1. 1800-1860, Also referred to as the “American Renaissance”
Romanticism- name given to schools of thought that value feelings and intuition over reason. *Developed in part as a reaction to rationalism.
, Also referred to as the “American Renaissance”

2. Six “I’s” characteristics of Romanticism
Intuitions and feelings over reason
Inspiration from nature
Inner Experience
Imagination
youthful Innocence
Individualistic outlook

3. The Pattern of the Journey
American Romantics felt the city was a place of moral ambiguity, corruption & death.
Countryside represented independence, moral clarity, and healthful living.
Sometimes the journey was to the “country of the imagination”. Example- Poe

4. Two ways they tried to find truth. 1. They chose situations and
Two ways they tried to find truth 1. They chose situations and settings that were more “natural” including stories tied to old legends and folklore They reflected on the natural world.

5. The City, Grim and Gray
Cities flourished, NY’s population doubled.
Disease was rampant, lots of poverty
1832 in MA, Cholera epidemic- bacteria infection contracted by ingesting contaminated food or water.
Crime & violence was up (waterfront gangs)
One bright spot- Central Park, Bryant’s idea. It didn’t become a reality until 1876.

6. Romantic Escapism
First romantic approach in development of Gothic novel (wild haunted landscapes, supernatural events, mysterious castles)
Nathaniel Hawthorne (descendant of Judge Hathorne in The Crucible-added the “w” to his name in order to not be associated with the heritage), Herman Melville, and Edgar Allan Poe are considered anti-transcendentalists or Dark Romantics because although they valued intuition over logic
they focused on the conflict between good and evil,
the psychological effects of guilt and sin,
and the madness of the human psyche

7. The American Novel & the Wilderness Experience
Novel coincided with westward expansion.
Geography of the imagination (town, country, frontier) growth of national spirit, rapid spread of cities
Resulted in creation of subject matter that broke from European tradition.

8. American Poetry: Read at every Fireside
Romantic poets wanted to prove that Americans weren’t unsophisticated.
They attempted this by working within European literary traditions.
“Fireside Poets”/ “Schoolroom poets”- Longfellow, Holmes, Whittier, Lowell
Comforting not challenging subject matter

9. Transcendentalists *They believed in idealism.
*They believed in human perfectibility, worked to achieve this goal
*Emerson- most influential and well-known of the transcendentalists, famous lecturer
*Emerson believed in intuition, not logic. /Contrasted with Ben Franklin who was a rationalist.
*Emerson believed God is good, and God works through nature.
*Emerson believed we are capable of evil because we are separated from a direct knowledge of God, but if we trust in the power each of us has to know God directly-then we will realize each of us is also part of the Divine Soul, the source of all good.
*His sense of optimism and hope appealed to audiences who lived in a period of economic downturns, regional strife, and conflict over slavery.

10. Today, we will be reading “Thanatopsis” by William Cullen Bryant 1794-1878

11. - Considered a prodigy, he read the bible cover to cover by the age of 4.
-published first poem at the age of 10, and first book at the age of 13
-published “Thanatopsis” at the age of 17
-inspired by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge
-his attraction to the philosophy of deism, which held that divinity could be found in nature, influenced his writings.
-the other influence was his physical surroundings; he lived in the country of western Massachusetts
-KNOWN AS THE FATHER OF AMERICAN POETRY

12. What are your thoughts or beliefs about death? How do you view it?
Thanatos means “death”, and Opsis means “sight”. Predict what it will be about.
Discussion Point: before reading
What are your thoughts or beliefs about death? How do you view it?

13. Follow-up: (to be done after reading and turned in.)
Directions: (Due tomorrow)
Write a coherent paragraph or two with a clear position statement, explaining whether or not you find the poem disturbing or comforting, citing at least two pieces of evidence for support from “Thanatopsis”.

14. Example: (Notice how to cite poetry)
Death is a frightening concept to those without faith and to some of those with faith because of the unknown. In William Bryant’s “Thanatopsis”, he presents one way of viewing death. His poem provides comfort to the reader by painting a picture of what is to come which naturally lessens the reader’s anxiety and fear of death.
He provides reassurance throughout the poem. He explains that death is going to happen to “the speechless babe, and the gray-headed man-” all alike (Line 70). Death is part of the life cycle, and according to Bryant, should be approached as merely lying “down to pleasant dreams” (Line 81). He goes on to explain that one will not go like a “quarry slave at night”, but rather “sustained and soothed” (Line 77-78). In other words, one has nothing to fear of death. It should be welcomed and embraced as part of life.
Be sure to:
explain your position with textual evidence from the poem
use literary present tense
use third person
include the author/title in the opening