1. American Romanticism Early 1800s -1865

2. What Romanticism is NOT!
Despite the name “Romantic”, this literary period DOES NOT deal with sappy love stories.

3. So…What is Romanticism?
Romanticism is the name of the literary period that followed the Age of Reason (Revolutionary literature)
Writers moved focus away from politics and focused on emotions and imagination
What was “The Age of Reason”
What does it mean to use “reason and logic”
What was the Revolutionary period of the United States?

4. Romanticism is N.I.I.C.E Nature Individualism Imagination Creativity
Emotion and Experience

5. Nature Seeking the unspoiled beauty of nature
Rejection of civilization
Believed nature was the pathway to spiritual and moral improvement
-What does it mean to reject civilization?
-Can someone remind me what moral means?

6. “Catskill Scenery” by Thomas Cole 1833
Takes 30 seconds and just look at this painting?
Tell your partner what you see?
What do we see?
Point on cut down trees, saw mill invasion of civilization into unspoiled nature

7. Individualism Worth of the individual Belief of individual freedom
Contrasts with Puritan view of community
Life is unpredictable and short  death is certain…so be yourself!
#YOLO
Individual freedom? Sounds like American Revolution ideal!
What is Puritan view of community?

8. “Wander above the Sea of Fog” by Casper David Friedrich
1818
Look at picture for 30 seconds?
What do we see?
How does this reflect Romanticism?

9. Imagination Explore the supernatural Inspiration in myths and legends
Finds truth in the inner imagination
Values imagination over reality
What is “supernatural? Definition: outside the laws of science and nature. Paranormal
What is reality?

10. Creativity Wrote mostly fiction
Used a lot of rich, figurative language
Poetry is the highest expression of the imagination
What is fiction?

11. “Youth” by Thomas Cole
1840
Part of a serious showing birth through death
How does this reflect imagination and creativity?

12. Emotion and Experience
Believed that emotion is the BEST teacher
Explored powers of good (life and love) and evil (death and fear)
Intuition is above reason and logic
Looked towards the past for guidance. Distrust of progress
What is intuition? Definition: something you know by instinct. Ex: mother’s intuition
Why would they distrust progress?

13. “Abbey in a Dark Forest” by Casper David Friedrich 1810

14. Satire
Literary device used to ridicule (make fun of) or mock and individual or society by the use of humor, irony and exaggeration
Example

15. Washington Irving Many of his pieces are written as a satire
Wrote many short stories and essays
Became famous for pieces such as “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”
What is satire?

16. W. Irving Continued Set his writings in an American setting
Characterized by American stereotypes
Battered husband
Nagging wife
Uses a funny tone but has a serious underlying (hidden) message
What is nagging?

17. The Devil and Tom Walker
The story's plot is based on a very famous German legend about a man called Faust , who makes a deal with the Devil in order to gain knowledge and wealth.
The story if set up as an old legend, with witnesses who have passed the story down over the years giving it some validity for his audience.