American Renaissance Writers Essays

Alternatively, the second fold definition of American Enlightenment is a process of emancipation from “pre-rational mode of thought with objectivity for a brighter future”(qtd. in Winterer 20). However, in broad brush terms, the definition

Poetry as a literally work in which the expression of ideas and feelings is given strength has had great authors overtime who took different perspectives in this genre of literature. These poets used distinctive rhythm and style to express their styles, poetic themes, outlook on life, and had their share of influence on the American society. This paper uses the basis of these styles, themes, outlook on life and subsequent influence on the American society to compare three prolific poets who ventured into this literature genre: Robert Frost, Mary Oliver, and Maya Angelou. Robert Frost (1874-1963) holds a unique and almost sole position in the career span which mostly encompasses

     The voice of one person can send a profound sound into the hearts of people to help liberate one’s mind. That profound sound is seen through poetry. The creative structure and style of poetry creates a different form of writing that can either have rhythm, alliteration or have a direct message. In the poem “I Too Sing America”, by Langston Hughes had a significant message in that he desired to voice his expression on the issue of black oppression in America. Langston basic themes focused on the American Dream and the possibilities of hope and advancement were constantly present in his poetry. The tension between the unrealized dream and the realities of the black experience in

We have produced marvelous pieces of art, dynamic architecture, discovered intelligent theories and ideas, even created significant clothing, jewelry and a multitude of other things. We possess a vast amount of talent that ranges from singers, dancers, writers, entertainers, musicians, poets, actors and actresses. One of my favorite pastimes is poetry. But in order to understand my passion for poetry we must first understand the origins of poetry, and learn about some of the notable African American poets of the past who have paved the way. There are many great African American artists that were very talented poets. Artists such as Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Gwendolyn Bennett are just a few African Americans who had a momentous influence on writing and poetry in our culture.

As the new world struggled to gain impendence from its mother country, Britain, native authors also try to develop their own style of writings. It quickly became evident that the search for a native literature became a national obsession. Then with the triumph of American independence, many at the time saw this as a divine sign that America and her people were destined for greatness. Greatness came with a strong nation and thousands of poems and stories that still shape our nation. The recent revolution greatly expressed the heart of the American people. However, it would take another fifty years of development throughout American before it produced the first great generation of American writers such as, Washington Irving, Ralph

Unity within colonies was extremely strong because it was assembled in a primal urge for survival. The colonists were in this entirely new land, so it was natural they would stick together to the familiar, and therefore build strong bonds and loyalty to their colony. Exclusion also excellently describes early America because of the way colonies expelled their own people if they did not follow the colony's strict ‘rules' of life. The primary source documents; "City upon a Hill", "Ann Hutchinson's Trial", "Founding Of The Iroquois League", and "The Mayflower Compact" are all brilliant examples of this contradictory yet surprisingly honest view of early American history. Early American History should be remembered as

"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 pursuit of happiness," says the Declaration of Independence. This phrase encompasses three major values shown throughout early American literature. The strong belief in religion, freedom, and a strong will for a better life. Each piece had one or more of these themes within them.

The American Renaissance is a tangent of the heavy Romanticism that influenced America prior, and expands upon the growing interest of the common man. The Period had writers of the Transcendentalist belief, who aspired to become larger than life itself; to ascend onto the level of a deity, and to break free from a dangerous world full of adversary. Their Dream of Ascendance, their goal of becoming independent, is the one thought that was fully realized throughout this period. The Transcendentalists at the time embraced being different, allowing themselves to become distant from the people by welcoming what was already there; nature. The period also offered the alternative view; the highly cynical attitude towards humans gave another outlook that shows how far humanity has to go to achieve this goal. The American Dream of Self-Reliance expresses itself the most during The American Renaissance; with writers such as Emerson and Thoreau showing the beliefs of the Transcendentalists both physically and philosophically, leading to the ascendance of the individual in independence.

As a young woman, Dickinson started to read works of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. While she doesn’t exactly fall in the category of the Transcendentalists, her work was influenced quite deeply by Emerson and Thoreau. Dickinson started to write her poems in the Romanticism time period, although her work does seem to be transcendental. Her most productive work was set around the Civil War, where she

This poem reflects these emotions. The verses are categorized by a fleetness of movement which reflects on the poet's enthusiasm, fervor, and passion. Whitman praised the newness and diversity that he believed America represented during Whitman’s life as a poet. He also celebrated the ideals of camaraderie, unity, and solidarity.

Dickinson wrote of her own thoughts, her own interpretations, her own poetry. Therefore, who are we as people to try and categorize her work? The connection to the Transcendental ideology through her work relies on that fact alone. As Emerson wrote in “American Scholar,” to be a truly knowledgeable man, the scholar must take what they’ve learned through books and what they have learned from another man’s knowledge and do something more with it. They must make it into something of their own

Early American literature does a tremendous job of revealing the exact conditions and challenges that were faced by the explorers and later by the colonists of the New World. From early shipwrecks to the later years of small colonies barely surviving through dreadful winters, the literary works of the time period focus on some very recognizable themes. The theme of any given work – being simply the unifying subject or idea – is a very important element of any piece of writing. As one reviews some of this early literature, it becomes obvious that several themes appear repeatedly, and it is these subjects that were clearly very common among people from all over the New World. While a number of themes

The American Renaissance was a revolution for literature and writers in America itself that emphasized cultural authority. The American Renaissance took place throughout the nineteenth century, primarily in the early segment of this era. According to, The Norton Anthology of American Literature, “the idea of American Renaissance has been so influential in part of the literature of this time period, and was crucial to the development of American literary traditions” (4). This created a diverse movement apart of the American Renaissance reform called, Transcendentalism. The Transcendentalism period which outlined majority of the Renaissance, was led by writer, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Transcendentalism is largely defined by the ideals of, religion, self reliance, civil disobedience, individualism, idealism, nonconformity, and nature. Emerson outlined the reform and countless parts of these Transcendentalism ideals, for writers soon to follow this movement. The Norton Anthology of American Literature, presents Emerson’s language as, “…no American writer who placed greater importance on the reader’s active interpretive role in generating new meanings and new ways of seeing the world” (214). Ralph Waldo Emerson’s language was a formation composed of idealism and a philosophical literary movement. Founding father Ralph Emerson, contributed to Transcendentalism by the primary ideals of Nature, and Individualism. These ideals are all exhibited in Emerson’s essays, “Nature”,

In America, the American Renaissance was the period in 1835-1880 in which United States literature came of age as an expression of a national spirit. Literature became one of the most historically significant effects that occurred throughout the time period of the American Renaissance. The American Renaissance is also characterized by renewed national self-confidence new ideas and technologies. Politically and economically, this era coincides with the Gilded Age and the New Imperialism. By the end of the eighteenth century, Enlightenment secularism made profound progress into American thoughts. “…the United States in the nineteenth century was an infant republic swaddled in the rational ideas of the Enlightenment.” (Tindall 492) The

To quote the definition of Transcendentalism, “transcendentalism was an intellectual movement that directly or indirectly affected most of the writers of the New England Renaissance.” Emily Dickinson was a well known poet around the 1800’s. Dickinson was known to be a private person and most of her work was done while she excluded herself from people outside of her friends and family. However Dickinson did write most of her poetry without the influence of others. Her poetry was known to be alive and an unconventional style. Although Emily Dickinson's poetry was not published until the 1950’s, she put some ideas of transcendentalism in her poetry. For example, some of Dickinson's poetry with some specks of transcendentalism is “Hope” is the thing with feathers-”, “A narrow fellow in the grass” and “I never saw a Moor-”. Although Dickinson did not unveil