Essay Database

Characteristics The United States has such a large and varied literature that no generalizations could be made about it. Three characteristics seem to stand out. First, American literature reflects beliefs and traditions that come from the nation's frontier days. The pioneer ideals of self-reliance and independence appear over and over again in American writings. Authors have great respect for the value and importance of the individual. They tend to reject authority and the equality of …

…a nostalgia for the old ways. His subjects are universal -- apple picking, stone walls, fences, country roads. Frost's approach was lucid and accessible: He rarely employed pedantic allusions or ellipses. His frequent use of rhyme also appealed to the general audience. Frost's work is often deceptively simple. Many poems suggest a deeper meaning. For example, a quiet snowy evening by an almost hypnotic rhyme scheme may suggest the not entirely unwelcome approach of death.