American Lit Authors (Pt 1) Flashcards
Known as the “Father of American History”; wrote “Of Plymouth Plantation”, an eyewitness account of the pilgrim’s journey to the New World
William Bradford
Wrote about Indian adventures, explorations, Pocahontas; his book “A True Relation of Virginia” is the first book in American literature
Captain John Smith
Name the 3 Puritan poets:
Anne Bradstreet, Michael Wigglesworth, Edward Taylor
First published poet in America and first colonist to write a sizable body of verse (noted for first collection of verse by an American woman); wrote “Verses upon the Burning of Our House” and “The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America”
Anne Bradstreet
Wrote “The Day of Doom”, the first bestseller in America
Michael Wigglesworth
Wrote “Meditation One” and “Huswifery”
Edward Taylor
Wrote “An Ecclesiastical History of New England”
Cotton Mather
Led Great Awakening; preached “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”; writing themes are regard distinguishing true religions experience from false (religious knowledge must be in heart, not head)
Jonathan Edwards
Wrote “Poor Richards Almanac”
Benjamin Franklin
Wrote “Common Sense” and “The American Crisis”
Thomas Paine
Wrote the “Declaration of Independence”
Thomas Jefferson
Wrote famous addresses (speeches) and letters
George Washington
Who were the writers of the Federalist papers?
James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay
Poet of the American Revolution, wrote bitter satires and political poems, also wrote about the rising glory of America
Philip Freneau
Born in Africa and brought to America as a slave; “On Being Brought from Africa to America” made her the second American woman to publish a volume of poetry
Phyllis Wheatly
Wrote “Webster’s Dictionary”
Noah Webster
Known as “First Man of American Letters”, “Dean of American Literature”, “Inventor of the Short Story”, first American writer to become famous around the world.
Wrote “Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, “Rip Van Winkle”, “The Devil and Tom Walker”.
Washington Irving
Could be considered America’s first novelist (writings highly romantic because of their frontier setting); known for “The Leather stocking Tales”, “The Deer Slayer”, “The Pathfinder”, “The Last of the Mohicans”(all of which follow Natty Bumpo’s adventures
James Fenimore Cooper
Known as “Father of American Poetry” and “America’s First Great Poet of Nature”
William Cullen Bryant
Invented modern detective story and horror tale; known for short stories and poetry (which was extremely melodic and had an eerie quality)
Poems- “The Raven”, “Annabel Lee”, “To Helen”
Short Stories- “The Tell-Tale Heart”, “Murders in the Rue Morge”, “Masque of the Red Death”, “The Fall of the House of Usher”
Edgar Allan Poe
Worked from his Puritan heritage, developed thems of sin and guilt; created “allegories of the heart” e.g “The Scarlet Letter” (best known novel) and “Young Goodman Brown” (short story)
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Ranked as one of America’s top novelists; wrote the first great romances about the South Seas- “Moby Dick” (America’s greatest prose epic), “Billy Budd”, “Bartleby” (short stories)
Herman Melville
Wrote “Evangeline”, “Song of Hiawatha”, “Paul Revere’s Ride”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Wrote “Snowbound” and “Ichabod Crane”
John Greenleaf Whittier
Wrote “The Courtin”
James Russell Lowell
Wrote “Old Ironsides”, “The Last Leaf”, “The Chambered Nautilus”
Oliver Wendell Holmes
Founder of transcendentalism; wrote “Concord Hymn” and “Self-Reliance”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Most ardent follower of Emerson, came closest to following teachings of transcendentalism, his novels stressed his experiment in self-sufficient living. Wrote “Civil Disobedience” (essay)
Henry David Thoreau
