1. Dark Romanticism

2. Let’s review...
Before we can begin to discuss Dark Romanticism, we must review what Romanticism itself was and review our previous unit: Transcendentalism.

3. Review of Romanticism What was Romanticism?
Romanticism was a cultural movement during the early to mid-18th century that valued imagination, feeling, and nature.
This painting is by the German-American painter, Albert Bierstadt. What makes this painting Romantic?

4. Review of Romanticism What was Romanticism in response to?
Romanticism emerged in response to the “Age of Reason” which valued logic, rationality, and science.
This piece is by the American painter, John Trumball. How does this painting differ from the previous?

5. Review of Romanticism: Imagination
Imagination, individual feelings, and nature were of greater value than logic and reason.

6. Review of Romanticism: Nature
Nature was the key to spiritual and moral development.
Many works focused on exotic and imagined locations.
Transcendentalism emerges.
A few famous Transcendentalist were:
Ralph Waldo Emerson,
Henry David Thoreau
Thoughts emerged from intuition on not logic.

7. The Transcendentalists
Who were some of the early Transcendentalists?
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Henry David Thoreau
What were the main subjects of these two authors?
Independence
The value of nature

8. What did they value? Nature Simplicity Self-Trust Innate goodness
A source of inspiration
Simplicity
Individual
Self-Trust
“Self-Reliance”
Innate goodness
Mankind was naturally good natured

9. Half-Full Glass
Transcendentalism focused on the positive, optimistic sides of society as a response to the negative events within the nation.
Growing conflict over slavery
War
Industrial growth
The movement from nature to machinery

10. However, not everyone saw the world this way...
The Dark Romantics begin to emerge during the Transcendentalist Movement.
Transcendentalists had ignored the darker side of Puritan ideals such as guilt, innate wickedness, and madness.
From birth - innate

11. Dark
The Dark Romantics were the flip-side of the Romantic coin in comparison to the Transcendentalist with these characteristics:
Exploration of the conflict between good and evil
The affects of guilt and sin
Madness and insanity
Horror

12. Supernatural
Alongside the natural, an interest in the supernatural emerged.
Authors such as Edgar Allan Poe and Washington Irving continuously played with this realm of belief.

13. Nature
The Dark Romantics create a balance – nature ( and all elements that lie within it, including mankind) is not necessarily good.
What feelings are evoked from a picture such as this?

14. In this unit...
We will examine the darker side of Romantic belief in America.
Three commonly known Dark Romantic authors are:
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Edgar Allan Poe
Herman Melville

15. Nathaniel Hawthorne Born: July 4, 1804 Died: May 19, 1864
Notable works:
The Scarlet Letter
The House of the Seven Gables
Twice-Told Tales
Young Goodman Brown

16. Edgar Allan Poe Born: January 19, 1809 Died: October 7, 1849
Notable works:
“The Cask of Amontillado”
“The Raven”
“The Pit and the Pendulum”
“The Tell-Tale Heart”
“The Fall of the House of Usher”

17. Herman Melville Born: August 19, 1819 Died: September 28, 1891
Notable works:
Moby Dick
“Bartleby the Scrivener”
Billy Budd

18. Remember...