Explore the literary movement that defined mid-19th century American literature, examining works by Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, Melville, Whitman, and Dickinson. Analyze the evolution of poetic forms, the birth of the short story, and the development of the novel while investigating themes of nature, technology, women's roles, and slavery. Engage with key texts that shaped American identity and grapple with the social and political issues of the era through in-depth study of the American Renaissance.
Overview
Syllabus
- Course Introduction
- Unit 1: The American Renaissance in Context
- Unit 2: Continuity and Change in Poetic Form
- Unit 3: The Invention of the Short Story
- Unit 4: The Development of the Novel and its Various Forms
- Unit 5: Nature and Technology: Creating and Challenging American Identity
- Unit 6: The Question of Women's Place in Society
- Unit 7: The Slavery Controversy and Abolitionist Literature
- Study Guide
- Course Feedback Survey
- Certificate Final Exam
