The New Land

Historical Context Before settlers came to North America, Native Americans lived
lives close to the land. Their interaction with nature shows in
their literature. The early settlers came from Europe seeking
freedom to live and worship as they pleased. For most, their
strong religious convictions sustained them as they endured the
hardships of life in the New World.

Literary Movements The traditional literature of Native Americans related to their

tribal knowledge, customs, and rituals. This literature consists
of myths, songs, and chants in the oral tradition.

The early settlers who came from Europe brought with them
their knowledge of written communication with its particular
style and content. They wrote about their new experiences in
forms that were familiar to them-letters, factual records,
sermons and poems.

Writers’ Techniques Traditional Native American literature reflects the value placed
on oratory in cultures that passed legends on through the
spoken word. Native American orators use poetic language to
capture their listeners’ attention. The early settlers, on the other
hand, generally used a simple, direct, unadorned style.

Writers Captain John Smith writes A True Relation…of Virginia

William Bradford writes Of Plymouth Plantation and completes
it in 1651.
Bay Psalm Book was published.
Anne Bradstreet’s The Tenth Muse, a collection of Poems
Cotton Mather’s The Wonders of the Invisible World
Jonathan Edwards first delivers his sermon Sinners in the
Hands of an Angry God.

Reference:

Prentice Hall
LITERATURE
The American Experience