1. Romanticism & Transcendentalism 19 th & 20 th Century (1800s-early 1900s) “Good men must not obey the laws too well” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

2. Do Now: What is going on in this painting? Give me insight. Give me your thoughts. Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog a.k.a. Wanderer Above the Mist By: Caspar David Freidrich

3. Celebration of Self Romanticism- Reaction to everything that had come before it. ◦ Age of Reason ◦ Puritanism Romantics saw the limits to reason ◦ Celebrated the glories of the individual spirit, the emotions, and the imagination as basic elements of human nature

4. Focus on Nature Inspired by the splendors of nature ◦ Instead of the fear of God ◦ Some also had a fascination with the supernatural The population grew from little over give million in 1800 to little over 23 million in 1850 ◦ This guided American writers to capture the energy & character of the new country Preoccupation with: ◦ atmosphere, sentiment, & optimism.

5. Most Popular American Writer of the time Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ◦ Was so popular, when he died, schools were closed and the nation went into mourning. Washington Irving ◦ First American writer to achieve international fame

6. Transcendentalism The first really distinctive literature came from this group Transcendentalists- believe that “transcendent forms” of truth exist beyond reason and experience. “Every individual is capable of discovering this higher truth on his or her own through intuition”- Ralph Waldo Emerson

7. Transcendental Movement Around 1830 ◦ The movement was comprised of a loosely knit group of mostly New England poets & philosophers ◦ Followers wanted to “go beyond” the limitations of the senses and everyday experience.  By using intuition ◦ By 1855, the movement had lost steam.

8. Major Players Ralph Waldo Emerson Henry David Thoreau ◦ Emerson’s young friend and colleague ◦ Turned his back on material rewards and devoted his life to the study or nature and his own individual spirit ◦ Walden- an account of the 2 years he lived alone in a one- room shack in the country remains a genuine American masterwork Walt Witman- poet ◦ In 1855, he printed the first collection of his poems  Sold only a few, gave away almost all of the 795 copies Longfellow ◦ Published Songs of Hiawatha ◦ Sold thousands and became a bestseller

9. Summary Individualism ◦ Begins with romanticism and flourished with transcendentalism ◦ Remains the core of American literature to the present day. First half of 20 th century ◦ Emphasized spirit and power of solitary individuals Contemporary Writing ◦ Temper their celebrations of the individual with more ambiguity

10. Homework Read “Voices from the Times” on pg. 341 & 342. ◦ On pg. 342, read the article carefully. ◦ Write a summary in your own words. Discuss the elements of romanticism & transcendentalism. The Abbey in the Oakwood By: Caspar David Freidrich