American Poetry and the Boston Brahmins

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Questions and Answers

What did Poe believe was the primary goal of poetry?

To create pleasure (correct)

To express happiness

To convey truth

To entertain readers

Which statement about Longfellow is correct?

He was part of the Bloomsbury group.

He was the most famous member of the Boston Brahmins. (correct)

He rejected religious themes in his later works.

He wrote primarily about political themes.

What was unique about Emily Dickinson's poetry during the Civil War Era?

It explicitly mentioned the war events.

It often involved light-hearted subjects.

It did not refer to great national events. (correct)

It focused on international themes.

What did Mark Twain mean by the term 'Gilded Age'?

An era with a thin layer of wealth masking deeper issues (B) Signup and view all the answers

What literary movement did William Dean Howells help establish?

Realism (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is true regarding the Boston Brahmins?

They considered Boston as the thinking center of the continent. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following works is NOT attributed to Mark Twain?

Leaves of Grass (D) Signup and view all the answers

Holmes is known for which contribution to literature?

Creating the term 'Brahmins' for a literary group (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is a defining characteristic of naturalism in literature?

It uses detailed realism to explore human behavior shaped by environment. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which author is known as the first American naturalist?

Stephen Crane (A) Signup and view all the answers

How does Henry James's approach to realism differ from that of naturalists?

He observed psychological aspects rather than societal conditions. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What was Howells’s view on romantic literature?

It distracts people from life's challenges and responsibilities. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What did Henry Adams mean by 'Chaos is the law of nature; order, the dream of man'?

The natural world operates under unpredictable forces. (B) Signup and view all the answers

According to Howells, what should novels strive to achieve?

They should provoke thought and inspire social responsibility. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes realism from naturalism?

Naturalism incorporates scientific justifications for behavior. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What challenges did writers face regarding individual responsibility in the changing societal context?

They questioned the feasibility of making moral choices. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What concept did Nietzsche introduce that emphasizes the desire to control oneself and one's environment?

Will to power (D) Signup and view all the answers

What criticism did Van Wyck Brooks bring to the attention of American writers?

The growth and freedom of the spirit were stifled. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following literary movements emerged after Brooks' criticism?

New realism (A) Signup and view all the answers

What did the critics mean by the phrase 'death of puritanism' in American literature?

A movement towards more honest discussions of human sexuality. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon characterized the Turn of the Century in American literature?

A shift away from European influence. (B) Signup and view all the answers

How did Freud's lecture series impact American artists?

It provided both liberation and inspiration. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What was a common criticism of American literature prior to the new realism?

It lacked moral complexity. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which idea from Darwin influenced the writing styles of authors during the Turn of the Century?

Survival of the fittest. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Edgar Allan Poe

Focus was on sound over content in his poems.
Poetry aimed for "pleasure" rather than truth, with "pleasure" being a feeling of gentle sadness.

Boston Brahmins

A group of aristocratic Boston writers.
Came from wealthy, established Boston families.
Admired English literature but considered Boston the intellectual center of America
Key members included Longfellow, Holmes, James, and Lowell.

Longfellow

The group's most famous member.
Later in life, his writings shifted toward religious themes.

Holmes

Invented the term "Brahmins" to describe the group.
Known for his humorous "light verse"

The Civil War and the “Gilded Age”

A time of social and cultural change in America.

Walt Whitman

His life's work was "Leaves of Grass".
Freed American poets from traditional English writing styles.

Emily Dickinson

An influential New England poet who wrote during the Civil War era.
Her works did not directly address the war or other major national events.

Mark Twain

Best exemplified the literary characteristics of the Gilded Age.
He redefined the Mississippi River from Dickens’ "horrible ditch" into a symbol of the human journey.
Author of "The Gilded Age" and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn".
Coined the term "Gilded Age" to describe the period of apparent wealth and prosperity in the U.S. that hid social issues like crime and injustice.

Realism and Naturalism

A shift towards depicting reality without romanticizing it.
Focused on the everyday, the common, and the negative as well as positive.

William Dean Howells

Pioneer of American Realism.
Advocated for a literature that reflected real life and encouraged social change.
Hated romantic literature like Frank Stockton's historical romances.
Deemed realist novels should stimulate thought and incite social responsibility.

Naturalism

Branch of realism that emphasizes the influence of social conditions and environment on human character.
Based on scientific principles.
Used detailed realism in depictions.
French novelist Emile Zola pioneered Naturalism.
Theorized that social, economic, and psychological factors determine human choices.

Stephen Crane

Considered the first American Naturalist.

Henry James

Author of "The Portrait of a Lady", the best of his middle period.
Psychological realist focused on inner life and observation of the mind.
Less interested in social conditions than Howells and other naturalists.

Henry Adams

Member of the Boston Brahmin group.
Felt saddened by the decline of old Boston aristocracy and the rise of wealthy businessmen.
Found modern life too complex for traditional 19th-century education.
Believed "chaos" is the law of nature and that individual agency is limited.

Friedrich Nietzsche

Influential thinker whose ideas impacted American literature.
Explained the "will to power" – a desire for control within each individual.
Saw this will as "beyond good and evil".

The New Realism & The Turning Point in American Literature

Brooks and other critics recognized the need for self-criticism in American literature.
Led to "new realism", which emphasized honesty and truthfulness in portraying American life.
Broke away from traditional puritanical values and embraced the exploration of sexuality.
Sigmund Freud's lectures on psychology were a significant influence on this movement.

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Description

Explore the influential poets and writers of the American literary scene, particularly focusing on Edgar Allan Poe, Walt Whitman, and Emily Dickinson. Learn about the impact of the Boston Brahmins and the cultural changes during the Civil War and Gilded Age. This quiz delves into the themes, styles, and key figures that shaped American poetry.