American Romanticism 1800-1860 American Literature A Fall 2013

Societal Trends U.S. population increases from 7 million to 31 million people Literacy increases due to free education Manifest Destiny promotes continued nationalism (spiritual authority/divine authority of U.S.) New wealth/new poverty with the beginning of the Industrial Revolution

Societal Trends Rejection of European influence on fashion & female roles (E.C. Stanton, Lucy Stone for women’s suffrage and ability to hold property) Utopian theories Society for the Prevention of Pauperism American Anti-Slavery Society

Societal Trends Beginning of our national literature and culture “Rip Van Winkle” “Legend of Sleepy Hollow” “The Leather Stocking Tales” The Fireside Poets

Emergence of Romanticism… Reaction against Rationalism Move from Brain/Thinking/Reason Toward Feelings/Intuition/Emotion

Concepts of the Form Dull Reality Poetry Move away from a boring life Addition of supernatural/unexplained elements Poetry Highest form of writing Most imaginative—contrasted nature/science

City vs Country City (Industrialization) = Bad Country = Good Corrupt Dirty Diseased Limited by rational thought Country = Good Independence Health Nature Freedom of imagination

Three Key Themes 1. Journey From corruption and artificiality of civilization From limits of rational thought From dull reality Toward the integrity of unspoiled nature and the freedom of the imagination; toward the magnificent Struggles of Good vs. Evil

2. Nature Consistent—only the city/society changes Contemplate nature’s beauty as a path to spiritual and moral development Find beauty and truth in exotic locales, the supernatural realm, and the inner world of the imagination Shun artificiality of civilization and seek unspoiled nature

3. Hero Rationalism Romanticism Formally educated Youthful & Innocent Worldly Sophisticated Bent on making his place in society Ben Franklin Romanticism Youthful & Innocent Close to nature Intuitive; deep understanding of life based on informal learning Sense of honor based on a higher principle Quest for higher truth

Think of Star Wars or Beauty and the Beast Who is the hero? Who is the villain? What are their qualities? What is the connection to nature? How is dull reality represented? How is the city represented? The country? What is the journey? or Beauty and the Beast

Works that will be covered: “Rip Van Winkle”—Washington Irving “The Raven” & other poems—Edgar Allan Poe “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment”—Nathaniel Hawthorne Self-Reliance—Ralph Waldo Emerson