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40,000 BCE
Native Americans
Oral literature about moral lessons, traditions, nature, figurative language. -
Period: to
Puritanism
Diaries and histories about religion and spiritual experiences.
Desire to “purify” the Church of English and Puritans (English Protestants) intended to colonize the New World (America) so they kept diaries and historical accounts of their experiences. -
Period: to
Rationalism
Also called The Age of Reason or The Enlightment.
Philosophers and the search of the truth through reason rather than faith.
Satire and Politics. -
Period: to
Romanticism
Higher value of feelings, intuition, idealism, and faith.
Freedom of individuals.
Gothic style also emerged as a darker style of romanticism. -
Period: to
Transcendentalism
Also called The American Renaissance. Transcendentalist focused on nature and the presence of spiritual aspects, reaching a higher self. In addition, there were the Anti-Transcendentalist who valued logic and reason, and explored darker aspects of human behavior. -
Period: to
Realism
Realistic portray of life without idealization of feelings or romanticism. Description of the environment, everyday struggles, and observations. -
Period: to
Modern period
This period of wealth and power soon became shadowed by two world wars and economic depression. Modern life and its issues were the main theme of literature during this time. -
Period: to
Postmodernism and Contemporary
Multiple interpretations of works. Works combine reality and fiction in current settings. Non-traditional formats arise