Dark Romanticism Adapted from Mr. Y.; Graphics by Sara Boucher
Basics of Dark Romanticism A literary sub-genre emerged from the Transcendental movement Can be referred to as anti-transcendentalism Dark Romantics: - Thought transcendentalists were too optimistic -Focused on the perceived darkness of the human soul - Felt humans were inherently selfish - Began the gothic movement
Differences Between Transcendentalists and Dark Romantics Saw divine goodness and beauty beneath everyday reality Believed spiritual truths may be ugly or frightening Embraced the mystical and idealistic elements of Puritan thought (everyone has potential to be good/perfect) Reintroduced the dark side of Puritan beliefs: the idea of Original Sin and the human potential for evil
Similarities Between Transcendentalists and Dark Romantics True reality is spiritual. Intuition is superior to logic or reason. Human events contain signs and symbols of spiritual truths.
Characteristics Focus on the tragic rather than the optimistic. Belief in evil Reverence for human nature in all its struggles Characters are: prone to sin mental aberration self-destruction Do not inherently possess divinity and wisdom (A Transcendental Thought)
More Characteristics dark, decaying, and mysterious; Evil anthropomorphosized: Satan, devils, ghosts, vampires etc. fog Nature: cruel and to be feared not pacifying and admired. dark, decaying, and mysterious; when it does reveal truth to man, its revelations are evil and hellish. Shows individuals failing in their attempts to make changes for the better.
The Dark Romantics Who are they? Most notable dark romantic authors (1800s): Edgar Allen Poe Nathaniel Hawthorne Herman Melville Emily Dickinson H.P. Lovecraft (1920s-30s)
Poe seminal dark romantic author Common subjects Fragile psychology of man—insanity Evil Acts via insanity rather than pure evil Buried alive Duplicity Heightened senses The supernatural Invented the short story and detective story. Famous works: “The Tell Tale Heart,“ " The Fall Of The House Of Usher,” “Pit and the Pendulum,” “Cask of Amontillado”; poem “The Raven" Poe
Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804–1864) Has closest ties to the American Transcendental movement works are often cautionary tales: extreme individualism guilt and sin.
Hawthorne’s short stories and novels reflect Dark Romantic views of humanity. In “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment,” four people drink a magical elixir and choose the foolishness of false youth over the wisdom of age and experience. In “The Minister’s Black Veil,” a Puritan minister decides to wear a black veil for the rest of his life to represent the universality of sorrow and secret sin. The novel The Scarlet Letter tells a story of sin and redemption and explores the evil of hypocrisy.
Allegory A story or poem that can be read on one level for its literal meaning and on a second level for its symbolic meaning. Paradox A statement that appears self-contradictory, but that reveals a kind of truth.
Melville Best known during his lifetime for his travel books, a twentieth-century revival in the study of Herman Melville’s works has left “Moby-Dick” and “Bartleby the Scrivener” among his most highly regarded. Themes: man's blind ambition, cruelty, and defiance of God, madness, mystery, and the triumph of evil over good
Dickinson poems cover a broad spectrum of themes many can be classified Dark Romantic. reflect her early and lifelong fascination with: illness dying death the soul afterlife.
The Dark Romantic Legacy Dark Romantic themes still appear in stories, books, movies, TV shows, and comic books. Present-day horror stories and movies borrow images and themes from the original master of horror, Edgar Allan Poe. The conflict between good and evil and the effects of guilt and sin are major themes in current literature, popular writing, and television.
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