THE INDIVIDUAL AND IMAGINATION
American writers of this period were influenced by European Romanticism but
soon adapted it to their own culture. The Romantics reacted to what had come before,
including both the Enlightenment's emphasis on reason and also the strict doctrines of
Puritanism. Romantics were inspired by nature and celebrated the individual human
spirit, including the emotions and imagination. An early Romantic, Washington Irving
was the first truly American writer who was recognized abroad. As a pioneer of the
short story form, he influenced later writers such as Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Central Idea
1-2 Sentence Summary