Essential Studies in English and American Literature is a comprehensive textbook for high school and college students that provides a broad overview of the major literary movements and authors of English and American literature. Baldwin's clear and accessible prose, along with the numerous exercises and readings included in the book, make it an ideal resource for students and teachers alike. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.