American Literary History:
An Overview
Colonial
Revolutionary
Romantic
Realist
Modern
Contemporary?
1400s to 1700s
late 1700s
1780s to 1865
1865-1914
1914-1945
1945-Now(ish)
created by c. andrews
mcmurry university
august 2009


discovery narrative
captivity narrative
history
occasional poetry
sermons & religious poetry
literary production:
didactic
philosophical writing
political writing
autobiography
heroic lyric & narrative poetry
literary production:
political
lyric & narrative poetry
sketch & tale
travel narrative
romance (novels, novellas)
attempts at epic forms
literary production:
"classic"
rise of the short story
journalistic writing
novels
literary magazines
lots of sentimental poetry
literary production:
prolific
short fiction
novel
lyric poetry
genre-bending literary work
literary production:
experimental
traditional & established genres
multimedia
hypertext
shifting canon
too close to generalize
literary production:
diverse