November 28 through December 17

WEEKS SIXTEEN, SEVENTEEN, EIGHTEEN:

Days One, Two, Three, Four, and Five

Unit Theme: A New Nation - Literary Nationalism, 1800 - 1840

"Writers of this period were influenced both by the Romantic Movement and the youthful optimism of a striving nation. By the early 18700s they began to take up native themes, use American locales, and adopt forms and styles that contributed to the development of a distinctive national literature" (The United States in Literature, 39).

Unit Objectives:

To name qualities the American writers of this period shared with the Romantics of England

To point out uniquely American aspects of characters, settings and situations in the literature of the period

To understand the social and economic forces operating as an influence on the nationalistic writers

To give examples of skill in the handling of literary devices by both poets and prose writers that show sophistication in the new literature

To identify and understand some major themes developed by the authors of the period: the frontier character, the nature of heroic action, the beauty of nature, the celebration of the "common man," and the search for freedom

Unit Skills and Concepts: Each student will

Name qualities the American writers of this period shared with the Romantics of England

Point out uniquely American aspects of characters, settings and situations in the literature of the period

Understand the social and economic forces operating as an influence on the nationalistic writers

Give examples of skill in the in the handling of literary devices by both poets and prosodists that show sophistication in the new literature

Identify and understand some major themes developed by the authors of the period: the frontier character, the nature of heroic action, the beauty of nature, the celebration of the "common man," and the search for freedom.

Students will demonstrate the following understanding in writing and class discussion:

How authors employ imagery and figurative language to create mood

How mood relates to purpose

How to recognize and assess patterns in texts (i.e., motifs, syntax, diction, images, themes)

Biographical influences on authorial purpose

The definition of allegory as symbolic representation (symbolism)

The symbolic role of characters in an allegory

How to avoid summary in composing a literary analysis by developing a cogent thesis statement addressing a writing prompt

How to determine the proper voice according to the requirements of a specific writing situation

Providing textual support by integrating quotes

Active versus passive verbs.

Historical Context of the Pre-Romantics

In 1802, July 4, United States Military Academy opens at West Point, New York. Among its cadets will be Ulysses Grant, Robert E. Lee, and Edgar Allan Poe.

In 1803, August 31, Lewis and Clark expedition sets out down the Ohio River.They will complete a three-year journey to the West Coast.

In 1806, Noah Webster issues his Compendious Dictionary of the English Language .

In 1809, Washington Irving publishes History of New York.

In 1814, Francis Scott Key writes "The Star-Spangled Banner."

In 1828, Noah Webster publishes American Dictionary of the English Language.

Genre/Style

  • Short stories, novels, poetry
  • Imagination over reason; intuition over fact
  • The law of the universe was not static but dynamic with change, growth, and development
  • Focused on the fantastic of human experience
  • Writing that can be interpreted two ways: surface and in depth
  • Focus on inner feelings
  • Gothic literature (sub-genre of Romanticism)
    Use of the supernatural
    Characters with both evil and good characteristics
    Dark landscapes; depressed characters

Pre-Romantic Writers

Attacked two long-standing conventions: a poem has to be long, and a poem must teach a lesson

"Irving, Cooper, Bryant, and Poe are entitled to several 'firsts.' They were among the first professional writers in American, and among the first American writers whose works are still widely read. Irving, Cooper, and Poe developed or helped introduce into America such important fictional forms as the tale, the short story, the novel, and the romance. Bryant and Poe gave a new emphasis to the lyrical and musical qualities of poetry. And all four writers were among the first American Romantics" ("First Harvest" Adventures in American Literature - Heritage Edition).