Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How did British literary styles influence 17th-century American authors?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
American literature
Map of Virginia from John Smith's The Generall Historie of Virginia, New England, and the Summer Isles, 1624.
In the 17th century, American literature was essentially a colonial extension of English literature, as early authors were Englishmen who maintained their native cultural and stylistic traditions. Both the content and form of these works were markedly English, reflecting the literary conventions prevalent in Britain at the time.12
British influence manifested in several key ways:
- Literary Traditions: Authors adopted established British genres and styles. For example, John Smith wrote within the tradition of geographic literature, while William Bradford echoed the cadences of the King James Bible.1
- Poetic Styles: Anne Bradstreet derived her poetic style from a long line of British poets, including Edmund Spenser and Philip Sidney. Similarly, Edward Taylor wrote in the tradition of Metaphysical poets such as George Herbert and John Donne, utilizing the intellectual complexity and ingenuity characteristic of that movement.13
- Prose: Writers like the Mathers and Roger Williams employed the "bejeweled" prose style that was typical of 17th-century British writing.1