But many American authors have rejected the old in order to create something new. MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF LITERARY PERIODS . Overview • During its early history, America was a series of British colonies on the eastern coast of … This is part of a more generalized anthropomorphic tendency in Native American folk traditions. Third, a lively streak of humor runs through American literature from earliest times to the present. Additionally, animals may be given human behavioral characteristics such as a greed or jealousy. Changes in early short fiction from Puritan era to Age of Reason Puritan literature emphasized God's works in the world and his presence whereas lieterature from the Age of Reason was based on people's freedom to make their own decisions and their responsiblitly for those decisions. Indian homes varied depending on geography. It was largely influenced by British writers, and was created to inform people about colonial life, … There's the places, the past, and the visions . The primary setting for Native American literature is in, or around, nature. Early Native American Literature: Brief Outline Guide Note: For far more information than is included in this brief list, see the Selected Bibliography on Native American Literature See also the description and bibliography from A Literary History of the American West. A Puritan writer's main focus was to glorify God and show reverence for the Bible. Values in Early American Literature “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with inherent and inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the … The first permanent settlers were Puritans Interested in education and culture Harvard was founded in 1636 Printing press was started in 1638 The characteristics of the 19th century American novel differ based upon the period to which is being referred to. Early American literature consisted mainly of diaries, journals, short stories, and Indian creation stories. –Helen Dunmore, British Poet . Genres Early literature written by Puritans in America often appeared as first person narratives in the form of journals and diaries. If we understand the past, we are more likely to recognise what is happening around us. When the 13 colonies were first established, they were very divided. found in Early American Literature are the portrayals of the Native American Indians. The four main characteristics of Literature are the plot, the setting, characterization and the theme. Learning Outcomes. Puritan literature was direct and focused on offering instruction from a Biblical point of view. 101 Characteristics of Americans/American Culture To help you compare and contrast what you observe of American culture and your own, mark the similarities and differences between your culture and what you have read about in this book. The captivity narrative (usually documenting captivities by Native Americans) in American literature: definitions, examples, links, bibliographies, themes, and other information. This has not always been true. This lesson will identify and explain several characteristics of the American Romantic period. 1820). 1. Characteristics of Colonial American Literature Colonial American literature is writing that emerged from the original U.S. colonies during the period from 1607 to the late 1700s. Native American literature was well established long before European settlers arrived. The three characteristics of American literature include: -plot of decline -indifference of nature -3rd person omniscient -reaction to romanticism and surrealism Colonial literature is the body of creative work produced by the early American colonists. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the first American … Beginning with Native American expressions and oral traditions, it ranges widely across the Americas, from Francophone writings in the north to Ibero-American literature in the south. Another characteristic of Native American literature involves attributing human characteristics to landmark formations or inanimate objects. Tepees were common in the north and plains region as the people followed changing of seasons or movement of a herd. Early American Captivity … Early American literature struggled to find a unique voice in existing literary genre, and this tendency was reflected in novels. European styles were frequently imitated, but critics usually considered the imitations inferior. The early literature of exploration, made up of diaries, letters, travel journals, ships' logs, and reports to the explorers' financial backers -- European rulers or, in mercantile England and Holland, joint stock companies -- gradually was supplanted by records of the settled colonies. and A. Lavonne Brown Ruoff's essay on "Western American Indian Writers." The story of American Literature begins long before the US began its existence Native Americans Oral literature Myths and Legends Focus on nature and creation stories 2. Historical events The most influential historical event that took place during this period was the declaration of American independence on July 4, 1776, and the American Revolution preceding it. Puritanism, and Puritan literature, became popular in the 17th century. The Puritans had a significant cultural and political impact on early American life. You can see many examples of religious ideals expressed in early literature, and they used writings to promote a moral way Early American colonists wrote their accounts of immigration, settling in America, and day-to-day life in journals to pass their stories down. The literature written then was like a small window showing the world what it was like to live and be American. Recently , authors like Sherman Alexie have revived the tradition, with insightful stories about life on reservations. Native American (Before 1600) Characterized by oral traditions, epic poems, creation myths, songs, and poetry. Introduction to american literature 1. ... Characteristics of Romanticism in American Literature 6:18 Early American Literature examines the cultures and literatures of the Americas from the colonial period through the early national period of the United States (ca. There are, however, many characteristics of American writing that make it distinct. Values in Early American Literature. Some of these early works reached the level of literature, as in the robust and perhaps truthful account of his adventures by Captain John Smith and the sober, tendentious journalistic histories of John Winthrop and William Bradford in New England. There were personal accounts of early American colonists depicting tales of travelling to the new lands, immigration, and everyday struggle. These include the infamous white whale in Herman Melville's Moby-Dick and the red letter "A" in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlett Letter.These symbols are still kicking around in the 21st century.. During the Colonial and Early National Period, there were several recurring literary themes seen in the literature of this time period. Early American & Colonial Literature Characteristics of Early American Literature One of the most promenent themes of Early American Literature was Religion. American humor tends to be exaggerated rather than subtle. -Past : Assignment: Defining Characteristics of Early American Writing In this Performance Assessment, you must create a PowerPoint of at least 20 slides demonstrating your understanding of the defining characteristics of the three major literary periods covered in this class: Puritanism, the Enlightenment, and Romanticism (including Gothic, Transcendental, and slave writings). These works include the personal, emotional poetry of Anne Bradstreet, the jeremiads produced by preachers like Increase Mather and Jonathan Edwards, and the popular Indian captivity narratives. While the literary works of art focus mainly on the voyage to the New World by the explorers and then the settlement of the colonies you will find that the Native American Indian was at the forefront of the new settlement. Colonists came to the New World to find religious freedom and prosperity. From their first encounters with the Pilgrims to the bloody “Trail of Tears”. Find an answer to your question “What are three characteristics that differentiate the literature of American romanticism from the literature of early America and the ...” in English if you're in doubt about the correctness of the answers or there's no answer, then try to use the smart search and find answers to the similar questions. Its difficulty, formal invention, and bleak antiromanticism were to influence poets for decades. The plot deals with how occurrences happen in a piece of literature. Early American Writers: John Smith, ... Puritan Literature Characteristics. In this respect American literature is like any other. The First American Novel. English literature: The Early Twentieth Century Irish drama flowered in ... (1922) was a watershed in both American and English literary history. In many cases, a dash of salty humor saves a serious theme from becoming too sentimental. Some characteristics of Puritan literature are: limited atonement, original sin, irresistible grace and unconditional election. Since some of the language used was of older English and other languages, early American literature was difficult to read.The first story I read was Spanish Explorers in the New World. Early American Literature 419 Words | 2 Pages. This can be seen in the dramatic differences between their literature and literary themes. Let's see some of the most crucial characteristics of the most important literary periods: Middle Ages: The literary writings are in Old English. 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