Nothing endures but change.
— Heraclitus
Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix.
— Christina Baldwin
Unit Goals
After learning the unit, students are expected
·to learn the literary elements of American Romanticism,
·to know Washington Irving as the “Father of American Literature” and the artistic features of his writings,
·to understand the theme of time and change and explore minor themes in a given selection,
·to learn some useful words and expressions from the unit, and
·to improve English language skills, communication skills and critical thinking.
Before You Read
1. Imagine you have been asleep since 1990 and then you suddenly wake up today. You are over twenty years older and everything around you has changed.
What do you think would be the most surprising historical events?
1)___________________________________________________________________
2)___________________________________________________________________
3)___________________________________________________________________
What do you think would be the most surprising technological changes?
1)___________________________________________________________________
2)___________________________________________________________________
3)___________________________________________________________________
What do you think would be the most surprising sociological changes?
1)___________________________________________________________________
2)___________________________________________________________________
3)___________________________________________________________________
What would be the first thing you would do?
_____________________________________________________________________
2. American Romanticism as a literary movement prevailed from the end of the 18th century to the Civil War. Please add to the list the main features of American Romanticism according to your knowledge.