1. ROMANTICISM 1830-1865

2. Kumbaya…  Fireside Poets  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (“The Big Kahuna”)  James Russell Lowell  Oliver Wendall Holmes  William Cullen Bryant  John Greenleaf Whittier  Called Fireside poets because families would sit by the fire and read the poetry

3.  1 st popular literary movement in America  1 st truly American literature  American Characters  American Settings  American Subjects/Content  BUT British Style (rhythm/meter, rhyme, language/diction)  Criticisms  Overly optimistic (glass is half-full)  Sentimental (sensitive) Are they romantic?

4. Hey, that’s not lovey dovey!  Romantics valued/prized  Imagination  Emotion  Individuality  Nature  Fancy (carefree, unrealistic)  Sunshine and Shadow Effect: focused on the contrasts/opposites in life, found the good within the bad  Used nature to mirror emotion

5. Five Characteristics  Interest in the common man and childhood  Strong senses, emotions, and feelings  Awe of nature  Celebration of the individual  Importance of imagination

6. So, they aren’t romantic people?  5 Convictions of the Fireside Poets  Intuition, imagination, and emotion are superior to reason  Poetry is superior to science  Contemplation of the natural world is a way to discover the truth behind reality  Distrust of industry and city life  Interest in the “natural” past and supernatural/spiritual

7. Rise above!  Goal: to rise above reality to a realm of higher truth  Lyrical Poetry: relies on rhythm/meter, rhyme, diction, style to convey message (as opposed to narrative poetry which relies on a story to convey message)  Results  Rebellion against previous literature  Led to an emotional and intellectual awakening among the general public

8. Message in a Bottle…  Key Words  Expressive  Philosophical  Imagination  Idealism  Equality  Perception  Definition: “Romantics found messages that spoke to the soul and gave it strength.”