Time Periods of Literature

Literature not only became very personal, but it also opened up the cultural sphere

Authors sometimes used the past boldly

These writings expressed creativity by allowing words to take on many meanings

Looked for the relationship between biblical events and things in their own lives

Writers described the workings of God

Rejected traditional themes, subjects, and forms

Experienced a loss of faith in the American dream

Attempts to depict life accurately, using real life situations, without idealizing it.

Focused on the human mind and how it worked

Rejected extravagant language and used simple diction that showed class distinctions

They admired clarity of expression and avoided complex figures of speech

They rejected the idea of an ideal hero, but accepted flawed heroes

Concentrated on contemporary life and on middle- and lower-class lives in particular

Emphasized the importance of the individual as opposed to the group.

Conviction that intuition, imagination, and emotion are superior to reason

Expressed creativity through combining fiction and non-fiction

There was great representation of diverse cultures in American writing

Experimented with bold new styles and forms of writing, reflecting the fragmentation of society

Believed that poetry was superior to science

These writers also disliked city life and idealized rural life and the wilderness

Bible provided a model for writing