Perspectives in American Literature - Essay Example

Perspectives in American Literature Introduction American Literature is very enriched and vast. It captivates myriad dynamics of the multicultural and multilingual society of America. If one has to understand the effect of contemporary time on literature, then the abbeys of the American Literature is the best place to perceive the effects that time and society have on literature. An in-depth study of the history of American literature would launch into culmination of tracing of America’s three most influential and dynamic philosophies that helped in framing a different genre of American literature altogether. Romanticism, transcendentalism and Puritanism in American literature have far-reaching effects. These three philosophies are not only interlinked with each other but also are complementary to each other. These three distinct philosophies are crafted out of life and reflect the contemporary course of action that took place in the American society. Thesis Statement Romanticism, transcendentalism and Puritanism were highly influenced and interrelated with each other. This essay intends to trace the effect of these philosophies in American literature and the way they have been crafted out from each other. Romanticism in America American literature found its base on the pillars of colonialism. The romantic period in American literature initiated prior to the outbreak of the civil war and continued during the outbreak years as well. The romantic period in American literature roughly extended from the year 1850 to 1865. This period in American literature is marked by extreme optimism in the American front line and it envisaged the growth of individuals through immense potential and manifestation of destiny. This was the period where the ceaseless growth of America as a nation was perceived. This socio-historical condition was instrumental in documenting the loss of Native American land and culture along with the record of the conditions of African American and Native American slaves in the literature. Transcendentalism in American Literature Transcendentalism is viewed as a major movement in the philosophy and literature of America that evolved and reached its pinnacle during first half of the nineteenth century. It was initiated in the church as a reform movement and it began in the Unitarian church. It was based on the views of William Ellery Channing and his extended thought on indwelling God who was viewed as a source of intuitive thought. The philosophy was formed on the belief that a monism holds the unity of the world and relates it with the God. This monism is also responsible for the immanence of the God in the Universe. Transcendentalists viewed that the individual souls are identical with the soul of the universe and are manufactured of what exactly the world is made of. Transcendentalists also believed in Calvinism ancestry of early seventeenth and eighteenth century. The Unitarian philosophy levied optimum thrust on the stability, brotherhood, peace, morality, liberty and progression. It also laid stress on classical learning and rational thought process. All these virtues that evolved with the philosophy of transcendentalism and progressed with the Unitarian society found a profound impression in the literature of America. Puritanism in American Literature Puritans had a very long lasting effect on the society of America. The effect of the Puritans in American society lasted until 1728. This was the period when then central attention of the country started shifting towards South. The Puritans had faith on the “innate depravity of man” and believed that some of them, only the persons who were elected or chosen were supposed to have good relationship with God. This phenomenon was reflected in literature and a new genre of literature in the canon of American literature evolved. Influence of Romanticism, Transcendentalism and Puritanism on Each Other and Development of American Literature During the romantic period in America, number of writings and journals by White settlers documented slave narratives along with the injustice inflicted upon slaves which highlighted the loop holes of the institution. During this period many writers employed surreal imagery in their writing to make it picturesque. Descriptive narration was very much poignant and prevalent. The authors therefore took the refuge of the nature that they believed as the healer of all pains and agonies. They also hold the vision that nature is capable of transporting mankind into a sublime plane along with a staunch belief in God. Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry David Thoreau are two of the most prominent and celebrated writers during this period. Thoreau in his epoch making book, “Walden, Where I Lived, and What I Lived For” remarked, “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary.”(Thoreau, “Walden: Or Life in the Woods”, Pg-63). This philosophy can be perceived as a transcendental philosophy as well but the most prominent writers of the transcendental era in America literature is Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson. Whitman remarked his transcendental philosophy in his “Preface to Leaves of Grass, 1855”, “Here is not merely a nation but a teeming nation of nations. Here is action untied from strings necessarily blind to particulars and details magnificently moving in vast masses” (Whitman, “Leaves of Grass: The First Edition”, Pg-5). These lines indicate the unification of the individual with the cosmic and unity of both the identities at a greater paradigm. Idealism and Pragmatism constructed the themes of the Puritan literature in America and this course of writing theme was pertinent in the literature that culminated in America from 1650. Conclusion Romanticism, transcendentalism and Puritanism are three distinct phases in American literature that provide a very strong indication to the American literature and culture. The literature of these periods also captivates the true essence of time and makes it ephemeral and universal. All three phases are interlinked to each other and clearly are culminated out of one another which efficiently complement and comprehend the American culture and society. References Thoreau, H. D., Walden: Or, Life in the Woods. Forgotten Books, 1927. Whitman, W., Leaves of Grass: The First Edition. Digireads.Com Publishing, 2008. Bibliography Reuben, Paul. “PAL: Perspectives in American Literature - A Research and Reference Guide - An Ongoing Project” December 22, 2010. Chapter 1: American Puritanism: A Brief Introduction. August 18, 2011. Washington State University, “American Transcendentalism”. 1997. Overview. August 18, 2011. Read More