Americans (Classic Reprint) - Softcover

Stuart Pratt Sherman

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1330361237 ISBN 13: 9781330361238

Publisher: Forgotten Books, 2018

Synopsis

Explore how Walt Whitman and other thinkers shaped American ideas of individuality and democracy. This book offers a thoughtful look at the early and mid‑19th century American mind, tracing the tension between personal freedom and social authority. It surveys poets, critics, and the era’s big questions, revealing how ideas of equality, citizenship, and culture evolved in a young nation.

In these pages you’ll see how Whitman’s work reflects a fierce trust in the self alongside a belief in human solidarity. The discussion ties his poetry to Emerson, Thoreau, and broader cultural movements, showing how democracy and individual impulse can coexist with a sense of national purpose. It also critiques the role of criticism itself in a democratic society, weighing how readers, schools, and institutions shape what is valued.

• A clear map of Whitman’s three movements in his poetry and how they relate to American history.


• A practical look at how transcendental ideas mingled with democratic ideals in 19th‑century culture.


• Insights into the relationship between individual liberty, social authority, and national identity.


• Thoughtful critiques of literary criticism and its audience in a democratic era.

Ideal for readers of literary criticism, American literature, and cultural history who want a grounded, accessible portrait of a pivotal era.

About this title

Product Description

Excerpt from Americans

If this book fulfils in any degree the intention of its author, its tendency will be to encourage readers to keep open the channels of their national traditions and to scrutinize contemporary literature in the light of their national past. I am aware of the current.

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Edition details

• Publisher: Forgotten Books
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1330361237
• ISBN 13: 9781330361238
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 364