American Renaissance Writers
ENG/491
December 19, 2011
Peggy Walls

American Renaissance Writers
The American Renaissance, in literary circles occurred during the middle to late 1800s. “One of the most important influences of the period was that of the transcendentalists” (Britannica, 2011). Major writers during this perid had a common bond. Their platform was ‘an idealic system of thought based on a belief in the essential unity of all creation, the innate goodness of man, and the supremacy of insight over logic and experience for revelation of the deepest truths. (Britannica, 2011). Among these writers and philosophers were many great Americans such as Edgar Allen Poe and Ralph Waldo Emmerson. It is important to note; however, …show more content…

Harriet Beecher Stowe lived through many tragedies in her life. “Stowe experienced for the first time the sorrow many 19th-century parents knew when her 18-month old son, Samuel Charles Stowe, died of cholera. Stowe later credited that crushing pain as one of the inspirations for Uncle Tom's Cabin because it helped her understand the pain enslaved mothers felt when their children were taken from them to be sold” (Harriet Beecher Stowe's Life, 2011). Emily Dickinson lived a reclusive life; thus her works reflect lonliness. “Dickinson's poetry reflects her loneliness and the speakers of her poems generally live in a state of want” (American Transcendentalism Web, 2011). In much the same way, Louisa May Alcott’s writing inspiration was derived from grief and loss experiences along the way throughout her life. “The Alcotts fostered a love and appreciation of nature in each of their daughters. However, during childhood and adolescence, Alcott and her family suffered from poverty and ridicule brought on by an innovative yet inconsistent provider” (Walker, 2010). Her sister died an untimely death and left Louisa to raise her daughter, which turned out to be a positve ending to a strong headed woman’s story of rights and determination.
Conclusion
The time of the American Renaissance was one of great change in the mindset of a traditional, religious, and strong-headed people. It was a time that defined a culture,