ROMANTICISMBy: Hayden Madole

Intro Romanticism refers to a movement in

art, literature, and music during the 19th century.

Romanticism is characterized by the 5 “I”s Imagination Intuition Idealism Inspiration Individuality

Imagination Imagination emphasized over “reason” Backlash against the rationalism

characterized by the Neoclassical period or “Age of Reason”

Imagination considered necessary for creating all art

British writer Samuel Taylor Coleridge called imagination “intellectual intuition.”

Intuition Romantics placed value on “intuition,” or

feeling and instincts, over reason. Emotions were important in Romantic

art. British Romantic William Wordsworth

described poetry as “the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.”

Idealism Idealism refers to any theory that

emphasizes the spirit, the mind, or language over matter – thought has a crucial role in making the world the way it is.

Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher, held that the mind forces the world we perceive to take the shape of space-and-time.

Inspiration The Romantic artist, musician, or writer,

is an “inspired creator” rather than a “technical master.”

Romanticism emphasized going with the moment, or being spontaneous, rather than being precise, controlled, or realistic.

Individuality Romantics celebrated the individual. During this time period, Women’s Rights

and Abolitionism were taking root as major movements.

Walt Whitman, a later Romantic writer, would write a poem entitled “Song of Myself.” It begins, “I celebrate myself.”

Origins Romanticism began to take root as a

movement following the French Revolution.

The publication of Lyrical Ballads by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1792 is considered the beginning of literary Romanticism.

The Arts Romanticism was a movement across all

the arts: visual art, music, and literature.

All of the arts embraced themes prevalent in the Middle Ages, such as chivalry and courtly love.

The Raven

Written by Edgar Allen Poe.

One of the most important works of the time.

The Scarlet Letter

A very important piece of work written by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Moby Dick

Considered to be one of the most important pieces of American Romanticism.

It was written by Herman Melville.

Visual Arts Neoclassical art

was rigid, severe, and unemotional; it hearkened back to ancient Greece and Rome.

Romantic art was emotional, deeply-felt, individualistic, and exotic. It has been described as a reaction to Neoclassicism, or “anti-Classicism.”

Visual Arts: Example

Romantic Art

Literature In America, Romanticism’s strongest

impact was on literature.

Writers explored supernatural and gothic themes.

Writers wrote about nature as a place to escape, to reconnect with the primitive and Edenic, and/or to connect with God.

“Gothic” Setting: “pseudo-medieval,” e.g. in a dark

castle or abbey with secret passageways and hidden trap doors

Themes often focused on the darker side of human nature: betrayal, the desire for revenge, insanity, superstition, etc.

Supernatural Elements: ghosts and spirits

Mood and Tone: mysterious, dark, suspenseful, meant to arouse terror

On Hawthorne and “Y.G.B.” Hawthorne (1804-1864) was born

in Salem, Massachusetts; many of his novels and stories are set in Puritan New England.

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” takes place in Salem in the late 1600’s, around the time of the Salem witch trials.

Hawthorne’s ancestor was a judge during the witch trials; Hawthorne changed the spelling of his name to distance himself from this ancestor.

Hawthorne and “Y.G.B” Continued

Recurring themes in Hawthorne’s work: • the isolation and alienation of the individual• the workings of the inner mind, including

psychological repression and madness• sin and guilt as universal• society’s (especially Puritan society’s) restrictions

on sexual and religious freedom• the dangers of the mob mentality• dysfunctional family and other relationships

Consider and Discuss “Young Goodman Brown” is in some ways, but

not all, a “typical” example of the Romantic movement. Which elements in the text are “typical” of Romanticism (Recall the 5 I’s and other features of Romantic art and thinking)? Which do not seem to fit with the Romantic movement’s ideals?

Which themes in “Young Goodman Brown” are typical of Hawthorne’s work in particular (Recall the list of themes)?

This story makes several implicit arguments. What is Hawthorne arguing about Puritan society? About the plight of the individual? About human nature?

Outro

Romanticism changed the lives of millions of people and changed the way everyone lived during this time.

In a way, Romanticism was a trend that many people followed and ended up in having counter culture movements.

Overall, Romanticism greatly helped out the arts and literature during this time.