A MERICAN R OMANTICISM

R EADING A CTIVITY Read the nonfiction article in your group. You will read about the literary movement of the mid-19 th century.

D ISCUSSION Q UESTIONS 1. What is the purpose of this article? 2. What two literary movements does the article discuss? 3. What is the time period of these literary movements? 4. What caused the start of the literary movements? 5. How might the described literary movements contrast with what was happening in American literature in previous eras? 6. What are 3-4 characteristics seen in the texts and/or values the literary movement embraces?

H ISTORICAL C ONTEXTS Post American Revolution What was important to the revolutionaries? American was starting to thrive - they had broken free from England and were finally their own nation BUT…the revolutionary ideals applied only to white males Tensions were building which cried out for creative release. Inequality, not equality was the rule for many, especially women and slaves. The clash of these realities with the idealistic rhetoric led writers to take extremes, championing individualism yet also seeing the darker sides of a fragmenting society.

H ISTORICAL C ONTEXTS Economically America had never been wealthier. The rising materialism and focus on business at the cost of the mind and the spirit was spawning reform movements all over America. Over 150 intentional communities--from the Shakers to Oneida to Brook Farm--were formed by people disillusioned by the materialistic values and inequities of American society. Yet there was enough affluence for people to develop and appreciate writing and reading, and a growing leisure class with cultural pretensions.

H ISTORICAL C ONTEXTS The movement appealed to the revolutionary spirit of America as well as to those longing to break free of the strict religious traditions of early settlement. The Romantics rejected rationalism and religious intellect. The Romantic movement gave rise to New England Transcendentalism which portrayed a less restrictive relationship between God and Universe. The new religion presented the individual with a more personal relationship with God.

M AIN I DEAS OF R OMANTICISM ICEFUN Individual An increased sense of the value of the individual Man is becoming more isolated from society Themes of alienation begin to appear

Common Man There is a new sympathy for and interest in the "common people” Ordinary people can be heroes. Ordinary people can be the subject of art.

Emotion There is a new fascination with the inner life, the imagination and the soul. Emotions are important. They are as important in perceiving reality as rational thought. (What I feel is as important as what I think.)

Freedom A growing sense that freedom is more important than order. One cannot be truly happy unless they are truly free. Nationalism (due to European philosophical influences)

Unique Imagination is more highly valued than reason. Creativity is as useful as rational thought. There is an enthusiasm for anything that deals with the exotic, the unusual, the mystical or the bizarre.

Nature ← this one is huge Nature is not a force to conquer. It is a friendly spiritual guide God can be discovered in nature. Truth can be discovered in nature.