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American literature Article Media Additional Info Article Contents Introduction The 17th century The 18th century The new nation Notable works of the period Poets and poetry Drama and the novel The 19th century Early 19th-century literature American Renaissance New England Brahmins The Transcendentalists New England reformers and historians Hawthorne, Melville, and Whitman From the Civil War to 1914 Literary comedians Fiction and local colourists The naturalists Henry James Critics of the gilded age Henry Adams Poets of the era The 20th century Writing from 1914 to 1945 Experiments in drama The new poetry Fiction Critics of society Hemingway, Faulkner, and Steinbeck Lyric fictionists Literary criticism Socio-literary critics Moral-aesthetic critics After World War II The novel and short story Realism and “metafiction” Southern fiction African American literature New fictional modes The influence of Raymond Carver Multicultural writing Poetry Formal poets Experimentation and Beat poetry “Deep image” poets New directions Autobiographical approaches Drama Miller, Williams, and Albee The Off-Broadway ascendancy Literary and social criticism Literary biography and the “new journalism” Theory Home Literature Literatures of the World American literature Print print Print Please select which sections you would like to print: Table Of Contents Cite verified Cite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook Twitter URL https://www.britannica.com/art/American-literature More Give Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Join Britannica's Publishing Partner Program and our community of experts to gain a global audience for your work! External Websites PBS LearningMedia - Harlem in the 1920s Annenberg Learner - What is American Literature? An Overview United States History - History of Anchorage, Alaska, United States Britannica Websites Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. American literature - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11) American literature - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) WRITTEN BY Walter Blair See All Contributors Professor of English, University of Chicago, 1944–68. Author of Mark Twain and "Huck Finn"; coauthor of America's Humor: Poor Richard to Doonesbury. See Article History American literature, the body of written works produced in the English language in the United States. Top Questions When did American literature begin? Literature has existed in the Americas for as long as the people who lived there have been telling stories. Native American cultures have a rich history of oral literature. Mayan books from as far back as the 5th century are known, and it is believed that the Maya started writing things down centuries before that. As a specific discipline viewed through the lens of European literature, American literature began in the early 17th century with the arrival of English-speaking Europeans in what would become the United States. Read more below: The 17th century Native American literature Learn more about Native American literature. Who are some important authors of American literature? Notable authors of American literature include: John Smith, who wrote some of its earliest works; Phillis Wheatley, who wrote the first African American book; Edgar Allan Poe, a standout of the Romantic era; Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a celebrated poet; Emily Dickinson, a woman who wrote poetry at a time when the field was largely dominated by men; Mark Twain, a master of humour and realism; Ernest Hemingway, a novelist who articulated the disillusionment of the Lost Generation; and Toni Morrison, a writer who centred her works on the black experience and received a Nobel Prize in 1993. What are the periods of American literature? American literature is often divided into five major periods: The Colonial and Early National period (17th century to 1830) The Romantic period (1830 to 1870) Realism and Naturalism (1870 to 1910) The Modernist period (1910 to 1945) The Contemporary period (1945 to present) Read more below: Periods of American Literature Like other national literatures, American literature was shaped by the history of the country that produced it. For almost a century and a half, America was merely a group of colonies scattered along the eastern seaboard of the North American continent—colonies from which a few hardy souls tentatively ventured westward. After a successful rebellion against the motherland, America became the United States, a nation. By the end of the 19th century this nation extended southward to the Gulf of Mexico, northward to the 49th parallel, and westward to the Pacific. By the end of the 19th century, too, it had taken its place among the powers of the world—its fortunes so interrelated with those of other nations that inevitably it became involved in two world wars and, following these conflicts, with the problems of Europe and East Asia. Meanwhile, the rise of science and industry, as well as changes in ways of thinking and feeling, wrought many modifications in people’s lives. All these factors in the development of the United States molded the literature of the country. This article traces the history of American poetry, drama, fiction, and social and literary criticism from the early 17th century through the turn of the 21st century. For a description of the oral and written literatures of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, see Native American literature. Though the contributions of African Americans to American literature are discussed in this article, see African American literature for in-depth treatment. For information about literary traditions related to, and at times overlapping with, American literature in English, see English literature and Canadian literature: Canadian literature in English. American literature key people Frances Lockridge Shelby Steele Quentin Reynolds Lois Lowry Richard Lockridge Tom Lea Mark Twain Emily Dickinson Woody Allen Vincente Minnelli related topics United States Literature African American literature Western literature Slave narrative African American folktale Poet laureate Muckraker National Book Awards Frost Medal Load Next Page Inspire your inbox – Sign up for daily fun facts about this day in history, updates, and special offers. Enter your email Subscribe By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Click here to view our Privacy Notice. Easy unsubscribe links are provided in every email. Thank you for subscribing! 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