Write to compare the ways in which each of these may be considered representative of American culture during the time period in which it was written.

You will read essays, short stories, and poetry by several of the most influential writers in the American literary tradition. For the assessment, you will write 2 to 3-paragraphs responding to one of the given prompts below.
Prompt One

Choose one 19th century American poem or short story and one historical document.

Write to compare the ways in which each of these represents the changing popular idea of democracy from the time period in which it was written. Cite specific evidence from the literature to support your ideas.
Prompt Two

Choose one short story and one poem from the 19th century.

Write to compare the ways in which each of these may be considered representative of American culture during the time period in which it was written. Cite specific evidence from the literature to support your ideas.
Selections

Below is a list of reading selections that can be used for this assessment:

“The Story of an Hour” (1894) by Kate Chopin’s (short story) – http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/hour/
“How to Tell a Story” (1835-1910) by Mark Twain (short story) – http://americanliterature.com/author/mark-twain/short-story/how-to-tell-a-story
“O Captain! My Captain!” (1865) by Walt Whitman (poem) – (1865) by Herman Melville (poem) – http://bartleby.com/142/193.html
“The Martyr” – http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/244862
“Ain’t I a Woman” (1851) by Sojourner Truth (historical document) – http://legacy.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/sojtruth-woman.asp
“Declaration of Sentiments” (1848) from the first women’s rights convention (historical document) – http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0875901.html