The Romantic Period of Literature—1800’s

Romanticism:

• A set of loosely connected attitudes toward nature and human kind, not to romantic love.

Causes:• Sprang up as a reaction to everything that came before it:

1. The Age of Reason which stressed:a. reasonb. logicc. scientific observation

2. Puritanism and its rigid religious beliefs:a. Humans are inherently evil and must struggle to overcome their sinful nature.b. Personal salvation depends solely on the grace of God, not on individual effort.c. The Bible is the supreme authority of earth.

Features:1. Nature: -Nature over fear of God as source of

inspiration2. Individualism: -Man’s possibilities over his limitations

-Individual over society3. Emotions: -Imagination, sentiment, and feelings

over reason-Intuition over facts

4. Mystery: -Supernatural and unexplained over explainable

5. Optimism: -Life is good-Man controls his life, not fate

Features cont…6. Imagery: -Focused on landscapes, natural backdrops, even details of

a room setting to give as much sensory information as possible

7. Awarenessof Past: -A focus on where we came from

-An appreciation of folklore8. Adventure: -The characters were entering unknown territory or

experiences.-They looked upon it as an opportunity and challenge,

not something to fear.9. Rebellion: -Broke the rules of classic forms—both short story and

unrhymed poetry were new10. Simplicity: -Simple pleasures/ways over impersonal technology 11. The celebration of the common man

Transcendentalism:1840-1870

TranscendentalismAn intellectual movement that thought we used something more than our 5 physical senses to understand life and our place in it.-“Trans” – to go across-Not a religion or philosophy but has elements of both

A view held by a group of people during the Romantic PeriodMembers of the Transcendentalist movement have greatly influenced literature, even today. We will be studying some of the most important authors of this movement, including:

Ralph Waldo EmersonHenry David Thoreau

Elements of Transcendentalism:

1. Nonconformity -Individualism2. Self Reliance -Trust yourself/intuition3. Optimism -All men have equal possibilities.

-Man is inherently good.4. Nature -Appreciation of the simple life and

the natural surroundings5. Oversoul -Connects all to: God, Nature, Man

-We are all part of something larger than each part. This belief draws the line between celebrating the self and being selfish.

6. Carpe Diem -Seize the day

****Many elements of the transcendental theory were evident again in the 1960’s-70’s.****

• Nonconformity• Civil Disobedience• Goodness of man• Respect for the simple way of life and nature• Brotherhood of man• Seizing the day• Keep the above ideas in mind as we discuss

this period!!!