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Assignment on
Romanticism
Course: History of American Literature I
Course No: 103
Submitted to
Assoc. Prof. Mili Rahaman
Dept. of English, Dhaka International University
Submitted by
Jamilur Reza
Roll: 24
Semester: 1st
Session: 2020-21
Submission Date: 08-01-2021
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SL. No Contents Page No
1 Introduction 3
2 Emergence of Romanticism 3
3 Characteristic 3
4 Relation to Transcendentalism 4
5 Romanic themes 5
6 Effect 5
7 Conclusion 5
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Introduction
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in Europe toward
the end of eighteenth century. In most areas it was at peak in the approximate period from 1750
to 1870.
Romanticism was characterized by its emphasis on emotion and individualism as well as
glorification of all the past and nature, preferring the medieval rather than the classical. It was
partly a reaction to the Industrial Revolution, the aristocratic social and political norms of the
Age of Enlightenment, and the scientific rationalization of nature all components of modernity. It
was embodied most strongly in the visual arts, music, and literature, but had a major impact on
historiography, education, chess, social sciences, and the natural sciences. It had a significant and
complex effect on politics, with romantic thinkers influencing liberalism, radicalism,
conservatism, and nationalism.
Emergence of Romanticism
Like other terms describing literary movements, the term Romanticism defies simple definition
for a number of reasons. It was a movement that arose gradually, evolved in many ways from
where it began, went through so many phases.
American Romanticism, like other literary movements, developed on the heels of romantic
movements in Europe. Its beginnings can be traced back to the eighteenth century there. In
America, it dominated the literary scene from around 1820 to the end of the Civil War and the
rise of Realism. It arose as a reaction to the formal orthodoxy and Neoclassicism of the
preceding period. It is marked by a freedom from the authority, forms, and conventions typical
in Neoclassical literature. It replaced the neoclassic emphasis on reason with its own emphasis
on the imagination and emotions, and the neoclassic emphasis on authority with an emphasis on
individuality, which places the individual at the center of all life.
Characteristics
Although literary Romanticism occurred from about 1790 through 1850, not all writers of this
period worked in this style. There are certain characteristics that make a piece of literature part of
the Romantic movement.
1. Glorification of Nature:
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Nature, in all its unbound glory, plays a huge role in Romantic literature. Nature, sometimes seen
as the opposite of the rational, is a powerful symbol in work from this era. Romantic poets and
writers give personal, deep descriptions of nature and its wild and powerful qualities.
2. Awareness and Acceptance of Emotions:
A focus on emotion is a key characteristic of nearly all writing from the Romantic period. When
you read work of this period, you’ll see feelings described in all forms, including romantic and
filial love, fear, sorrow, loneliness, and more. This focus on emotion offered a counterpoint to
the rational, and it also made Romantic poetry and prose extremely readable and relatable.
3. Celebration of Artistic Creativity and Imagination:
In contrast to the previous generations’ focus on reason, writers of the Romantic movement
explored the importance of imagination and the creative impulse. Romantic poets and prose
writers celebrated the power of imagination and the creative process, as well as the artistic
viewpoint. They believed that artists and writers looked at the world differently, and they
celebrated that vision in their work.
[Link] on Aesthetic Beauty:
Romantic literature also explores the theme of aesthetic beauty, not just of nature but of people
as well. This was especially true with descriptions of female beauty. Writers praised women of
the Romantic era for their natural loveliness, rather than anything artificial or constrained.
5. Spiritual and Supernatural Elements:
The writers of the Romantic era did not turn away from the darker side of emotion and the
mysteries of the supernatural. They explored the contrast between life and death. Many pieces
have Gothic motifs, such as manor houses in disrepair, dark and stormy nights, and more.
Relation to Transcendentalism
The Romantic movement gave rise to New England transcendentalism, which portrayed a less
restrictive relationship between God and the universe. The new philosophy presented the
individual with a more personal relationship with God. Transcendentalism and Romanticism
appealed to Americans in a similar fashion; both privileged feeling over reason and individual
freedom of expression over the restraints of tradition and custom. Romanticism often involved a
rapturous response to nature and promised a new blossoming of American culture.
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Romantic Themes
The Romantic movement in America was widely popular and influenced American writers such
as James Fenimore Cooper and Washington Irving. Novels, short stories, and poems replaced the
sermons and manifestos of earlier days. Romantic literature was personal and intense; it
portrayed more emotion than ever seen in neoclassical literature.
America’s preoccupation with freedom became a great source of motivation for Romantic
writers, as many were delighted in free expression and emotion without fear of ridicule and
controversy. They also put more effort into the psychological development of their characters,
and the main characters typically displayed extremes of sensitivity and excitement. The works of
the Romantic Era also differed from preceding works in that they spoke to a wider audience,
partly reflecting the greater distribution of books as costs came down and literacy rose during the
period. The Romantic period also saw an increase in female authors and readers.
Effect
Romanticism influenced political ideology, inviting engagement with the cause of the poor and
oppressed and with ideals of social emancipation and progress. The individual was prized, but it
was also felt that people were under an obligation to their fellow-men: personal commitment to
the group was therefore important. Governments existed to serve the people. There was a feeling
that people were actively part of the historical process, and could therefore contribute to social
progress.
Early Romantics supported the French Revolution, although the terrible bloodshed in France
caused Wordsworth, for example, to revise his opinions. Wars of self-determination appealed to
Byron, who espoused Italian nationalism and advocated the liberation of the Greeks from the
Turks. It seems to have been something of a Romantic trait to identify with such causes, and to
get involved in foreign adventures. Similarly, in the twentieth-century the Spanish Civil War
attracted ardent and idealistic supporters.
Romanticism did not supersede Enlightenment thought; rather it offered alternative outlooks and
horizons. In promoting the imagination over reason, the Romantics encouraged individuals to
experiment boldly, to question things instead of blindly accepting them.
Conclusion
To understand Romanticism, we have to take into consideration the author: the work of art and
its author are one, and cannot be separated. New concepts are introduced, such as the intellectual
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genius, creativity, imagination, expression, feelings, and all these will become the new
‘decorum’ for romantic authors. What the poet brings out on paper are his sentiments, his
experiences, his affections and passions, creating a spontaneous burst of intense feelings, such as
Wordsworth said.
As Wordsworth clearly stated, poetry does not deal with objective or historical facts; it deals
with the impressions that these facts may leave in the receiver’s imagination. Poetry expresses an
affectionate way to relate with reality.
‘The young Schelling wrote of the human spirit carrying ‘within itself not only the ground but
also the border of its being and its reality’. The limitations we suffer are necessary if we are to
have a self to be conscious of, an identity; but to know these necessary restrictions for the
limitations they are transforms them into borders. This difficult, uncanny thought permeates
European romanticism. And in English, it is Wordsworth who gives it its most memorable
expression.’
