Romanticism & Transcendentalism: Key Themes, Authors, and Literary Techniques

Romanticism

A reaction against the Age of Reason/Enlightenment, focusing on emotion, nature, imagination, individual experience, symbolism, nostalgia, and often nationalism.

Key Themes of Romanticism

Reaction, imagination, nature, nostalgia, primitivism, and symbolism.

Washington Irving

Known as the 'Father of American Literature', famous for works like Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

James Fenimore Cooper

Wrote frontier and early American adventure novels, including The Last of the Mohicans and Leatherstocking Tales.

William Cullen Bryant

Poet and editor known for Thanatopsis and as the first major American poet to gain international respect.

Edgar Allan Poe

Master of gothic and psychological writing, known for works like The Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven, and The Cask of Amontillado.

John Neal

Fierce critic and writer, advocate for women and Black rights, and early supporter of American literature.

Transcendentalism

A sub-branch of Romanticism that teaches truth comes from intuition, individuals connect with the universal spirit, society corrupts the true self, and nature is the path to truth.

Key Themes of Transcendentalism

Evolution of the self, individualism, idealism, nature as teacher, transcendental knowledge, and spiritual connection to everything.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Known as the 'Father of Transcendentalism', wrote Nature and 'Self-Reliance', emphasizing trust in oneself and the reflection of universal truth in nature.

Henry David Thoreau

Emerson's student who wrote Walden and Civil Disobedience, advocating for simple living and moral resistance to government.

Margaret Fuller

Author, feminist, and editor who spread Transcendental ideas in The Dial.

Walt Whitman

Celebrated individualism, democracy, and the human spirit in his work Leaves of Grass.

Henry David Thoreau (Character in The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail)

Idealistic and independent, he questions authority and believes in individual conscience, simple living, and civil disobedience.

Waldo (Emerson)

Henry's mentor who is more cautious and represents the conflict between living beliefs and merely speaking them.

John (Character in The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail)

Henry's brother who represents loss, memory, and emotion.

Bailey

Thoreau's cellmate, a criminal who learns to read, demonstrating Thoreau's belief in equality.

Williams

An escaped enslaved man who illustrates Thoreau's opposition to government due to inequality and injustice.

Symbolism in Romanticism

Objects represent deeper meaning.

Nostalgia in Romanticism

Looking back at a simpler, idealized past.

Primitivism in Romanticism

Valuing innocence, childhood, and the natural world.

Civil disobedience

The act of resisting government laws or demands based on moral grounds.

Terror

Fear of what MIGHT happen, related to future anticipation.

Horror

Shock at what HAS happened, related to the moment or past.

Taxonomy of Horror

A classification system for horror, including external threats, psychological madness, and the distinction between natural and supernatural elements.

Dry Horror

Implied horror that is not shown, such as in 'Cask of Amontillado.'

Wet Horror

Graphic horror that is shown, such as in 'Dracula.'

Nature in Transcendentalism

Nature is viewed as a source of spiritual truth and personal understanding.

Individuality in Transcendentalism

The belief that truth comes from within and that individuals should explore the natural world.

Imagination in Romanticism

The power of creativity emphasized over logic and reason.

Auguste Dupin

A character associated with advanced horror and mystery.

The Tell-Tale Heart

A famous work by Edgar Allan Poe.

The Raven

A famous poem by Edgar Allan Poe.

The Cask of Amontillado

A famous story by Edgar Allan Poe.

The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail

A play featuring characters like Henry David Thoreau, who embodies individual conscience and civil disobedience.

Henry David Thoreau (in the play)

An idealistic character who believes in individual conscience, simple living, and civil disobedience.

Waldo (Emerson in the play)

Henry's mentor who is more cautious and conflicts with Henry's active beliefs.

John (in the play)

Henry's brother who represents loss, memory, and emotion.

Bailey (in the play)

Thoreau's cellmate who is a criminal but human and sympathetic, demonstrating Thoreau's belief in equality.

Williams (in the play)

An escaped enslaved man who illustrates Thoreau's opposition to government due to inequality and injustice.

Key Ideas in the Play

Includes civil disobedience, living your beliefs, resisting wrong government, and the role of nature in teaching truth.

Poetry Analysis on the Test

Task involves explaining how a poem reflects Transcendentalism.

What to Look For in Poetry

Indicators of Transcendentalism include a spiritual bond with nature, trust in intuition, rejection of society, celebration of individuality, and nature revealing the universe.

Template Paragraph for Test

A structure to explain how a poem reflects Transcendentalism, focusing on nature as a source of truth.

Horror vs. Terror

Terror is the fear of what might happen, while horror is the shock at what has happened.

Why Humans Read Horror

Reasons include facing fears safely, emotional release, curiosity, and thrill.

Dry vs Wet Horror

Dry horror is implied and not shown (e.g., 'Cask of Amontillado'), while wet horror is graphic and shown (e.g., 'Dracula').

How Romanticism Evolved

Led to Gothic fiction, science fiction, and detective fiction.