American-Literature

NON-CONFORMITY Concept outlined by Emerson in “Self-Reliance” and pushed further by Thoreau in “Civil Disobedience.” Non-conform ...

PATHOS A rhetorical appeal to an audience’s emotions. This attempts to persuade an audience to think or act a certain way based ...

POSTMODERNISM An outgrowth of (and reaction to) modernism that further questions the idea of an ultimately knowable truth by ana ...

PURITAN A term used to denote an English Separatist (follower of Calvinism). The Puritans left England in search of religious fr ...

PURITAN PLAIN A term used to describe the writing style of the Puritans. Reflecting their religious belief in simple living, Pur ...

REALISM A literary and artistic movement that attempts to depict subjects faithfully and accurately with as much physical detail ...

RHETORIC a writer’s (or speaker’s) use of formal techniques to entertain, inspire, or persuade an audience. Related Glossary Ter ...

ROMANTICISM An international movement in all arts during the 19th century. Romanticism reacted against the high formalism of pre ...

TRANSCENDENTALISM A uniquely American movement in literature and philosophy formed as a reaction against the Industrial Revoluti ...