Romanticism: The Cultural Period

Improved Essays
The cultural period known as “Romanticism” arose at the end of the eighteenth and was characterized by radical changes in intellectual, artistic, and social patterns. It is generally understood as concluding in the early nineteenth century. It reflected revolutions in America and France, but also England in the form of the Industrial revolution. These dramatic changes in the world were mirrored, in turn, by significant developments in poetry, prose, and fiction. Although it may be said that "[t]here were as many Romanticisms as there were Romanticists, and any attempt to reduce this period to a few slogans [...] is bound to be false," (614) especially given that some writers worked towards the changes accompanying this period of time, while …show more content…
Each may be said to have personified and contributed to the commonly associated attributes of romantic literature, as "refer[ring] to a permanent and recurrent characteristic of the human spirit, a tendency to idealism, imaginative speculation, and emotional indulgence." (612) Thus, while Burns’ realistic satires may fit familiarly to traditional eighteenth century poetry, certain qualities of his works--lyricism, use of common Scottish dialect, and rural life settings--link him strongly to the Romantic …show more content…
Again, the joint emphasis on human imagination was made clear by Shelley’s description of imagination as “the principle of synthesis”, defined in opposition to reason, as imagination affirmatively created whereas reason merely followed from the already existing. (618). A focus on spiritual beauty was a focus was shared by Keats, but who also embraced the natural beauty of nature and humanity, even while distinguishing himself from the rebellious strains present in the writings of Byron or Shelley. Keats, again, also emphasized the power of the human imagination, proclaiming that he was “certain of nothing but of . . . the truth of Imagination.”

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    The Romantic Era was an artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe. In order for these artist’s feelings to be freely expressed, the content of their art needed to come from their imagination with little interferences from ‘artificial rules” dictating what should be in a work. Romantics tended to believe that a close connection with nature was both morally and mentally healthy, while they were distrustful of the human world. the focal points of romanticism are emotion, imagination, and freedom. Romantics also have a belief in children 's innocence and wisdom while they viewed adulthood as corruption and betrayal.…

    • 1127 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    “American Romanticism was the first full-fledged literary movement that developed in the U.S. It was made up of a group of authors who wrote and published between the years 1820 and 1860, when the U.S. was still finding its feet as a new nation.” It’s understandable that when people hear the word romanticism, they think of love and romance. However, the word “romanticism” actually comes from a movement that changed the way in which various literary writers (and artists) expressed themselves, how they viewed the world around them, and how they conveyed cultural and moral values.…

    • 1494 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The Romantic Period has made a tremendous impact on literature. Not only has the romantic period shaped the way poetry is viewed but has caused an everlasting ripple social effect. As they say, the economy is nothing without the workers. The influential work of the Romantic poets such as William Blake challenges the cultural and political normalities of the 17th century. The movement encouraged expression and individuality.…

    • 1287 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The normal themes of American romanticism are usually shown through someone who has a weakness for wealth, but over time becomes more mature. One example of romanticism shown in the book are quotes such as “For the things I have done I know the devil saves a place for me in hell. So when I am to burn, what does one more sin…

    • 652 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Cinderella Research Paper

    • 374 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Romanticism is a movement that cropped up in the second half of the eighteen century as revolting against the aristocratic social and political traits that came along with the age of enlightenment. It was also a reaction to the scientific rationalization of nature through science. It validated emotion as the source of aesthetic experience, individualism, and inspiration from subjective points of view. In the movie Cinderella, many aspects of romanticism emerge. “Cinderella” is a story of the fortunes that faced Ella (Lily James).…

    • 374 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Lord Byron Research Paper

    • 848 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Lord Byron How does Bryon’s poetry represent the romantic movement? Lord Byron also know as George Gordon poetry was a different type of romanticism. Lord Bryon created characters that were melancholy, defiant, and with a secret guilt which made his readers want more of his visual pictures That’s what makes him such a brilliant writer because he changed the style of writing for Romanticism; he also inspired his predecessors such as John Keats to follow a similar style. Romanticism was more widespread intellectual or artistic movement since the Middle Ages (Brians). When you hear the word romantic, you may think of love.…

    • 848 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Ryan O’Neill Kuglen-2 Honors English 11 25 November 2014 Romantics and Transcendentalists The new ideas from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries changed the way that people viewed nature and how people chose to express themselves. American Romanticism and/or Transcendentalism are often shown in many of Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories and poems and in Herman Melville’s Typee. American Romanticism was an artistic, literary, and intellectual movement of the eighteenth and nineteenth century. So many phases of romanticism occurred that a satisfactory definition is not possible.…

