Romantic period
American literature the first half of 18th century was leither religious (influenced by pesimistic ideas of Puritans about man's life on Earth) or documentary describing travels and new country. Later, after Signing of a Declaration of Independence literature was political, including political documents or speches or esseys on american society.
In the beginning of the 19th century a new romantic movement appeared. The spirit of Freedom, Independence and democracy spread across the country.
From about 1830 to 1865, introduced important novelists such as:

WASHINGTON IRVING
- essayist, story writer, historian, biographer
- first belletrist in America writting for pleasure
- Life of Washington, History of New York, well known book – The Sketch book

Herman Melville
- the greatest symbolist, he sailed on seas for many years. His experience at sea were the basis for almost all his novels author of Moby Dick, a complex and poetic novel of the sea. Captain Ahab is striving against his own fate and trying to catch Moby Dick, which is an enormous white whale and symbolizes evil.

Harriet Beecher Stowe
- author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which became a bestseller and a vehicle for antislavery sentiments.

RALPH WALDO EMERSON (1803 – 1882):
- most of his major ideas – the need for a new national vision, the use of personal experience, the notion of the cosmic Over-Soul, and the doctrine of compensation – are suggested in his publication Nature.
- other poem he wrote was called Brahma - this poem, confused readers unfamiliar with Brahma, the highest Hindu god, the eternal and infinite soul of the universe.