American RomanticismAmerican Romanticism

1800 - 18601800 - 1860

Background vocabularyBackground vocabulary

Rationalism – the belief that human beings Rationalism – the belief that human beings can arrive at truth by using reason, rather can arrive at truth by using reason, rather than by relying on the authority of the past, than by relying on the authority of the past, on religious faith, or on intuitionon religious faith, or on intuition

Romanticism – a revolt against rationalism Romanticism – a revolt against rationalism that affected literature and the other arts, that affected literature and the other arts, beginning in the late 18beginning in the late 18thth Century and Century and remaining strong throughout most of the remaining strong throughout most of the 1919thth Century. Century.

Background vocabularyBackground vocabulary

Transcendentalism – a 19Transcendentalism – a 19thth Century Century movement in the Romantic tradition, which movement in the Romantic tradition, which held that every individual can reach held that every individual can reach ultimate truths through spiritual intuition, ultimate truths through spiritual intuition, which transcends reason and sensory which transcends reason and sensory experience.experience.

Dark Romantics – a group of 19Dark Romantics – a group of 19thth Century Century writers who explored the dark side of writers who explored the dark side of human naturehuman nature

Background notesBackground notes

The Rationalist worldview:The Rationalist worldview: People arrive at truth by using reason rather People arrive at truth by using reason rather

than by relying on the authority of the past, on than by relying on the authority of the past, on religion, or on non-rational mental processes, religion, or on non-rational mental processes, such as intuition.such as intuition.

God created the universe but does not God created the universe but does not interfere in its workings.interfere in its workings.

The world operates according to God’s rules, The world operates according to God’s rules, and through the use of reason, people can and through the use of reason, people can discover those rules.discover those rules.

Background notes, continuedBackground notes, continued

People are basically good and perfectible.People are basically good and perfectible. Since God wants people to be happy, they Since God wants people to be happy, they

worship God best by helping other people.worship God best by helping other people. Human history is marked by progress toward Human history is marked by progress toward

a more perfect existence. a more perfect existence.

IntroductionIntroduction The theme of The theme of journeyjourney as a declaration of as a declaration of independenceindependence William Cullen Bryant, Oliver Wendell William Cullen Bryant, Oliver Wendell Holmes, John Greenleaf Whittier, Henry Holmes, John Greenleaf Whittier, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and John Russell Wadsworth Longfellow, and John Russell Lowell are Romantic poets (Fireside Lowell are Romantic poets (Fireside Poets)Poets)

IntroductionIntroduction

Washington Irving - Father of American Washington Irving - Father of American LiteratureLiterature James Fenimore Cooper - Father of the James Fenimore Cooper - Father of the American novelAmerican novel Edgar Allan Poe - inventor of the Edgar Allan Poe - inventor of the American Short StoryAmerican Short Story

IntroductionIntroduction

Ralph Waldo Emerson is the Father of Ralph Waldo Emerson is the Father of American TranscendentalismAmerican Transcendentalism

Henry David Thoreau is a famous practical Henry David Thoreau is a famous practical transcendentalisttranscendentalist

Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne are Anti-Romanticsare Anti-Romantics

Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman are Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman are bridge poets between American bridge poets between American Romanticism and the late 19Romanticism and the late 19 thth century. century.

Transcendental view of the Transcendental view of the worldworld

Everything in the world, including human Everything in the world, including human beings, is a reflection of the Divine Soul.beings, is a reflection of the Divine Soul.

The physical facts of the natural world are The physical facts of the natural world are a doorway to the spiritual or ideal world.a doorway to the spiritual or ideal world.

People can use their intuition to behold People can use their intuition to behold God’s spirit revealed in nature or in their God’s spirit revealed in nature or in their own souls.own souls.

Transcendental view of the Transcendental view of the worldworld

Self-reliance and individualism must Self-reliance and individualism must outweigh external authority and blind outweigh external authority and blind conformity to custom and tradition.conformity to custom and tradition.

Spontaneous feelings and intuition are Spontaneous feelings and intuition are superior to deliberate intellectualism and superior to deliberate intellectualism and rationality. rationality.

IntroductionIntroduction

The rationalistic view of urban life was The rationalistic view of urban life was replaced by the Romantic viewreplaced by the Romantic view

Rationalists saw cities as a place to find Rationalists saw cities as a place to find success and self-realizationsuccess and self-realization

Romantics saw the city as a place of Romantics saw the city as a place of moral corruption, poverty, and deathmoral corruption, poverty, and death

IntroductionIntroduction

The Romantic journey is to the The Romantic journey is to the countrysidecountryside The Romantics associated the country The Romantics associated the country with independence, moral clarity, and with independence, moral clarity, and puritypurity The Gothic Romantic, Edgar Allan Poe, The Gothic Romantic, Edgar Allan Poe, saw the country as a place of phantasm saw the country as a place of phantasm Irving saw the country as idyllic and as an Irving saw the country as idyllic and as an escapeescape

The Romantic SensibilityThe Romantic Sensibility

Romanticism: valuing feeling and intuition Romanticism: valuing feeling and intuition over reasonover reason

Romanticism: viewing life as we would Romanticism: viewing life as we would like it to be, rather than how it really islike it to be, rather than how it really is

Romanticism began in Germany and Romanticism began in Germany and influenced literature, music, and artinfluenced literature, music, and art

Romanticism is a reaction against Romanticism is a reaction against RationalismRationalism

The Romantic SensibilityThe Romantic Sensibility

The development of slums and poverty The development of slums and poverty due to the Industrial Revolution turned due to the Industrial Revolution turned people from Rationalismpeople from Rationalism

