American Literature From 1600 Through The 1850s

Fiercely nationalistic, the first prominent American writers exhibited a profound pride in the territory that would come to be known as the United States. Predating even the Declaration of Independence, much early American writing entailed commentary on the newly developing American society. This volume examines the literature of the country in its nascence and writers such as Poe, Hawthorne, and Emerson, who helped cultivate a uniquely American voice.

Traces the progress of the written word as America was evolving as a nation.

Explores the works, writers, and movements that shaped the American literary canon from the end of the nineteenth century through the first half of the twentith.

Explores the works and writers from post World War II America to today, including Stephen Crane, Arthur Miller, and Allen Ginsberg.

Provides an understanding of the events and cultural differences shaping these nations' texts, the lives of their writers, and the impact of Spanish and Latin American literature.

Introduces the elements considered essential to English literature, in which writing became more personal and had a new sense of humanity.

Details the evolution of literature during a period representing a staggering amount of change, moving from one-dimensional action stories and religious lessons to stories with subtleties of plot and character development.

As the British empire expanded ever outward, English writers of the 19th and early 20th centuries such as Charles Dickens, T.S. Eliot, and Virginia Woolf turned their gaze inward to matters of ethical and moral import. Modern writers continue to examine British identity by reformulating and reinventing literary movements and devices introduced by their predecessors. Readers of this volume are invited to observe the progression of English literature and enjoy the stories behind some of the most seminal works in the world.