American Romanticism

LT: American Romanticism: 1830-1860.  In this course students will embark on a wild ride through the canon of mid-nineteenth-century American literature. During this literary odyssey, we'll explore both land and sea in the company of several great American writers: Cooper, Emerson, Fuller, Thoreau, Poe, Hawthorne, Melville, Whitman and Dickinson. Our discussions will highlight the broad philosophical shift from the Enlightenment to Romanticism; the tension between transatlantic contexts and American literary nationalism; the emergence of new forms of environmental aesthetics; and the political agenda of a generation of writers who were committed to radical projects of social reform, sexual freedom and racial equality.  Prerequisite: ENG 250.  Fulfills HU Distribution (2013 curriculum).