Romanticism

Romanticism
Refers to the Renaissance of American thought and literature during the 19th century. Dramatic increase in amount of literature produced.

(early 1800s 1865)

Romantics placed a high value on emotions and the individual.

Emphasis on intuition and inner truth.

Romantic View of Man

Stressed the individual and his place in the world. Rejected the classicists view that reason was the only way to understand life, and they looked to the emotions and intuition to help interact with their world.

Approach to Reason and Art

Writers felt that reason was important, but not the only way to truth. The individual was most important.

Art is the true expression of the inner self

Human potential

Romantic View of Literature

Emphasis on subjects such as nature, the past, and the inner world of human nature. Challenge for writers to communicate inner world to terms that others could understand.

Types of Literature

Writers tried to create an American mythology

The Devil and Tom Walker The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Rip Van Winkle

Myth: a fantastical story about beginnings or to explain aspects of the nature and the world.

The dialogue of these stories was un-realistic. Language was lofty

Significant Authors & Literature

Edgar Allen Poe

The Raven, The Tell-Tale Heart, Thanatopsis The Pit and the Noah Webster Pendulum An American Washington Irving Dictionary of English James Fennimore Language Cooper novelist

William Cullen Bryant

Romantic View of Nature

Nature is mystical. It teaches us eternal truths if we would just take the time to truly appreciate it.

Romantic View of Nature

Romantics emphasized beauty and mystery of nature. Viewed nature as something in constant development and always changing. Nature speaks a various language.

Emphasis on connection between inner imagination and nature.

-William Cullen Bryant

This outlook stemmed from the fact that American writers were living on the edge of wilderness. Mystery and grandeur of nature intrigued their imagination.

Romantic View of Society

Romantics were more concerned with humanitarian reform than anything else.

Abolition of slavery Improvements in education

Emphasis upon the dignity and worth of every person. Emerging idea of true equality for all.

Society

The Romantics werent so concerned about society as they were the individual. In fact, they would have likely prided themselves on rebelling against governmental institutions.

Thoreaus Civil Disobedience

Society
I HEARTILY ACCEPT the motto,"That government is best which governs least"; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which also I believe, "That government is best which governs not at all. Henry David Thoreau from Civil Disobedience

The Past
Dramatic incidents from history became standard literary material. Romantic writers helped early Americans to feel ownership and pride in the young nations past.

Interest in past contributed to the young nation developing a sense of character.

Romantic View of God

Pantheism: God is found in nature.

Transcendentalism

View of Death

Death is part of the Great Circle of Life. We die and become one with nature.

Our bodies become the soil from with flowers grow.

Age of Reason vs. Romanticism

Literature consisted of journals or political writing.

Dramatic increase in amount of literature produced; American mythology; lofty language

Age of Reason vs. Romanticism

Man: self-made men who solve problems rationally.

Man: stressed the individual; looked to emotion and intuition to interact with the world instead of reason alone.

Age of Reason vs. Romanticism

God: Deism
Nature can be studied scientifically.

God: Pantheism
Nature: emphasized beauty and mystery of nature; connection between imagination and nature

Age of Reason vs. Romanticism

Society: democracy, egalitarianism.

Society: focused on individual; rebelled against social institutions.

Death: circle of life; return to nature.

Death: patriotic duty.

The End