American Literature Worksheets
All About These Worksheets
American literature is a rich tapestry of stories, voices, and ideas that reflect the nation’s history, culture, and identity. This American Literature Worksheets Collection is a curated resource designed to ignite students’ passion for American literary works.
This collection comprises more than 15 worksheets, each meticulously crafted to delve into the depths of American literature, from early colonial writings to contemporary classics. In this description, we will explore the significance of American literature in education and the myriad benefits it offers to students.
A Brief History of American Literature
Between 1870 and 1920, American literature started to grow and become popular. During this time, American writing thematically and stylistically started to differentiate itself from the European tradition to which it had been compared for more than 100 years.
American authors started to gain respect and were seen as intellectual artists decades after the Civil War. Literary critics around the academy started to recognize the sheer intrinsic talent of American prose and poetry.
A Brief History of American Literature: Early Days
After the Civil War, there was a heightened sense of national consciousness among American citizens who had gone through the trauma and come out stronger. The war between the states helped transform the United States from a country that was sectionalized in attitude into a nation that became unified in front of the world so that its regional diversity was converted into its biggest strengths.
Following the Civil War, there were loads of technological advancements that also contributed to the emergence of cultural awareness, especially in American communication and transportation. Previously, there were not many railroads in America, but by 1869, the rail spike helped connect the East and the West, making travel much easier and increasing mobility. This has a critical part to play in the advancement of American Literature as it started reaching a wider audience.
After the Civil War, there were also advancements made in the publishing sector. In the 1870s and 1880s, Americans from different parts of the country started to get subscriptions to newspapers and magazines as their thirst for literature grew. Transportation and the telegraph also made American literature more accessible among distant readers who had been unable to access publications before. By the 1880s, several magazines, like Galaxy, Overland Monthly, Century Magazine, and Scribner’s Monthly.
The Romantic Period (1830-1870)
Romanticism is a way of thinking where the individual is valued over the group, which means that an individual’s emotional response means more than logic, and subjective truth triumphs over objectivity. Romanticism promotes the idea of nature over order that is entirely manufactured. It is a view that western Europe took over during the late 1700s, and American writers accepted it by the early 1800s.
One poem that gained extreme popularity was The Raven, written in 1845. This poem was about lost love and all the gloominess that came with it. The eeriness of the poem was intensified by its rhyming words, becoming an instant hit.
The Transition to Modern American Literature
After World War I, American literature started transitioning to the age of modern sophistication. By 1921, the final volumes of The Cambridge History of American Literature were published, becoming the core of American literary studies.
American authors had had years to organize themselves, and for the first time, they met at the Modern Language Association’s annual meeting as the American Literature Group. Activity in the field of academics also started to soar during this time.
Fred Lewis Pattee published his very first anthology of American literature in 1919, which would become a yearlong survey. In 1925, A
Book of Readings was the first literary anthology made especially for college classrooms that would divide American literature into three forms- Colonial Background, Romanticism, and Realism.
After this period, many literary textbooks were published, welcoming citizens into the modern age of American literature while introducing academic literary studies that would allow American authors and texts to be recognized worldwide, becoming a crucial part of world literature.
The Importance of Studying American Literature To Students
The American Literature Worksheets Collection offers students a gateway into the world of American literature, enabling them to appreciate the depth and diversity of American literary tradition. Beyond enhancing their reading comprehension, these worksheets foster critical thinking, cultural understanding, and language proficiency.
As students engage with literary classics and contemporary gems, they develop the capacity to analyze narratives, explore themes, and connect literature with history and culture. These skills empower them to become not only informed readers but also more empathetic, culturally aware, and analytical thinkers.
Empower your students to explore the tapestry of American literature with confidence, becoming literary enthusiasts who appreciate the nation’s rich literary heritage.
Invest in their educational journey and their future with the American Literature Worksheets Collection. Unlock the doors to literary exploration, one worksheet at a time, and watch as your students become more engaged, enlightened, and culturally literate readers and thinkers.