Unit 4 - A Growing Nation (1800-1840)

What we need to know:

Historical background of the period

How American literature came of age during the period

How to read literature critically

Biographical background of authors for this unit

Plots and themes of all selections

Key Terms:

Romanticism, folk tale, setting, blank verse, the single effect, alliteration, consonance, assonance, frame story, allusion

The Literature:

Washington Irving's "The Devil and Tom Walker," James Fenimore Cooper's excerpt from The Prairie, Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher," "The Raven," " The Bells," "The Oval Portrait," and " To Helen," and William Cullen Bryant's "To a Waterfowl" and "Thanatopsis"

Journal Questions:

1) Define all key terms.

2) Describe the biographical background and contributions of each author from the unit. (at least one paragraph each)

3) How does "The Devil and Tom Walker" exemplify a folk tale? What moral does it attempt to convey? Is the story successful? Is it relevant today?

4) Discuss how the setting of The Prairie contributes to the plot of the story.

5) How are sound devices utilized in "The Raven" ?

6) How is "The Oval Portrait" an example of a frame story? What other examples of frame stories have you read and heard?

Unit Projects:

1) Unit test 100 points