1. ROMANTICISM: ITS BASIC TENANTS

2. THE LITERARY MOVEMENT Romanticism originated in England in 1798 and quickly spread from there to the rest of Europe and America. A reaction against the Age of Reason (Enlightenment) that saw both the American and the French Revolutions, Romanticism emphasized everything the previous age had not: feelings, emotions—the heart over the head— mysticism and instinct, natural man over civilized man. Basic Aims:  A return to nature and to belief in the goodness of humanity  The rediscovery of the artist as a supremely individual creator  The development of nationalistic pride  The exaltation of the senses and emotions over reason and intellect It was a philosophical revolt against rationalism.

3. INDIVIDUALISM Each individual was a law unto himself, responsible to God alone for his behavior.  Emphasis on the “hero”—the individual who is willing to stand alone and will die for a cause he believes in  Permitted rebellion against authority and existing rules if the rebellion could be justified by a “higher authority”  Emphasized the humanitarian commitment to helping others.  To the romantic hero, it was not as important to win as it was to have fought for a noble cause  Victory was in the fight itself, not in the winning

4. EMOTIONALISM, INTUITION, FAITH AND METAPHYSICAL PERCEPTION Romanticism promoted anti-rationalism and rebellion against the strict forms and the emphasis placed on REASON during the Enlightenment  Virtue and truth can be found just as easily, if not better, by the “heart” than by the “head”  Truth could be found within oneself or perceived through one’s inner feelings and intuition

5. GLORIFICATION AND IDEALIZATION OF NATURE Romanticism places a strong emphasis on a wildness or the dreamlike qualities of nature although these were idealized The nature admired by romanticism was not a realistic one. Nature to the Romanticist is alive, changing and filled with the divine spirit

6. PRIMITIVISM A belief in the goodness and value of the unspoiled, naturally created state of individuals and groups.  The artistic productions of the “uncivilized” population (the folklore and folk art of the peasantry) were highly esteemed for their natural, unspoiled quality.

7. GLORIFICATION OF NATIONALISM, PATRIOTISM Romanticism held that there was a belief in a mystical link with national origins and national history. It viewed the world as a growing organism changing with each nation’s unique history. Romanticists expressed a vital optimism about life and the future. Romantic nationalists were fanatical patriots and passionate revolutionaries. The Romantic hero played an important part in the nationalist rebellions of the early nineteenth century. The Romantic often had no hope of winning his struggle by fought anyway

8. ART & THE ARTIST A belief that the artist should be viewed as a special individual, a genius. Romanticism regarded works of art as a largely inexplicable phenomenon, the product of a person with a mysterious gift or talent. Art was regarded as one of the highest stages of human culture and a means of accessing and expressing sources of wisdom.

9. GOTHICISM Romanticists had a fascination and pre-occupation with the supernatural, death, the mysterious, the dark, the grotesque and with horror. Romanticists saw such things as natural and felt there was an unappreciated beauty in such things. The existence of these proved that there were things that humans could never know, something that romanticists believed in contrary to the rationalists.

10. “THE WORLD IS TOO MUCH WITH US” ANALYSIS With a partner, read through the poem and annotate your copy. Engage in a “Think Aloud”, trying to create meaning out of the poem.  What is the theme?  Are there any shifts?  What is the rhyme scheme?  What is Wordsworth arguing in the poem?

11. “THE WORLD IS TOO MUCH WITH US” Composed in 1802 by William Wordsworth Wordsworth criticizes the world of the First Industrial Revolution for being absorbed in materialism and distancing itself from nature. Humans must get in touch with nature to progress spiritually. Italian Sonnet: 14 line poem written in Iambic Pentameter. Divided into 2 parts: an octave (first 8 lines) and a sestet (final 6 lines). Human beings are too preoccupied with the material and have lost touch with the spiritual and with nature. In the sestet, the speaker dramatically proposes an impossible personal solution to his problem—he wishes he could have been raised as a pagan, so he could still see ancient Gods in the actions of nature.

12. FREE WRITE In a well-developed, organized paragraph, answer the following question: How could the poem apply to our Modern world? Could Wordsworth’s argument still persist in the world as WE know it, in the 21 st century?