... such, most American poets shape their work both in response to and in order to influence the larger culture of America and in doing so, give voice to a variety of American experiences. Emily Dickinson and Edgar Allen Poe, in their poetry, represent two different modes of understanding the larger culture ... self-evident: that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" (Stanton). The Declaration went on to charge men with a list of inequalities they enforced ...

• Word Count: 2199
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: Undergraduate