American Writers and the Picturesque Tour
The Search for National Identity, 1790-1860
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Taylor & Francis Ltd
Published:27th Feb '15
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
This paperback is available in another edition too:
- Hardback£37.99(9780815322856)
Explores a beloved genre Even before the age of the Romantics, travel literature was a favorite genre of English and American writers and readers. After the War of 1812, Americans' passion for scenic beauty inspired them to take the picturesque tour of America as well as going to Europe for the requisite Grand Tour. The written American version of the popular British tour in various guidebooks helped shape the literature of the new nation as nearly every major writer of the first half of the 19th century contributed to it from Poe, who provided several comic pieces, and Irving to Thoreau, for whom the tour symbolized moral and spiritual growth, and Margaret Fuller. Offers new perspectives American writers adapted the picturesque to express their nationalistic sentiments; picturesque discourse offered a flexible series of conventions that enable writers to celebrate the places, people, and legends that set America apart. This volume demonstrates the vital role of this genre in the formation of national literary taste and national culture and offers fresh and exciting perspectives on the topic. Includes index. Also includes maps.
ISBN: 9781138864313
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 272g
226 pages