The Chronology of American Literature
Editor/Author: Editor: Burt, Daniel S.Publication Year: 2004
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
ISBN: 978-0-618-16821-7
Category: literature
Image Count: 171
Book Status: Available
An authoritative reference and an ideal browser's guide, this book outlines the indispensable information in America's rich literary past - from major publications to lesser-known gems - while also identifying larger trends along the literary timeline.
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See what others are saying:
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Burt's up-to-date resource covers more than 8,000 works by over 5,000 authors. Entries (arranged, of course, chronologically) are separated into major stages in American literary history (e.g., "Colonial Period, 1582-1789," "Nationalism and Romanticism, 1790-1860") prefaced with a contextual essay. Birth and death dates and literary prize lists are provided throughout. Coverage is broadly canonical, with some effort made to represent popular and minor works. Entries are grouped by type of work; in the 17th century, most fall under "Sermons and Religious Writing," "Diaries, Journals, and Letters," and "Nonfiction," while in later years the emphasis moves to "Fiction," "Poetry," and "Literary Criticism and Scholarship." Each entry is accompanied by a brief summary or contextual comment; there are author and title indexes. Chronological arrangement prevents this from being the best source for one-stop shopping on authors--e.g., Melville entries occur by date of publication, including posthumous publications such as Billy Budd. Novice researchers may conclude that Melville lived for well over a century. Though it does not completely replace Samuel Rogal's Chronological Outline of American Literature (CH, Sep'87), Burt's work fills a gap in American literary reference sources, and so is welcome.
H. C. Williams
Harvard University
