Romanticism

romanticism (3 key aspects)

-strong perception of self

-reliance upon one’s imaginative faculties

-investment of nature w/ symbolic + quasi-religious significance

imagination

-highest, most spiritual attribute

-access creative thoughts & connect to the divine (use words to access)

-visual & aural aspects

nature

-connected to divinity, carrying God in it

-subjective perception of nature, non-traditional

-powerful symbol, opposite of rational

view of self

-self-directed action, standing up for own opinions & beliefs despite risk of social ostracism

-needs of one outweigh needs of many

-self-esteem & self-expression

-humans = pure + divine (contrast to “born in sin” belief

-focus on emotion, feelings described in all forms

-counterpoint to the rational

-readable & relatable

rejection of modern life

-live simply, one w/ nature

-importance of individual’s creative life & dignity

-rights of individuals > laws of govt

celebration of artistic creativity & imagination

-importance of imagination & creative impulse

-artistic viewpoint, different & should be celebrated

emphasis on aesthetic beauty

-nature & ppl, praising natural beauty of women

solitude

-creative inspiration comes from solitary exploration

-loneliness celebrated

spiritual & supernatural elements

-contrast between life & death, gothic motifs

-symbols for emotions (guilt, depression, dark feelings)

vivid sensory descriptions

-similes & metaphors, visual imagery & sensory details

-appealed to senses, showing not telling

use of personification

-personify anything (animals, feelings, states, events)

focus on the self and autobiography

-deeply personal, importance of feelings & creativity, based on writers’ real lives