Romanticism It ain’t love & roses…
Literary Movement Began in 18th Century Western Europe Grew during Industrial Revolution Reaction against cold & harsh industrial world Revolt against an overly rational & scientific society Attempted to stop/slow down the loss of humanity Art, literature, and music
Romanticism in the U.S. Spread to America in the late 1700s Migration from farm life to urban settings Population growth, urban sprawl, & industrialization Rejected Rationalism and religious intellect Refreshing concept Spontaneity Ready for change: independence from Britain
Characteristics/Values Emphasis on intuition, imagination, & feeling Celebration of emotions rather than rejection of them (like Rationalism…) NATURE RULES! Sheer power and beauty of nature City equals corruption To “romanticize” is to idealize… On a “quest for beauty”--even found examining darkness Individuality & self-reliance Perfectibility of humankind All equal at birth, regardless of gender, race, or economic status. Totally unprecedented
Values, cont. Celebration of Underserved society members Including women & children EVERYBODY has a story to tell Vast descriptions of the natural world Especially the untamed & disorderly Passion, pathos, & personal feelings Form that identity! (Just as America was doing for herself after the Revolutionary War…) Personal expression vs. group expression
Written Conventions Extremely ornate & even flowery language Language itself as a form of expression and beauty. Example: Extremely long sentences with complex syntax and high level language
Three Main Branches Idyllic Gothic/Dark Transcendental We will cover this one in a separate, entire unit…
Idyllic Definition of “idyllic”: serenely beautiful, untroubled, & happy, especially with a rural charm Idyll: short poem or piece of prose describing a scene like the one described above Major Idyllic Romantic Writers Lyric poetry: Longfellow, Bryant Fireside poets: Whittier Washington Irving: “Rip Van Winkle” James Fenimore Cooper: The Deerslayer William Cullen Bryant: “Thanatopsis”
Gothic: “Dark Romanticism” Characterized by gloomy, sinister, & remote settings Setting extremely important Reveals darker aspects of the human mind Emergence of psychology as a science Deeply psychological: dark journey of the mind Grotesque or even filled with horror Use of the odd or unusual Often include monsters or demons as symbolic explorations of the human mind Suspend disbelief (Frankenstein’s monster…)
Dark Romantics Edgar Allan Poe: “The Raven,” “Tell Tale Heart,” “Cask of Amantillado” Nathanial Hawthorne: “Young Goodman Brown” Herman Melville: Moby Dick Washington Irving: Legend of Sleepy Hollow “headless horseman”