Romantic_era_poets_

Romantic Era (1800-1860)

  • Overview

    • Artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual period that originated in Europe.

    • Adopted by American poets and artists.

    • Grew in response to rationalism, which emphasized reason and science.

  • Response to Rationalism

    • Rationalism sparked the Industrial Revolution.

    • Resulted in filthy cities and terrible working conditions.

    • Distrust in pure reason led to a turn towards imagination.

    • Belief that imagination could understand truths that rational thought could not.

  • Key Themes

    • Imagination, intuition, individuality, and inner experiences.

    • Idealism and inspiration from nature.

    • Contrasting Views on Cities

      • Rationalists viewed the city as a place for civilization and opportunity.

      • Romantics saw the city as immorality and death.

  • Romantic Journey

    • Often leads into nature, representing healthy living and independence.

  • Key Figures in American Romanticism

    • Transcendentalism: Ralph Waldo Emerson

    • Poets: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Walt Whitman.

    • Dark Romantics: Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Emily Dickinson.

    • Emily Dickinson: Only notable female writer of the period.

      • Writes about nature with dark themes such as death.

Romantic Escapism

  • Exploration

    • Romantics sought fascinating settings in the distant past or locations away from industrial civilization.

    • Interest in supernatural worlds, legends, and folktales.

  • Characteristics of Romantic Literature

    • Reflection on the natural world to uncover truth and beauty.

    • Lyric poems advocate a return to nature and trust in past wisdom over progress.

    • Poetry seen as the highest expression of imagination, inspired by myth and folklore.

  • Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

    • Harvard poet, scholar, abolitionist, and leader of the Fireside poets.

    • Important works include "Concord Hymn" and "Self-Reliance."

  • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)

    • Harvard professor, poet, and teacher who endured personal tragedy.

    • Retired to the country after the death of his second wife.

    • Famous works: "Voices of the Night," "The Cross of Snow," and "Evangeline."

American Romantic Heroes

  • Characteristics

    • Youthful and innocent with a strong sense of honor.

    • Knowledge gained from experience with a love for nature.

    • Seeks truth in the natural world, avoiding urban life.

American Romantic Poetry

  • Fireside Poets

    • Goals were to distinguish American poetic style and subject matter from British poets.

    • Aim: Prove that Americans are not artistically ignorant.

    • Poets used accessible language and subjects that appealed to families.

Transcendentalism

  • Overview

    • Led by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

    • More of a spiritual movement than purely literary.

    • Belief that truth about God and the universe must be transcended through personal experience.

  • Core Beliefs

    • Humanity can be perfected and ideas can lead to reality.

    • Reality is a reflection of the divine, acting as a doorway to the spiritual.

    • Individuals can sense God in nature or within their own souls.

    • Individuals are the best authorities on their own experiences; feelings and intuition overrule reason and intellect.