The Cambridge History of American Literature, Vol. 4: Nineteenth-Century Poetry, 1800-1910

The contributors to this volume discuss the extraordinary literary achievement of nineteenth century American poetry in its social and cultural contexts. Key contributions explore the early Federalist poets; the achievements of Longfellow and Whittier; and the distinctive lyric forms developed by Emerson and the Transcendentalists. Another chapter provides a new perspective on the achievement of female poets of the period, including emerging African-American poets, as well as the major canonical figures.