Colonial Period's Influence on American Literature

Events in the Colonial Period have had great influences on our American Literature throughout the years. Starting with encounters and foundations in the 1800's, to Native American oral traditions. Myths, poems, and stories were told frequently around this time talking about culture, metamorphoses, and archetypes. Figurative language was given through the form of sermons while vivid Imagery was enhanced to show us the true emotions the speaker was giving. Ideas about virtue and self improvement were specified by rationalism which reflected on their beliefs. Important documents and speeches showed us connections between the main ideas, details, and purposes.

Many historical events played significant roles in the makings of today's literature starting with getting important messages across to people. A way people would do this was to talk in the form of a sermon. For example, revivalist preacher, Jonathan Edwards, gave a sermon like no other in the year of 1741. "..his anger is as great towards them as to those that are actually suffering the executions of the fierceness of his wrath in hell, and they have done nothing in the least to appease or abate

that anger, neither is God in the least bound by any promise to hold ’em up one moment; the devil is waiting for them, hell is gaping for them, the flames gather and flash about them.." [25] Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God is clearly a very intense and dark sermon. Jonathan used figurative language to show the audience just how vivid his images truly were.

This was a period where many significant documents came into play.

The Iriquois Constitution, The Declaration of Sentiments, and The Declaration of Independence, are few of many ways the American Colony has been affected. The Iriquois Constitution was designed to further peace with the native Americans. The Declaration of Sentiments was made to entitle the rights to women for equality of all citizens. The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson which states the right to life, liberty, and happiness for all. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men.."

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Native American poems have been read, analyzed, and adapted over the years. From the poem,The Sky Tree, the beginning talks about a world covered with water standing a sky tree in the very middle. “..and in my dream I saw how I can be healed. I must be given the fruit which grows at the very top of Sky Tree. You must cut it down and bring that fruit to me.” The poem talks about how the lives of people living in Skyland all worship, live, and feed off the Great Sky Tree. In today's world, many people find the littlest things to worship and feed off of as well. Some will go so far in order to get what they want. The chief from Skyland wished also to go to certain measures to get what he wanted. As Dale Carnegie once said, "It isn’t what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about.”

The Colonial Period not only made an impact on the past but the present and future literature as well. Countless encounters in previous events made the 1800's stand out like no other. The language used in speeches and sermons gave us a new way to look at our literature. Readings through poems gave us connections and helped us retell and share the legends from the past. We now can reflect on the histories virtues while adapting it into our own culture today.