The Romantic Period 1790-1830

Enlightenment to Romanticism The generation of revolution, wars, and upheaval that was represented in the Enlightenment period produced doubts for people Doubts and pessimism now challenged the hope and optimism of the 18th century. Humans felt deepened concern for the abstract problems of existence, death, and eternity. THUS, Romanticism was born

Romanticism Not referring to love, but imaginative, idealized fiction and poetry Romanticism swept through Europe, United States, Latin America Purpose: revolt against an established order: rules, laws, and formulas that characterized earlier times Praised Imagination over reason Emotions over logic Intuition over science Titled: A poet and a painter

Historical Background Two of the most influential revolutions in history French Revolution 1789-1799 Romantics championed the cause of freedom Disillusioned with the bloodshed Industrial Revolution 1852-83 Turned cities into dirty squalid slums Left a yearning for the natural world.

Romanticism in Literature Imagination, emotions, intuition As a result, passion and sensibility ensued Static characters were replaced with passionate, complex characters who had internal and external struggles Human personality and mood were incorporated into characters

Romantic theme - Liberation Libertarian and abolitionist movements of the late 18th and early 19th centuries were rooted in romantic thought The idea was to be free of convention and tyranny There was a new emphasis on rights and dignity of the individual Themes focused on breaking free from oppressive societies

Romantic theme - Nature Landscape was regarded as an extension of the human personality, capable of sympathy with a human’s emotional state Nature was regarded as a vehicle for spirit – God’s breath fills both man and earth Delight in unspoiled scenery and the innocent life of rural dwellers fascinated the romantic writers Along with this “rural life” is the idealized romantic melancholy that is being threatened by the changing, bustling world

Romanticism: Lure of the exotic Focus: Love, mystery, superstition The imagination as a gateway to transcendent experiences and spiritual truths Settings and themes: in folk culture and cultural origins

William Wordsworth Known for Lyrical Ballads Poetry should express: Experience as filtered through personal emotion and imagination The truest experience can be found in nature The power of the sublime (elevated, lofty, awe-inspiring) was found in nature, therefore literature is strengthened in nature, where wild countrysides hold this power of the sublime

John Keats Known for his odes His intellectual and emotional sensibility merge together Sensual imagery, most notably in the series of odes Accentuated extreme emotion through the emphasis of natural imagery

The Decline of Romanticism Mid 19th Century, Romanticism gave way to other movements: Realism Naturalism Victorianism Depiction of Victorian Era