Mark Twain and poet Walt Whitman were major figures in the century's second half; Emily Dickinson, virtually unknown during her lifetime, is now recognized as an essential American poet.
Mark Twain og digteren Walt Whitman var fremtrædende personer i århundredets anden halvdel; Emily Dickinson, der var næsten ukendt i hendes levetid, er nu anerkendt som en væsentlig amerikansk digter.