American Literature and Art
Writer or Artist or Reformer Their Work-1 Interesting Fact-2
Writer or Artist or Reformer Their Work-1 Interesting Fact-2
Writer or Artist or Reformer Their Work-1 Interesting Fact-2
Put notes here
Leaving Europe Behind In the 1800 s, excited by nationalism and Jacksonian democracy, Americans closed the door on European influence in the arts and initiated their own style to produce great American works of art.
Romanticism The movement believed that art and books should cause a strong emotion. It placed new emphasis on such emotions as love, fear, horror, terror and awe. It stressed the individual. Our ability to imagine, create, and feel deep emotion. It drew inspiration from nature. A romantic character would be a character that was a gifted, perhaps misunderstood loner, creatively following his heart rather than the things society would tell him to do. American writers turned their interest in nature into a celebration of the American wilderness An example of this is The Last of the Mohicans. A story of man alone in the wilderness
Transcendentalism Transcendentalism is a quest for truth. It taught that people could find the truth within themselves through feeling and intuition. And one of the best ways to find this truth is to communicate with Nature, and also to search inside one's self. It stressed individual introspection and found society as a whole to be a destructive force towards personal freedom. Another belief is that God can be found in all things, especially Nature.
Basic Beliefs: 1. Quest for truth 2. Individualism 3. Strong connection to Nature 4. Dislike of materialism 5. Must rely on intuition 6. Self-Reliance "Men for the sake of getting a living forget to live." -Margaret Fuller "Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." -Emerson
Authors Most authors in the 1800 s lived in the Northern states. Maine Longfellow Connecticut Stowe New York Irving, Cooper, Melville, and Whitman Massachusetts Emerson, Hawthorne, Poe, Thoreau, and Dickinson
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 1. Wrote Evangeline and The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere 2. Brought American history to life. The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere Listen my children and you shall hear Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere, On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five; Hardly a man is now alive Who remembers that famous day and year. He said to his friend, "If the British march By land or sea from the town to-night, Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch Of the North Church tower as a signal light,-- One if by land, and two if by sea; And I on the opposite shore will be, Ready to ride and spread the alarm Through every Middlesex village and farm, For the country folk to be up and to arm."
Harriet Beecher Stowe 1. Wrote Uncle Tom s Cabin (1852) 2. Told Americans about the evils of slavery. Convinced many Americans to fight against slavery So you re the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war, said Abraham Lincoln when he met Stowe in 1862.
Washington Irving 1. Wrote Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. 2. His books showed the dignity & resourcefulness of men and their ability to succeed despite great odds. Considered one of America s greatest writers. He was America s first writer that gained international attention. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4dudhggise&list=pld71a0efb844371ee Rip Van Winkle At this critical moment a fresh, likely woman pressed through the throng to get a peep at the gray-bearded man. She had a chubby child in her arms, which, frightened at his looks, began to cry. Hush, Rip, cried she, hush, you little fool, the old man won t hurt you. The name of the child, the air of the mother, the tone of her voice, all awakened a train of recollections in his mind. What is your name, my good woman? asked he. Judith Gardenier. And your father s name? Ah, poor man, his name was Rip Van Winkle; it s twenty years since he went away from home with his gun, and never has been heard of since his dog came home without him; but whether he shot himself, or was carried away by the Indians, nobody can tell. I was then but a little girl. Rip had but one question more to ask; but he put it with a faltering voice: Where s your mother? Oh, she too had died but a short time since; she broke a blood vessel in a fit of passion at a New England peddler. There was a drop of comfort, at least, in this intelligence. The honest man could contain himself no longer. He caught his daughter and her child in his arms. I am your father! cried he Young Rip Van Winkle once old Rip Van Winkle now! Does nobody know poor Rip Van Winkle! All stood amazed, until an old woman, tottering out from among the crowd, put her hand to her brow, and peering under it in his face for a moment, exclaimed, Sure enough! it is Rip Van Winkle it is himself. Welcome home again, old neighbor. Why, where have you been these twenty long years?
James Fenimore Cooper 1. Wrote The Spy, and The Leatherstocking Tales, a series of five tales, the most famous one being The Last of the Mohicans. 2. His books showed the life of pioneers and the frontier. It displayed the dignity, resourcefulness of man, and his ability to succeed in spite of great odds.
