American literature spans an era of over four centuries. It is divided into five eras: The Colonial and Early National Period, The Romantic Period, Realism and Naturalism, The Modernist Period and The Contemporary Period. The Colonial Period explores the emotions and sentiments described by the first settlers who arrived in North America. Their narrative was simple. Since they were not exposed to any forms of literature they expressed their innate emotions with plainness. This perhaps became the basis of the literature that emerged from North American during these times. The settlers shared real stories based on their experiences. For instance, John Smith, an English soldier, and explorer after arriving in North America, wrote about the history of Virginia, the area he colonized. Similarly, Nathaniel Ward and John Winthrop used religion as the theme of their books. Religion was a topic having much interest and appeal in colonial America. In 1650, Anne Bradstreet wrote a poetry collection about American titled, The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America. It is considered to be one of the earliest poetry about America. In 1776 when the USA gained independence, the writers began to focus on the country’s future. It was about realism and a renewed faith in progress. The autobiography of Benjamin Franklin shared the life story of an American – giving shape to the Americans as seen by the outsiders. It was during this time when William Hill Brown published The Power of Sympathy in 1789 – considered to be the first American novel. During the Romantic Period, writers expressed their emotions over reason. Edgar Allan Poe’s vibrant portrayal of a romantic individual gave birth to more literary ideas that were later adopted by the authors of this era. The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Poe is considered the first detective story where the narrator presents a commentary on the nature and practice of analytical reasoning. Similarly, The Raven by Poe is a narrative poem about lost love. James Russell Lowell, an American Romantic poet, used dialect and humour in his writings – both prose and poetry. During the era of Realism and Naturalism, writers discussed life’s harsh realities as the country went through the animosity of the Civil War. Mark Twain’s novels including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn are the notable ones from this era. The Modernist Period explored the writer’s quest to break away from the past and embrace the present and the future. F. Scott Fitzgerald in his novel The Great Gatsby showed the life of Jay Gatsby, a self-made millionaire. He is pursuing to win the heart of Daisy Buchanan, a wealthy young woman whom he was in love with during his youth. Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms shows the love affair between the emigrant Henry and Catherine Barkley, an English nurse. It is set against the backdrop of WWI. The Contemporary Period began from the Second World War. Topics about African Americans’ lives in the US were discussed quite openly during this era. Richard Wright’s autobiography Black Boy expressed an honest depiction of racism in America. Some of the prominent authors of this era are Kurt Vonnegut, Sylvia Plath, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, Philip Roth, Maya Angelou. The writer is an independent researcher, author and columnist. He can be reached at omariftikhar@hotmail.com and Tweets at @omariftikhar