Key Movements and Authors in American Literary History
Early American Literature and Colonial Foundations
Colonial Beginnings (1584–1660)
- 1584: Walter Raleigh receives a patent from Elizabeth I (failed attempt at colonization).
- 1607: Jamestown, the first permanent English colony in Virginia. Governed by John Smith (associated with Pocahontas).
- 1660: Renewal of interest in colonization.
Puritanism and Early Writers
William Bradford: Separatist and governor. Fled first to Holland. Author of Of Plymouth Plantation.
Puritanism: A religious reform movement in
Read MoreKey Themes and Techniques in Modern American Literature
Robert Frost: Poetic Art and Themes
Analyzing “Fire and Ice”
Robert Frost’s “Fire and Ice” is a very short poem, yet it conveys a deep and serious message. In the poem, Frost discusses two ways the world might end — through fire or through ice. The “fire” symbolizes intense feelings like desire, passion, and greed. The “ice” represents emotions such as hatred, coldness, and apathy. What makes this poem powerful is how Frost uses very simple language to discuss profound and serious
Read MoreThematic Analysis of Miguel Hernández’s Poetry and Style
Structure and Chronology of Miguel Hernández’s Poetry
The collection of poems by Miguel Hernández is composed of 165 poems divided into 14 books, arranged in chronological order and thematically related. These books include:
- Poetry Loose I
- Perito en lunas (Expert on Moons)
- Moons Cycle Environment Expert [This phrase refers to the context of Perito en lunas]
- Poems published in Gallo Crisis and Silves
- Poems belonging to the cycle Violated Silva
- Silva Violated
- Your Fingerprint Image
- The Ray That Does Not
Key Themes and Literary Movements in American Novel History
Symbolism in John Barth’s The Floating Opera
The showboat in The Floating Opera, a novel by John Barth, is a very important symbol that reflects the main character’s philosophical struggles.
The Showboat as a Central Symbol
The showboat represents several aspects of life and existence:
Symbol of Life
The showboat moves constantly from one place to another. This movement symbolizes that life keeps going, just like the boat. Life is always changing, and people are always moving forward.
Symbol of Performance
The
Read MoreAntonio Machado’s ‘To a Dry Elm’: Analysis and Symbolism
Antonio Machado: ‘To a Dry Elm’ (A un olmo seco)
The Poem Text
At the old elm, cleft by lightning
and half-rotten,
with April showers and May sunshine,
few new leaves have emerged.
Elm Hill centenary,
licking the Duero! A yellowish moss
stains the white bark,
the trunk decayed and dusty.
It will not be singing the poplars which
guarding the path and shore,
inhabited by brown nightingales.
Army ants in a row
are climbing it, and deep inside
gray spiders wove their webs.
Rather than throw you, elm of the Duero,
the
The Journey Motif in Literature: From Physical to Inner Worlds
The Physical Journey in Medieval Literature
In the medieval period, the protagonist is often a hero, a demigod, or a divinely protected figure. The knight of virtue, as an incarnation of the values of a theocentric era founded on Christianity, is oriented toward a quest to recover or establish his honor and prove his loyalty to the crown he serves. This was the case for El Cid, who, after being banished, toured Spain and fought against the Moors to gain territories, thus regaining his honor and the
Read More