1. American Romanticism 1800-1860
American Literature A
Fall 2013

2. 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

3. 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

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

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

6. 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

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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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