Contemporary Connections – Literary Analysis

The Romantic and Transcendentalist ideals of the 1800s reflected a changing nation in a time period when technology and expansion had given Americans great freedom. Similar trends are also prevalent in today's world as technological advances are once again rapidly propelling society forward. Someone who had fallen asleep twenty years ago would wake up—like Rip Van Winkle—to a vastly different and changed society. As in the Romantic period, literature today is reflective of this ever-changing world. While technologies and settings may have changed since the 1800s, the basic concerns and themes have remained the same.

In this topic, you will explore the similarities between modern literature and literature from the Romantic period. You will also learn how to analyze literature and improve your own writing forms through correct grammatical usage.

Essential Questions

• What themes are prevalent in literature in both the Romantic and contemporary eras?
  
• What are the main points to a literary analysis?
  
• What are some common usage errors in the English language, and how do you correct them?