American Romanticism & Renaissance “I unsettle all things. No facts are to me sacred.” --Ralph Waldo Emerson
Purpose of Writing: As a reaction against rationalism To explore imagination and emotion –Emphasized feelings and intuition over reason –Central importance placed upon the emotions and individual Emphasized dignity and worth of the common individual To practice Escapism
Romantic Escapism –Romantics wanted to rise above the current times, which they called “dull realities” to a world of higher truth. – The natural escape – the Romantic who views the modern world as inherently ugly and lifeless, attempts to escape into the perfect world. Often, this other world can be seen as an escape into human imagination, or an exploration of the human mind.
Romantic Escapism –The contemplation of the natural world – the Romantic sees a commonplace object or event, such as a flower, tree or rock in a pastoral (rural, idyllic) setting; the literal sight brings contemplation, which leads to deeper “vision”; (this is an “insight” into the human soul, and awakening of the mental landscape.
Types of Literature Poems Novels –featuring the new Romantic Hero Essays
Romantic Techniques Remoteness of setting in time and space Improbable plots Inadequate or unlikely characterization Authorial subjectivity (bias) Socially “harmful morality;” a world of “lies.”
View of God: opposing opinions The Transcendentalists Everything in this world is fueled by imagination Imagination leads to the Divine Soul The Dark Romantics Imagination does NOT lead to the Divine Soul God is still here, and He still punishes
View of Man/Self The Romantic Hero This new hero defined American virtue, not European sophistication, as the answer to the ideal protagonist American virtue = undomesticated rugged, individual who thrives in the wild European sophistication = sitting in dusty old libraries where the world is thought about, not acted upon
Views of Life, Work, and Money Self-reliance –This is an extension of the ideas of the self-made man A “Know thyself” mentality –each person has his own self- contained genius, –society and worldly influences must be resisted in favor of one's own individuality, and –self-worth has great importance and value
View of Nature Nature = a teacher –Embraced nature as a model to follow— for itself, for beauty As a source of knowledge As a refuge As a revelation of God to the individual
View of Nature Reactions against the city—Escapism –Industrialization resulted in a migration to cities which resulted in overpopulation, dirty living conditions, and disease. As a result, people wanted to escape. –City = society = bad example of living
View of Nature Nature’s components viewed as symbols of spontaneous growth For example: –Leaves in autumn –Waves on the ocean –Breeze through a forest –Storms against the earth
The Authors and Poets Three separate movements –The Transcendentalists –The Dark Romantics –The Fireside Poets –Different styles, same goal: to capture the human experience
Transcendentalism Two leading authors: –Ralph Waldo Emerson –Henry David Thoreau One must go beyond (transcend) the everyday human experience in order to determine the ultimate reality of God.
Transcendental Themes Considered Weird (Free-thinking) Intuition over logic Self reliance & individualism over conformity & tradition Spontaneity over rationality Natural world leads to spiritual world, so it must be observed Everything in this world is a reflection of the Divine Soul
The Dark Romantics Three leading authors: –Nathaniel Hawthorne –Herman Melville –Edgar Allan Poe
Dark Romantic Themes Known as the anti-transcendentalists Agreed that spiritual facts do lie behind the natural world, but they are not inherently good Examined the darker facets of humanity such as greed, vanity, and guilt. –focus on original sin & innate wickedness and its consequences –Examined the psychological effects of evil, terror, and grief on the human soul.
The Fireside Poets Henry Wadsworth Longfellow John Greenleaf Whittier Oliver Wendell Holmes James Russell Lowell William Cullen Bryant
Fireside Poet Facts All five poets based in Boston They got their nickname because of their very wide success with poems during their lifetimes Wrote the type of poems people would read at the fireside for entertainment. Modeled their style on European themes Preferred conventional forms over experimentation Warm and comforting