Herman Melville 1. Wrote the novel Moby Dick, 2. Considered America s greatest novel
Walt Whitman 1. He published his poems in nine editions called Leaves of Grass. 2. Considered America s greatest poet. 1861 ARM'D year! year of the struggle! No dainty rhymes or sentimental love verses for you, terrible year! Not you as some pale poetling, seated at a desk, lisping cadenzas piano; But as a strong man, erect, clothed in blue clothes, advancing, carrying a rifle on your shoulder, With well-gristled body and sunburnt face and hands--with a knife in the belt at your side, As I heard you shouting loud--your sonorous voice ringing across the continent;
Henry David Thoreau 1. He was a transcendentalist who wrote Walden, a tale about his two year experiment of living on lake Walden. 2. 1846, arrested for not paying state poll tax. Did it to protest the Mexican War. Civil Disobedience. Encouraged others to do same
If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. - Henry David Thoreau - Walden
Ralph Waldo Emerson 1. Wrote Self Reliance. 2. Leader of the Transcendental movement. He was America s favorite philosopher
Nathaniel Hawthorne 1. Wrote The Scarlet Letter. 2. The novel explores the good and evil in a Puritan New England town.
Edgar Allen Poe 1. Wrote The Tell-Tale Heart, Lenore, The Raven 2. He was a master of detective and mystery stories. He also wrote poetry. The Raven Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. `'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door - Only this, and nothing more.'
Emily Dickinson 1. She was a poet, but only published a few poems in her life time. 1,800 poems were published in 1890 after her death. 2. She is considered one of America s greatest poets. We never know how high we are Till we are called to rise And then if we are true to form Our statures touch the skies
Noah Webster 1. Created American dictionary. Made it so that we all spelled words alike instead of just how they sounded to us. 2. Now we have OUR own dictionary with OUR definitions and OUR spellings. Color (American) Colour (British)
Louis Braille 1. Blind student who invented Braille language. 2. Now blind people can read and write for themselves! They can be independent!
Hudson River Schools The Oxbow by Thomas Cole, is a fine example of Hudson River School art 1. Famous for painting natural landscapes 2. Artists in the 1800s created an American style of painting leaving Europe behind. They painted landscapes using the vast American wilderness for inspiration.
John James Audubon 1. Painted pictures of the wild animals in North America. (Mostly Birds) 2. Much of our knowledge of wildlife during that time come from his work.
Battle Hymn of the Republic 1. Written by Julia W. Howe during the Civil War. 2. She wrote it on a dare from a friend when they heard Union soldiers singing a popular song called John Brown s Body. She decided to put the tune to more spiritual lyrics. It became the most popular song sung by Union soldiers during the Civil War. The line that made this a popular song during the Civil War was Let us die to make men free. A direct statement by the North that it was time to fight to free the slaves. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asvh4s-4scq&feature=related Sung by Whitney Houston in a concert for our troops http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_480212&v=oftnvebaso o&feature=iv&src_vid=ufh0oy6vit4 Sung to a montage of war movies from Patriot to Vietnam
Put notes here
Writer or Artist or Reformer Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Harriet Beecher Stowe Washington Irving James Fenimore Cooper Their Work-1 Evangeline and The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere Uncle Tom s Cabin (1852) Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The Spy, and The Leatherstocking Tales, The Last of the Mohicans. Interesting Fact-2 Brought American history to life. Told Americans about the evils of slavery. Books showed the dignity & resourcefulness of men & their ability to succeed despite great odds Also showed the dignity & resourcefulness of man & his ability to succeed in spite of great odds.
Henry David Thoreau Walden 1846, arrested for not paying state poll tax. Did it to protest the Mexican War. Civil Disobedience. Encouraged others to do same Ralph Waldo Emerson Self Reliance. Leader of the Transcendental movement. He was America s favorite philosopher Writer or Artist or Reformer Their Work-1 Interesting Fact-2 Herman Melville Moby Dick, Considered America s greatest novel. Walt Whitman poems in nine editions called Leaves of Grass. Considered America s greatest poet.
Writer or Artist or Reformer Their Work-1 Interesting Fact-2 Nathaniel Hawthorne The Scarlet Letter. The novel explores the good and evil in a Puritan New England town. Edgar Allen Poe Emily Dickinson Noah Webster Louis Braille The Tell-Tale Heart, Lenore, The Raven Poet. 1,800 poems were published in 1890 after her death. Created American dictionary. invented Braille language. master of detective and mystery stories. wrote poetry. considered one of America s greatest poets. Now we have OUR own dictionary with OUR definitions and OUR spellings Now blind people can read and write for themselves!
Writer or Artist or Reformer Their Work-1 Interesting Fact-2 Hudson Valley Schools Landscapes Artists in 1800s created an American style of painting. They painted landscapes using the vast American wilderness for inspiration. John James Audubon Battle Hymn of the Republic pictures of the wild animals in North America Written by Julia W. Howe during the Civil War Much of our knowledge of wildlife during that time come from his work. Became the most popular song sung by Union soldiers during the Civil War.