American Literature

Literature of the United States, from the early republic through the twentieth century. Belongs here: the New England transcendentalists, the major nineteenth century novelists and poets, and the modern and twentieth century American voices across fiction, poetry and the essay, including African American literature, which is placed here as part of the national tradition it was written within and shaped. Does not belong here: an English-language author from outside the United States, placed under British and Irish literature or another national tradition by where they actually wrote.