Romanticism “We will walk on our own feet; we will work with our own hands; we will speak with our own minds…A nation of men will for the first time exist, because each believes in himself inspired by the Divine Soul which also inspires all men.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson
Romanticism began as a revolt against the literary voice of Europe and the need to find a truly American voice.
Comparing the Romantics to previous literature: Puritans: God over logic Age of Reason: Science and logic over faith Romanticism: Intuition (feelings) over logic
Historical Background
Independence End of the war and freedom from British rule left the people with a sense of optimism.
Frontier The Louisiana Purchase and The Gold Rush in California opened up the United States to exploration and travel. People felt free.
Immigration People all over the world heard of the American freedom and came in droves. The diversity of America became one of its finest assets.
Scientific Discovery New inventions strengthened the American confidence, but also added fear for the future.
Industrialization The agricultural world began to struggle against the vast industrialism of the American cities.
Characteristics of Romantic Literature Imagination: The active part of the soul. Intuition: Feelings are important. Idealism: Striving for a perfect, Utopian world Inspiration: Intuitive but accurate force (perhaps supernatural) stimulates creative activity Individuality: Finding the unique voice of Americans
Characteristics of Romantic Literature Romantic does not mean love.
Nature Nature has power, good and bad…more than man. Nature represented freedom. The cities lead to man’s downfall…find solace in nature. Nature must be respected. People were looking for an escape from the troubles of daily life.
Supernatural Elements Known as “Gothic”, some Romantic authors preferred the dark side of nature, often incorporating fear into their pieces.
Romantic Hero “The Common Man” Humans are naturally good, but corrupted by urban life. Heroes do not have to be muscle men. Sometimes the hero can be flawed, unique or even strange. Romantic writers showed contempt for the middle/upper class.
Violently Melodramatic Plots Emotions became a priority in Romantic literature, so the plots had to be overly emotional, not always positively.
Types of Literature Poetry: still structured, focused on the American experience Short Stories Novels: James Fenimore Cooper, the Father of the American Novel, created Bumppo, an American literary hero. Non-fiction continues...newspapers, magazine, etc.
Important Names
Washington Irving: Known as the “Father of the American short story”. He wrote the first stories set in America…even though he copies Dutch folktales. “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” “Rip Van Winkle”
Edgar Allen Poe: Invented the Detective story. He wrote many of the first mysteries in America. Known as a “Gothic” writer, his writings focused on death, love and the irony of life. “The Raven” “The Fall of the House of Usher”
William Cullen Bryant Best known for his poetry, establishing the Romantic movement in America and for his journalistic work. Supported basic human rights, including women’s right, freedom of speech and the abolition of slavery. “Thanatopsis” “To a Waterfowl”
Nathaniel Hawthorne Wrote The Scarlet Letter (published 1850) Chose the Puritans as his common subject Somewhat nontraditional romantic, as he was more preoccupied with sin and, so, texts are often more dark