Romantics believed that imagination, Romantics believed that imagination, emotion, spontaneity, feelings, and nature emotion, spontaneity, feelings, and nature were more important than rational thoughtwere more important than rational thought

Characteristics of RomanticismCharacteristics of Romanticism

values feelings over intuitionvalues feelings over intuition values the power of the imaginationvalues the power of the imagination seeks the beauty of unspoiled natureseeks the beauty of unspoiled nature values youthful innocencevalues youthful innocence values individual freedomvalues individual freedom values the lessons of the pastvalues the lessons of the past finds beauty in exotic locales, the supernatural, finds beauty in exotic locales, the supernatural, and in the imaginationand in the imagination values poetry as the highest expression of the values poetry as the highest expression of the imaginationimagination values myth, legend, and folk culturevalues myth, legend, and folk culture

Romantic EscapismRomantic Escapism

Romantic writing looked for comforting or Romantic writing looked for comforting or exotic settings from the pastexotic settings from the past

This was found in the supernatural, in This was found in the supernatural, in nature, and/or in folk legendsnature, and/or in folk legends

Romantics believed in Romantics believed in contemplatingcontemplating, or , or becoming onebecoming one with the natural world with the natural world

The Gothic novel emerged from The Gothic novel emerged from RomanticismRomanticism

Romantic EscapismRomantic Escapism

The Gothic novel had wild, haunted The Gothic novel had wild, haunted landscapeslandscapes

It had supernatural events in the plotIt had supernatural events in the plot

It was often mysteriousIt was often mysterious

The Gothic concept had roots in France, The Gothic concept had roots in France, Germany, and EnglandGermany, and England

Edgar Allan Poe was Romanticism’s great Edgar Allan Poe was Romanticism’s great American writerAmerican writer

Romantic EscapismRomantic Escapism

Romanticism also used lyrical poetry as a Romanticism also used lyrical poetry as a means to contemplate the beauty of means to contemplate the beauty of naturenature

It focused on simple natural beautiesIt focused on simple natural beauties

Its intent was to seek truth through a calm Its intent was to seek truth through a calm contemplation of a simple natural beautycontemplation of a simple natural beauty

Romantics saw God in this contemplationRomantics saw God in this contemplation

The American NovelThe American Novel

Most American Romantic writers imitated Most American Romantic writers imitated the European writing stylethe European writing style American Romantic novelists broke away American Romantic novelists broke away from the European tradition and from the European tradition and discovered uniquely American topics and discovered uniquely American topics and settingssettings American novelists explored the vast American novelists explored the vast unknown lands – something the unknown lands – something the Europeans could not doEuropeans could not do

The American NovelThe American Novel

James Fenimore Cooper was the first James Fenimore Cooper was the first American novelist to break from European American novelist to break from European traditiontradition

His novels were set in the American His novels were set in the American frontierfrontier

His central character, Natty Bumppo, was His central character, Natty Bumppo, was the first American literary herothe first American literary hero

The American NovelThe American Novel

Bumppo appeared in a series of Cooper Bumppo appeared in a series of Cooper novels as other characters: Hawkeye, novels as other characters: Hawkeye, Deerslayer, Leatherstocking, etc.Deerslayer, Leatherstocking, etc.

He was virtuous, moral, distrustful of city He was virtuous, moral, distrustful of city life, one with nature, etc.life, one with nature, etc.

His skills were almost superhumanHis skills were almost superhuman

Cooper’s series of novels were called Cooper’s series of novels were called The The Leatherstocking TalesLeatherstocking Tales

The New American HeroThe New American Hero

American Romantic literature created this American Romantic literature created this unique person (the American Romantic Hero)unique person (the American Romantic Hero) he is youthful (young or possesses youthful he is youthful (young or possesses youthful qualities)qualities) he is innocent (innocent or pure of purpose)he is innocent (innocent or pure of purpose) he is intuitive (has a knowledge of people and he is intuitive (has a knowledge of people and life based on deep, intuitive understanding, not life based on deep, intuitive understanding, not on formal learning)on formal learning)

The New American Hero, con’t.The New American Hero, con’t.

he is one with nature (loves nature and he is one with nature (loves nature and avoids town life)avoids town life) he is a loner – uneasy around womenhe is a loner – uneasy around women he is handsomehe is handsome he is brave (quests for some higher truth he is brave (quests for some higher truth in the natural world)in the natural world) he is moral and honorable (has a sense of he is moral and honorable (has a sense of honor based not on society’s rules but on honor based not on society’s rules but on some higher principlesome higher principle

American Romantic PoetryAmerican Romantic Poetry

Most Romantic poets worked within Most Romantic poets worked within conventional European literary structuresconventional European literary structures

They proved that American poetry could They proved that American poetry could reflect American subject matter, yet still reflect American subject matter, yet still hold to conventional poetic stylehold to conventional poetic style

Most American Romantic poets wrote Most American Romantic poets wrote about the pastabout the past

American Romantic PoetryAmerican Romantic Poetry

The Fireside Poets, a Boston group of The Fireside Poets, a Boston group of Longfellow, Whittier, Holmes, and Lowell, Longfellow, Whittier, Holmes, and Lowell, were widely read and loved in Americawere widely read and loved in America They were the TV of the American They were the TV of the American Romantic period and families gathered Romantic period and families gathered around the fireside to be entertained by around the fireside to be entertained by their poetrytheir poetry Their subject matter was comfortable and Their subject matter was comfortable and instructionalinstructional

Adapted from Adapted from http://www.wiziq.com/tutorial/235-American-Romanticism