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American Poetry: Native American
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Longfellow was the best known of the Fireside Poets, and it was with him that American poetry began its emergence from the shadow of its British parentage. His poetic narratives helped create a national historical myth, transforming colorful aspects of the American past into memorable romance. They include Evangeline (1847), which concerns lovers who are separated during the French and Indian War (1754-1763), and The Song of Hiawatha (1855), which derives its themes from Native American folklore. No American poet before or since was as widely celebrated during his or her lifetime as Longfellow. He became the first and only American poet to be honored with a bust in the revered Poets’ Corner of Westminster Abbey in London, England.
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American poetry could be defined differently... especially if it is not limited to poetry in English. Without that qualifying term, American poetry has its origins in the rich oral traditions of Native American cultures. Each of these cultures developed complex symbolic tales of the origins and history of its people, akin to epic poems in the European tradition. These tales were performed as part of rituals and passed on through memorization from one generation to the next. Some of them have been translated into English. Yet these works tend to vanish from most histories of American poetry because they were part of ongoing performances based in spoken rather than written language.
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SCOPE: American poetry began its origins with Native American writings as well as the Colonial writings from 1735 through 1781. From the Transcendental poets like Walt Whitman, Henry David Thoreau, and Ralph Waldo Emerson, to the Beat Generation of Ginsberg and Kerouac, America has brought forth great poets that have created a rich tradition of poetry The purpose of this pathfinder is to serve as a guideline for student research on the topic of American poetry. It is not intended as a comprehensive listing but as a selective sampling of the many types of resources that are available in the library.
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Native Americans have written fine poetry, most likely because a tradition of shamanistic song plays a vital role in their cultural heritage. Their work has excelled in vivid, living evocations of the natural world, which become almost mystical at times. Indian poets have ... voiced a tragic sense of irrevocable loss of their rich heritage.
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Native American