American Theme Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

American Theme - Essay Example These writers, while not as formally educated as the Brahmins, were taught by the twists and turns of real life experiences and drew their sustenance from the soil and the air of the country. The desire for freedom, both social and intellectual, seemed to be the most abiding passion for this intrepid tribe of realists. Though Philip Freneau had a fine education and was well versed in European romanticism, he willingly embraced democratic ideals and espoused liberal thoughts. He was against the imperialist designs of the British and fought against them in the Revolutionary War. He was captured in 1780 and almost died before being rescued by his family. As it is he was a bitter critic of the British and on top of it the torture he faced during imprisonment made him one of the most vociferous antagonists of the British Empire. His pen started spewing fire and brimstone and the fiery poem â€Å"The British Prison Ship† became his first condemnation of the British who were, he thought, out "to stain the world with gore." But this was just the beginning as "American Liberty", "A Political Litany" and "George the Thirds Soliloquy†, among several other such feisty outpourings, quickly cemented his place as the foremost poet of American Revolution and a diehard bearer of the flag of liberty an d independence. (Elliot 1982) With the help of Thomas Jefferson he established â€Å"National Gazette† in 1791 and became America’s one of the first crusading newspaper editors – an ideal that later day stalwarts like William Cullen Bryant, William Lloyd Garrison, and H.L. Mencken would emulate. Freneau was equally fluent in colloquial as well as pedantic styles and could evoke refined neoclassical lyricism with consummate ease. His collection of poems "The Wild Honeysuckle" is still considered one of the finest examples of neoclassical subtleties which could