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Morgan A. Flowe
Dr. Wanda White-Hill
ENG231
December 2, 2016
American Literature Final Exam

American literature has proven to be a genre that has vastly changed over the past few
centuries. In my opinion, there are three writers in particular who have greatly influenced some
of the renowned literature we admire today. The authors I have chosen are Washington Irving,
Edgar Allan Poe and Emily Dickinson. One thing this trio has in common is that some readers
consider their work as very morbid or ominous. However, I believe that they also brought fourth
personal views of three major themes, life, death and spirituality.
Washington Irving was known as the first American writer of the nineteenth century to
achieve an international literary reputation. (467) Irving gained recognition when he left New
York and traveled to Europe, where he spent most of his adult life. He found inspiration in the
work of Shakespeare, Oliver Goldsmith, Lawrence Sterne and the Spectator papers written by
Joseph Addison. (467) Irving spent years practicing law at the request of his soon to be father in
law but shortly after the death of his fianc Matilda he discovered that his true love was writing.
One of his most famous stories is named after the protagonist of the story Rip Van Winkle who
was known as a kind man who struggled with laziness. The theme of this story is not to let life
pass you by, because things could change in an instant. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow has been

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associated with Halloween because of its dark and mythical nature. The story uses symbols like
the ghost of a headless horseman to show a connection between life and death. I was surprised to
learn that Washington Irving was not only the person who came up with the name Gotham for
New York City, but he was also the first person to describe a saintly character with a flying
sleigh who delivered gifts to children at Christmas time, our modern depiction of Santa Claus.
(McNamara) Irving was also a pioneer when it came to copywriting, his knowledge of the
subject allowed him to be the first American who was able to support himself solely on his
writing. (467) I think Washington Irving was a talented writer who paved the way for others
who wanted to step out of the box when it comes to mixing reality and fiction. In the words of
Washington Irving Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune; but great minds rise
above them. (Irving)
Edgar Allan Poe was mainly known for his detective style stories and use of symbolism.
A few of Poes famous stories include The Raven, The Tell Tale Heart and The Black Cat. Poe
was considered a strange man by some people because of his fascination with death. He was later
referred to as the father of the horror story. Even though his poetry typically had a dark tone and
fell under the gothic category it always ended up having a moral at the end of every story. The
Tell Tale Heart is one of my favorites. It is the story of a care taker who is driven mad by the
sight of his elderly masters eye. You later realize the eye symbolizes the narrators own inner
darkness and hatred. Edgar Allan Poe was one of the first authors to spark Americas fascination
with murder. There is something about a mystery that keeps people guessing and wanting to
know more. Much of his life Poe worked as a very harsh critic, gaining him a reputation as the
Tomahawk Man. (685)Since this was not a high paying job, he sadly lived a life of poverty
until his death in 1859. Poe could be described as a starving artist which is a common term for

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artists who take time to make any money off of their work. Edgar Allan Poe helped to shape
American literature by daring to be different and introducing people to a whole new genre of
literature where it was okay to explore ones dark side.
Emily Dickinson is without a doubt one of the most influential female poets in American
history. Dickinson was born on December 10, 1830 in Amherst, Massachusetts into uppermiddle class family. (1190) Emily was best known for her lyrical style poetry which ranged in
topic from religion and nature to death and despair. She was given an excellent education where
she was able to form a sophisticated vocabulary which she used in her writing. Similar to Poe
Dickinson was not truly famous until after her death. She sent many of her poems to different
magazines hoping to have them published, but most of her work we know today was found by
her sister after her death. (1189) Dickinson was one of the first poets to have an alternative style
of writing poetry. She was known to use dashes at the end of her lines which is a style called
enjambment that caused her readers to learn where to pause and collect the sense before reading
on. (1191) Emily was able to connect to nature on a spiritual level; most of her poetry has
beautiful descriptions of the outdoors where she uses as symbols for her own happiness.
Dickinson was known as a lonely spinster who seemed to be isolated living in her parents home
with nothing to do but write poetry. Although she never married, she used her close relationships
with men and women to write multiple love poems. (1189)Many of her poems focused on death
and despair which some think is directly related to the death of her parents and nephew and the
extreme amount of loss she dealt with in life. (1192) Dickinson inspired many female poets to
not only become writers but express themselves without the fear of judgment.
In conclusion, American literature would not be where it is today without Washington
Irving, Edgar Allan Poe & Emily Dickinson. These three authors shared many similarities but

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they also each had their own unique way of expressing themselves through their work. Life,
death, and spirituality will remain themes in great writing for all of time. I believe that they have
even continued to shape American literature from beyond the grave while influencing our
modern day authors with their own stories and poetry.

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Work Cited

Baym, Nina, and Robert S. Levine. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. 8th
ed. Vol. 1. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. Print.

*** (I know that the book is not a source but I wanted to cite where I found the information in
the book.) ***

McNamara, Robert J. "Most Popular Writer of the Early 1800s." About.com Education.
N.p., 30 June 2016. Web. 02 Dec. 2016.

"Washington Irving Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2016.

https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/w/washington_irving.html