American Literature - Early National Period (1954)

[Music] [Music] the early national period produced the first real literature of america to understand why we must look behind the literature to the early national period itself by 1783 the revolutionary war was over and by 1787 a new nation had appeared on the american continent made up of 13 states along the eastern seaboard with rights to most of the land as far west as the mississippi river the united states of america a new independent nation and what of its people before the end of the revolution john de crevker had written what is an american the american is a new man who acts upon new principles but how could this new man be described what were these new principles these were some of the questions addressed by writers in the new national period but they did not seek the answers in their contemporary america they passed over the exciting events around them the death of george washington the louisiana purchase the war of 1812 the opening of the erie canal the beginnings of steam railroads even our growing centers of trade were neglected such materials to the early national writers did not seem to be subjects for literature instead they found their subjects in the beauties of their land and in the earlier history of their america so we have many of the writings of the early 19th century about events of 17th and 18th century america philip renault who wrote during and after the american revolution found inspiration in america's natural beauty an example of his poetry is the dying elm sweet lovely elm who here dust grow companion of unsocial care no thy dejected branches die amidst this torrid air not great poetry yet it reflected the choice of the american scene it was another writer william cullen bryant who was to describe america's natural beauty in true lyric poetry it is a sultry day the sun has drunk the jew that lay upon the morning grass there is no rustling in the lofty elm that canopies my dwelling and its shade scarce cools me all is silent save the faint and interrupted murmur of the bee thus begins his poem summer wind american nature writing was carried to greatness by bryant in another poem bryant describes a scene on the banks of the hudson cool shades and jews around my way and silence of the early day mid the dark rocks that watch his bed glitters the mighty hudson spread unrippled saved by drops that fall from shrubs that fringe his mountain wall beside the hudson river at terrytown new york stands the home of another major writer in this early national period of american literature this was washington irving at the age of 26. three years earlier irving had written for a new york periodical called salma gandhi now he was famous for his knickerbocker's history of new york in which he made gentle fun of the early dutch inhabitants of new york or new amsterdam as it was called when it was a dutch settlement irving had grown up in new york state he knew the land the rolling hills the majestic hudson and he wrote about them building them into the growing american tradition whoever has made a voyage up the hudson writes irving as he begins rip van winkle must remember the catskill mountains they are a dismembered branch of the appalachian family and are seen away to the west of the river swelling up to a noble height and lording it over the surrounding country irving was a fine artist who was able to capture in words the nostalgic beauties the folk tales and folk traditions of his land this is the setting for the legend of sleepy hollow from the listless repose of the place and the peculiar character of its inhabitants who are descendants from the original dutch settlers this sequestered glenn has long been known by the name of sleepy hollow and its rustic lads are called the sleepy hollow boys throughout all the neighboring country the place still continues under the sway of some witching power that holds a spell over the minds of the good people they are given to all kinds of marvelous beliefs and frequently see strange sights here ichabod crane encountered the headless horseman the ghost of a hessian soldier whose head had been carried away by a cannonball rising from the churchyard the ghost rides forth the knightly quest of his head rushing along the hollow in the gloom of night as if on the wings of the wind washington irving introduced the spirit of romance and humor to american writing while writing about an earlier america he was the first american writer to win recognition in europe he proved that an american could write about america and be a great writer james fenimore cooper was our first important novelist another of the major writers to come out of the early national period cooper grew up near otsego lake in central new york state a region which in the 18th century had been the american frontier [Music] frontier life the indians the frontier scout these cooper introduced to american literature american readers found excitement in his adventurous tales of pioneer america these same themes became subjects for later writers as they wrote of other frontier adventures along the covered wagon trails in the cabins of kentucky in the mining camps of the rockies in the cold stretches of alaska many later writers on into the 20th century have written of days when our land was young stories that followed the pioneer interest aroused by the writings of james fenimore cooper themes of natural american beauty explored by freno and developed by bryant into true lyric poetry led to the works of whittier longfellow lowell thoreau and others up to the present who have found beauty in the american scene washington irving introduced themes of american folklore and humor themes which were to appear again in the writings of mark twain and later authors so it was that this early national period began real american literature as the writers became self-consciously american they established our literary self-reliance [Music]