Introduction to American Romanticism
Romanticism can be hard to define because the term refers less to a specific school or theory of literature than to a broad cultural and artistic movement. In fact, critic F.L. Lucas famously counted 11,396 definitions of “romanticism” in 1948. Romanticism, then, should best be understood as a shared set of values, interests, and beliefs among many writers and artists in the first half of the 19th century.
Examples of Romantic Art
In some ways the easiest way to understand romanticism is to look at romantic art. The paintings here illustrate some of the major themes and tendencies of the movement. The first two are by European artists and are considered quintessentially romantic. The others are by members of the Hudson River School, the most prominent group of romantic painters in America. Take particular note of Thomas Cole's five-painting series The Course of Empire (on the bottom row); its imagined landscape of a fallen ancient civilization touches on many key elements of romantic art.
Characteristics of Romanticism
The most essential themes of romantic writing and art can be summed up in the following characteristics.
The importance of nature To the romantics, the natural world was a source of beauty and truth. Unlike the classical artists before them who emphasized balance and symmetry, romantics sought to capture the drama of natural forms—whether serene and peaceful or twisted and grotesque. Emphasis on the individual or the self For the romantics, an individual human was an entire universe. The idea that art should be a form of self-expression first took shape in this era. The way to find universal truths, the romantics argued, was to express what is within, rather than conform to the outside world of society. The greatest expression of this belief in the individual was found in the romantic hero. The primacy of intuition, imagination, and emotion The Age of Reason believed in the triumph of the human mind, but romantics were more interested in knowledge beyond the bounds of ordinary brainpower. Emotion, intuition, imagination—these are the keys to a deeper understanding of the world. An interest in the exotic and the fantastic Romantics loved to hear about faraway lands and times, the supernatural, the mysterious. This could take the form of frontier adventure tales like James Fenimore Cooper's Last of the Mohicans, or it could be creepy Gothic mysteries like Edgar Allan Poe's "Fall of the House of Usher." Whether heroic or horrifying, such tales suggested deep-abiding truths about the human heart. Celebration of the common people, rural life, children At the same time, romantics also showed a new interest in the common people, rural folkways, and children. The genuine voice of ordinary people was held to be more authentic than the high, complex artifice of 18th century art and poetry. Children were likewise prized for their innocence and their freedom from the corrupting influence of society. Reform, rebellion, revolution In Europe, romanticism was associated with the democratic ideals of the French revolution. The politics of American romanticism tended more toward reform, with writers and artists seeking to influence the issues of slavery, women's rights, and labor. But romantics were also reformers in their art, seeking new forms of poetry and storytelling, and rejecting the need to follow the examples of earlier masters. Romanticism in American Literature
For a closer look at the particular writers and works associated with the romantic movement in America, read this textbook introduction to the romantic era.
Introduction to American Romanticism (pdf) Reflection
Consider the different characteristics of romanticism presented above. Are these emphases still present in our culture today? Do people still have some of these same values or believe in some of these principles? Write a paragraph or two and give concrete examples to support your answer.
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