republic and the expansion westward fostered a distinct American literary identity.
The East was characterized by values of wealth and respectability, while the West embodied the pioneer spirit and the country's endless possibilities. These contrasting forces influenced American literature, with the West inspiring themes of exploration and opportunity, and the East contributing to themes of stability and tradition.
Wordsworth introduced a concept of poetry that emphasized nature, common life, simple language, and the importance of emotions and imagination. He criticized elaborate language for its inability to convey true feelings and emotions, advocating for poetry as a "spontaneous overflow of feelings" recollected in tranquility.
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