To begin, find a minimum of three definitions or discussions of romanticism, or more specifically american literary romanticism, that you feel clearly define the major distinguishing features.
using and citing these sources, present your understanding of the major aspects of romanticism found in american literature.
then discuss how all five authors (poe, thoreau, hawthorne, melville, and whitman) may be viewed in this context. discuss a minimum of three aspects of romanticism for each author. be as specific as possible and give examples from their work.
you may posit that a particular author does not fit well into this context, or fails to fit into an aspect of it. in that case clearly present the facts that support your claim.