The Influence of American Romantic Literature
Foreign literary masters, especially British literary masters, have exerted great influence on American writers. American writers inherited the same cultural tradition as Britain and formed the same romantic style as Britain. Owen, Cooper, Edgar Allan Poe, Fraineau and Bryant all opposed the literary style and literary trend of thought in the classical period and created a relatively new novel and poetic form. In most American literary works of this period, literary imagination and emotional factors are generally emphasized, and vivid description, exotic expression, sensory experience and supernatural power description are emphasized. American writers pay special attention to the free expression of feelings and the psychological description of characters. The hero in the work is sensitive and excited. Paying attention to the expression of individuals and ordinary people is a strong tendency in the works of this period, which has almost become the belief of Americans. The works of Ferlaino, Brest and Cooper have a strong interest in the description of objective nature. In the theme of "Imperial Ruins", Frinault vividly describes the past scenes, while Brent's description of prehistoric Indians in the Great Lakes region of North America is fascinating. Owen's ingenious use of the legend of the Hudson River is perfect, and Cooper's long historical novels are in-depth and meticulous. Generally speaking, the literature of The Romantic Period in the United States inherited the British literary tradition and started the trend of American literature.
Although American literature was influenced by foreign literature, the famous literary works of this period showed American romanticism. Western Development is an excellent example for American writers to express their country. They described many natural scenery in the United States: virgin forests, vast plains, boundless grasslands, vast seas and so on. These natural scenes have become symbols of people's character, and formed the tradition of leaving the world and returning to nature in American literature. These traditions can be found in Cooper's Tales of Leather Socks, Thoreau's Walden Lake and later Kyle? Twain's Harburg? The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has made it clear. With the growth of American national consciousness, American characters in novels and poems use local dialects more and more obviously. The works mostly show farmers, poor people, children and uneducated people, as well as red people and white people who are uneducated but noble-minded. American Puritanism, as a cultural heritage, has had a great influence on American moral concepts and left a clear mark on American literature. An obvious manifestation is that compared with European literature, American literature has a strong moral tendency. In the works of young writers such as Hawthorne and Melville, the original sin thought of Calvinism and the mystery of sin have been fully demonstrated.
American Romantic Literature Movement is a Transcendentalist Movement in New England. The movement began in the Transcendentalist Club in New England in the 1930s. At first, this transcendentalism was only put forward for New Englanders. It is aimed at the cold, rigid rationalism of the only monotheistic Sect in Boston. Later, it gradually influenced the whole country, especially in the senior intellectuals and literary circles. The main representatives of Transcendentalism literature are Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, whose works have exerted great influence on American literature. Transcendentalism "recognizes that human beings have the instinctive ability to understand or know the truth and can acquire knowledge beyond the senses". Emerson once said, "Only the dignity of human mind is the most sacred." Transcendentalism also believes that nature is sublime and individuals are sacred, so people must help themselves.
During this period, many writers emerged, such as Philip Freneau, william cullen bryant, henry wadsworth longfellow, James Russell Lowell, john green Lifu Whittle and Allen? Edgar allan poe and walt whitman. Whitman's Leaves of Grass is the most influential poem in America in the19th century. The Romantic Period's novels are full of originality and diversity, such as Washington? Owen's comic book fables, including Allen? Poe's Goethe-style thrillers include Cooper's frontier adventure story, Melville's long narrative, Hawthorne's psychological romance and Rebecca Harding Davis's social reality novel. American romantic writers have different understandings of human nature. Transcendentalists such as Emerson and Thoreau think that human nature is sacred, so it can be perfected, but Hawthorne and Melville think that human nature is a sinner, so moral power is needed to perfect human nature. The Scarlet Letter is a typical reflection of this view. Washington? Irving Whitman.
The representative of American romantic literature
Representative works of figures
Washington? Irving (Father of American Literature), History of new york and Notes on Experience.
Ralph? Huaddo? Emerson discusses nature, self-help and American scholars.
Nathaniel. Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter and Young Brown
Walter. Whitman's Leaves of Grass, listening to American singing, I sing about my charged body and also me.
Herman. Melville's McGrady, Redburn and the White Coat, and his later works Pierre, The Makeup Show of the Liar and Billy Bird.
Edgar allan poe's mystery novel Mao Mu Street Murder: Stolen Letters; Horror novel: the collapse of Asher's old house; Black cat.
A Brief Introduction to American Romantic Literature
The Romantic Period began at the end of18th century and lasted until the outbreak of the Civil War, which was the most important period in the history of American literature. Washington? Irving's Notes on Experience marks the beginning of American Romantic literature, while Whitman's Leaves of Grass is the representative work of The Romantic Period literature. The Romantic Period's literature is a prosperous period of American literature, so it is also called "American Renaissance".