    • 1377 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    Stretching across nearly all realms of Romanticism is the idea that individual freedom and experiences incite the imagination. Samuel Taylor Coleridge explicitly expresses this query of thought in his poem “This Lime-Tree Bower My Prison.” In addition to Coleridge, many other members of the Romantic movement also engaged in imagination-centered writing. Conversely, the Enlightenment movement opposed this emphasis on imagination, and instead, the Enlightenment movement valued scientific conclusions brought about using rational and empirical thinking. Therefore, Romanticism challenged the preexisting Enlightenment beliefs in England during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.…

    • 1716 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    According to (Galitz K. 2004), “Romanticism is an aesthetic in literary criticism around 1800, which gained popularity as an artistic movement in Britain and France in the early decades of the nineteenth century and flourished until mid-century”. The Romanticism era, was the time, the works of art were much more graphic and direct than those of the Neo-Classics. Works created during and in the Romantic style were representation of actual events that had occurred and depicted actual people and places. In Francisco Goya’s “The Third of Mary”, it illustrate what happened on May 3, 1808 when Napoleon marched with his army into Madrid, Spain, capturing all Spanish freedom fighters for mass execution.…

    • 227 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the eighteenth century a new type of literature was introduced it stressed personal emotion, free play of the imagination, and freedom from rules of form this art was called romanticism. Romanticism is not based just about the love for an individual but all so regarding the love for everything that surrounds you. William Wordsworth and Thomas Wolfe had the right idea about how life should be viewed and what the true meaning of romanticism is through nature. Thomas Wolfe, American Novelist of the twentieth century, once wrote “not the desire to escape life, but to prevent life from escaping you”. What this quote meant to me was that if you don’t take life day by day, you will not be able to get back those beautiful moments you didn’t bring…

    • 136 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Traditional romantic writers can be verified through their ideals of celebrating the power of nature and individualism linked as one. John Keats, a revolutionist of his time, strays from the conventional belief that a romanticist must completely give into the ideals of unity between nature and individualism. Instead, Keats sees nature and the communal as a force to combat his frequent thoughts of loneliness and sadness. Keats excels at describing the agony that he deals with on a daily basis, yet, considering all odds, he seeks nature and love to transcend him from all and any earthly pains he constantly feels. Alongside Keats’ drift from traditional romanticism, his works, “Ode to a Nightingale,” and “A Draught of sunshine”, follow a pattern…

    • 1146 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    The theme I shall focus on shall be about love and romanticism, which is defined in three different ways; such as enthusiasm for something, romantic and caring feelings for someone, and concern for a family member, which isn't romantic but love nonetheless. How does it define John Grady's romantic view of the American western cowboy culture? His romantic love for Alejandra, or his lust? Alfonsa's love and concern for Alejandra's honor and reputation, as well as her grandniece's safety from suffering the same tragedy Alfonsa, suffered in her youth from a romantic relationship?…

    • 1372 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Romantic Period was an artistic, literary movement that started in Europe at the end of the 18th century. The Romantic movement was partly a reaction to the industrial revolution that dominated at that time; it was also a revolt against aristocratic social and political norms of the Age of Enlightenment and reaction against the scientific rationalization of nature. After a grueling revolutionary war, America finally gained its independence from the great British Empire. Nevertheless, Americans have grown dependent on the British throughout the many years of colonization. It was at this dire times that Romanticism reached America.…

    • 947 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Romantic movement provided readers with works consisting of passionate emotion, an appreciation for the natural world, and individualism. Elements of Romanticism have been recognized in works from a multitude of different cultures. Significantly, William Wordsworth is widely known as one of the great English Romantic poets. In addition, Walt Whitman, an American poet, has also been acknowledged for the Romantic elements in his works. Although both poets are from two different cultures, their works share ideals present in Romanticism.…

    • 1169 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Romanticism

    • 1036 Words
    • 4 Pages

    During the late 18th century, Romanticism thrived in Britain. It typified the Classicism and Neoclassicism in the Enlightenment. As a opposition of physical materialism and rationalism in the 18th century in Britain, Romanticism extolled the beauty of nature, the individual emotions and intelligence. Percy Shelley, one of the most preeminent representative poets during British Romanticism period, largely defined Romanticism on both the passion and beauty of nature and the despair of his own life. “Shelley was a poet for whom the millennial promise of the French Revolution had not been realized but might still be achieved.…

    • 1036 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays