American Literary Canon

Front 1

Colonialism

Back 1

܁Characterized by the presence of another foreign power in a homeland
܁Books, art, authors, commerce were all influenced by decisions and tastes of English society
܁Literature of this time demonstrates dependences English ideas and forms of expression
܁Widespread religious undertones in writing

Front 2

Neoclassicism

Back 2

܁A regard for tradition and reverence for the classics
܁Reflects a social shift from influenced by protestant theology to centered on respect for the common man and a movement toward democracy
܁A sense of literate as art--and having rules, conventions, and methods of decorum by which to define it
܁Several writers tried to create an American "epic," but none was successful. Instead, mock epics (utilizing satire) became popular for a time
܁Writing of this period is often political or philosophical

Front 3

Romanticism

Back 3

܁Imagination and intuition are favored over reason and facts
܁Intense interest in and reverence for nature
܁The potential of humans is not limited by nature or trade
܁Coincidence and the supernatural are common features
܁First era of American fiction

Front 4

Transcendentalism

Back 4

܁A philosophy whereby one would seek to transcend the physical world and the senses, thereby elevating himself to a higher moral or spiritual plane
܁God is universally manifested throughout nature
܁Contemplation of nature is the means by which one can transcend everyday reality

Front 5

Realism/Regionalism

Back 5

܁A reaction against the idealism and sentimentality of Romanticism
܁Authors attempted to create a "slice of life" or an honest version of reality
܁The movement coincided with the country's increase in territory
܁Writers found meaning in the ordinary or commonplace
܁Works often contain dialect and detailed settings

Front 6

Naturalism

Back 6

܁A writer must observe people and society objectively and draw conclusions from observation
܁one's destiny is determined by environment, social conditions, and economic circumstances--not by free will

Front 7

Modernism

Back 7

܁After World War I, old notions of religion, honor, and the progress of civilization no longer seemed relevant
܁The future seemed bleak, mechanistic, and spiritless
܁Writers communicated this view of civilization via fragmentation or experimentation in literary works

Front 8

Post-Modernism

Back 8

܁Often associated with social and political upheaval of the 1960s
܁Attempt to integrate art and life
܁Exploration of marginalized aspects of society
܁A blurring of distinctions between genres
܁Confessionalism, beat writers, Theater of the Absurd, popularity of memoir

Front 9

John Smith (book)

Back 9

The General History of Virginia

Front 10

William Bradford (book)

Back 10

Of Plymouth Plantation

Front 11

Ben Franklin (book)

Back 11

The Autobiography

Front 12

Thomas Paine (book)

Back 12

The Crisis, Number 1

Front 13

Thomas Jefferson (book)

Back 13

The Declaration of Independence

Front 14

Michel-Guillaume Jean de Crevecoeur (book)

Back 14

Letters from an American Farmer

Front 15

Patric Henry (book)

Back 15

"Speech in the Virginia Convention"

Front 16

Washington Irving (book)

Back 16

The Devil and Tom Walker

Front 17

Nathaniel Hawthorne (book)

Back 17

The Minister's Black Veil

Front 18

Edgar Allan Poe (book)

Back 18

The Fall of the House of Usher
The Raven

Front 19

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (book)

Back 19

The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls

Front 20

William Cullen Bryant (book)

Back 20

Thanatopsis

Front 21

Ralph Waldo Emerson (book)

Back 21

Nature
Self-Reliance

Front 22

Henry David Thoreau (book)

Back 22

Waldon
Civil Disobedience

Front 23

Bret Harte (book)

Back 23

Outcasts of Poker Flat

Front 24

Jack London (book)

Back 24

To Build a Fire

Front 25

Kate Chopin (book)

Back 25

The Story of an Hour

Front 26

F. Scott Fitzgerald (book)

Back 26

Winter Dreams

Front 27

Ernest Hemmingway (book)

Back 27

In Another Country

Front 28

Katherine Anne Porter (book)

Back 28

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall

Front 29

Sylvia Plath (book)

Back 29

Mirror

Front 30

John Smith (time period)

Back 30

Colonialism

Front 31

William Bradford (time period)

Back 31

Colonialism

Front 32

Ben Franklin (time period)

Back 32

Neoclassicism

Front 33

Thomas Paine (time period)

Back 33

Neoclassicism

Front 34

Thomas Jefferson (time period)

Back 34

Neoclassicism

Front 35

Michel-Guillaume Jean de Crevecoeur (time period)

Back 35

Neoclassicism

Front 36

Patrick Henry (time period)

Back 36

Neoclassicism

Front 37

Washington Irving (time period)

Back 37

Romanticism

Front 38

Nathaniel Hawthorne (time period)

Back 38

Romanticism

Front 39

Edgar Allan Poe (time period)

Back 39

Romanticism

Front 40

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (time period)

Back 40

Romanticism

Front 41

William Cullen Bryant (time period)

Back 41

Romanticism

Front 42

Ralph Waldo Emerson (time period)

Back 42

Transcendentalism

Front 43

Henry David Thoreau (time period)

Back 43

Transcendentalism

Front 44

Bret Harte (time period)

Back 44

Realism/Regionalism/Naturalism

Front 45

Jack London (time period)

Back 45

Realism/Regionalism/Naturalism

Front 46

Kate Chopin (time period)

Back 46

Realism/Regionalism/Naturalism

Front 47

F. Scott Fitzgerald (time period)

Back 47

Modernism

Front 48

Ernest Hemmingway (time period)

Back 48

Modernism

Front 49

Katherine Anne Porter (time period)

Back 49

Modernism

Front 50

Sylvia Plath (time period)

Back 50

Post-modernism