British influence on American writers

Definition

The British influence on American writers refers to the significant impact that British literature, culture, and literary traditions had on the development of American literature from the 18th to the 19th centuries. This influence manifested in various forms, including themes, styles, and genres that American authors adapted and transformed in their own works, reflecting both admiration for and a reaction against British literary norms.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Many early American writers, such as Washington Irving and Edgar Allan Poe, were directly inspired by British authors like Sir Walter Scott and Lord Byron.
2. British Romantic poets influenced American writers through themes of nature and emotion, shaping the direction of American Romanticism.
3. The American Gothic tradition can be traced back to British Gothic novels, with American authors adapting the genre to explore their own cultural anxieties.
4. While many American writers admired British literature, they often sought to differentiate themselves by addressing uniquely American themes such as frontier life and democracy.
5. The rise of nationalism in America during the 19th century prompted writers to redefine their identity in contrast to British influences, leading to a burgeoning sense of American literary independence.

Review Questions

• How did early American writers incorporate British literary elements into their works while developing their unique voices?
  • Early American writers took inspiration from British literature by incorporating similar themes, styles, and genres into their works. For example, Washington Irving was influenced by Sir Walter Scott's narrative techniques but infused his stories with distinctly American settings and characters. This blending allowed them to honor British traditions while also carving out their own unique identities as authors within the context of an emerging American literary scene.
• In what ways did the influence of British Romantic poets shape American writers' exploration of nature and emotion?
  • British Romantic poets such as Wordsworth and Coleridge emphasized the beauty of nature and deep emotional experiences. Their focus inspired American writers like Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson to explore similar themes in their poetry. This led to a heightened appreciation for nature's role in personal expression and an exploration of individual feelings, which became central to American Romanticism and contributed to a distinctly national voice in literature.
• Evaluate the impact of the American Renaissance on the development of a unique American literary identity in response to British influence.
  • The American Renaissance marked a pivotal moment when writers like Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, and Ralph Waldo Emerson began to assert a distinctively American literary identity. While they acknowledged the influence of British literature, they explored themes pertinent to the American experience, such as individualism, morality, and cultural conflict. This movement not only showcased a growing confidence among American authors but also established a foundation for future generations who would further distance themselves from British norms while engaging with their own cultural narratives.

Related terms

Transcendentalism: A philosophical and literary movement that emerged in the early 19th century in America, emphasizing intuition, nature, and individualism as a response to the rationalism of British thought.

Romanticism: A literary movement that originated in Europe and emphasized emotion, nature, and individual experience, influencing American writers to prioritize personal feelings and the beauty of the natural world.

American Renaissance: A period in the mid-19th century marked by a flourishing of American literature and thought, characterized by the emergence of iconic writers who were influenced by British literary traditions but sought to establish a distinctly American voice.