American Literature CLEP Study Guide

--The scope of the modernist period. 1945-present --The scope of the contemporary period. What is the function of literature? --One of the driving questions of the modernist literary period. Modernism --A mode of art that does not state directly what it is, but instead remains slightly beyond the grasp of general readers. Robert Frost --Poet whose relationship with formal education was tenuous at best. Moved to England and befriended Ezra Pound, who inspired him to write poetry. Won four Pulitzer Prizes and was asked to recite a poem at JFK's inauguration. The most famous poet the U.S. has ever produced. Robert Frost --This poet's use of conventions is what sets him apart; he is the antithesis of literary modernism. Instead of imitating tradition, he twists and stretches conventions to create more complex poetry. Zona Gale --The first woman to win the Pulitzer for Drama, which she won in 1921 for her screenplay based off her own novel "Miss Lulu Bett." Jack London --Writer whose life and fiction was full of adventure. Lived in California and held a number of colorful jobs, but wasn't much for school. Scurried to the Klondike when the Alaskan Gold Rush hit in 1897. Many scholars note that he only wrote for financial reward, although he was also known as a socialist and supporter of social Darwinism. Gertrude Simmons Bonnin --Sioux writer, editor, musician, teacher, and political activist. Pulled back and forth between the influences of dominant American culture and her own Native American heritage. Co-composed the first American Indian opera and founded the National Council of American Indians in 1926. Wallace Stevens --Worked hard at Harvard and the New York law school. His literary life exploded in New York with increased literary acquaintances and cultural life. Maintained a strict commitment to his job and didn't begin seriously publishing poetry until his mid-thirties. Critics claimed his work the essential modernist collection of the day. Desired to poetically depict the nature of poetry and the poet in 20th century America. Charles Gilman Norris --A native of Chicago who worked as a journalist before becoming a novelist and playwright. Dealt with modern education, women in business, hereditary and environmental influences, big business, ethics, and birth control. William Carlos Williams --Known as the "Doctor-Poet." Subscribed to the idea of imagism, and later rejected it for the term "objectivism." Sought out new rhythms, idioms, and structures to better mirror American identity. Became the antithesis to T.S. Eliot's and Ezra Pound's fascination with European culture. Imagism --Poetic mode in which the strength of the poem remains in the power of the object itself. Ezra Pound --Friend, mentor, encourager, and inspiration to many modernist writers. Spent most of his life and energy in Europe. Eventually moved on from the imagist group to a new, avant-garde movement he called vorticism. Became fascinated with Mussolini and Fascism which landed him in Italian prison and American court for treason. Vorticism --Avant-garde movement coined by Ezra Pound which is highly abstract and modern, focusing on harsh lines and angles, devoting subject matter to urban areas and history. Predominantly visual art. Sinclair Lewis --Novelist, short-story writer, and playwright who became the first writer from the U.S. to receive the Pulitzer for Literature. Works are known for their insightful and critical views of American capitalism and materialism between the wars. Also respected for strong characterization of modern working women. Anzia Yezierska --Wrote about problems faced by wives, the struggles of the Jewish, and later, Puerto Rican immigrants in New York's Lower East Side. Semi- autobiographical works. Sentimentalism and highly idealized characters have prompted some critics to label her works romantic. T.S. Eliot --Born in St. Louis to a socially prominent family, educated at the best private schools, attended Harvard. Became a close friend of Ezra Pound's after becoming a British citizen before he turned forty. One of his poems is referred to by scholars as THE modernist poem. Nella Larsen --Novelist of the Harlem Renaissance who first worked as a nurse and librarian. Dealt with issues of racial and sexual identity. E.E. Cummings --Poet with the most distinctive style of any of his contemporaries. Averse to capitalization, punctuation, traditional poetic lines and forms, and spaces between words. Always pushed the envelope. F. Scott Fitzgerald --The writer of the Jazz Age, whose stories explored the tension between the "old" and the "new" America. His marriage was plagued by his wife's mental and emotional instabilities and his own alcoholism. William Faulkner --Most well-known for his fictional Mississippi County, Yoknapatawpha. His novels explore the tension between the old antebellum South