The early years of the United States, prior to the Civil War showed the creation of the Romantic Era of writing. This period was driven by Americans wanting to escape Europe, and discover a new identity for themself. This changed from many instructional and logical texts like that of Thomas Paine’s, Common Sense, to works of Nathaniel Hawthorne in, The Scarlet Letter. Romanticism spanned approximately from 1800-1860. This period affected the thoughts of inhabitants of the country in the rational and reasonable thinking of the age. For centuries, people of the world had thought for the most logical ways to portray messages or show stories, but the Romantic period brought a new wave of writing. The momentum of the Romantic movement was inspired
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Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1809. He sought to bring out an inner sense of beauty in a reader, but in unorthodox methods such as: sadness, strangeness, terror, and horror. Some of his famed horror stories are, “The Black Cat”, and, “The Tell-Tale Heart”. Also his famed poem, “The Raven”, shows his writing in a philosophical manner where there is much thought by the main character for the possibility of an afterlife (“Edgar Allan Poe”). Nathaniel Hawthorne was another Romantic author, born in 1804, in Salem, Massachusetts. Hawthorne was a transcendentalist, believing that nature and mankind was naturally good, contrary to the views of most of society that believed in the fall of creation like the Bible story. He is famous for his works in, “The Scarlet Letter”, and, “The House of Seven Gables”. In these books he goes into the ideas of corruption, guilt, and forgiveness (“Nathaniel Hawthorne”). These authors helped to popularize the movement of Romanticism in using writing styles different from the age prior to …show more content…
One of these characteristics is Imagination or Escapism. This was encouraged with the industrializing of the nation where more and more civilized cities were popping up. Jobs were available in these cities, and people began to look to the future for what could be achieved that is better than the current situation. Writers thought of perfect societies, and what would be the makeup of such a place. These Utopias were planted around the country in places like The Oneida Community or Brook Farm (“Utopian Societies”). Another characteristic of Romantic writing is “Common Man as a Hero”. This is a writing strategy where the hero of the story is not a valiant, strong, godlike, Hercules type character, but rather a normal person who can be related to by the reader. The hero has their own weaknesses, but overcomes them throughout the story. Also in a different time period, stories like “The Chronicles of Narnia”, or, “The Lord of the Rings”, are inspired by this writing strategy where the hero is not perfect in every aspect. These characteristics made the Romantic style of writing popular, and spread it throughout
Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1809. He sought to bring out an inner sense of beauty in a reader, but in unorthodox methods such as: sadness, strangeness, terror, and horror. Some of his famed horror stories are, “The Black Cat”, and, “The Tell-Tale Heart”. Also his famed poem, “The Raven”, shows his writing in a philosophical manner where there is much thought by the main character for the possibility of an afterlife (“Edgar Allan Poe”). Nathaniel Hawthorne was another Romantic author, born in 1804, in Salem, Massachusetts. Hawthorne was a transcendentalist, believing that nature and mankind was naturally good, contrary to the views of most of society that believed in the fall of creation like the Bible story. He is famous for his works in, “The Scarlet Letter”, and, “The House of Seven Gables”. In these books he goes into the ideas of corruption, guilt, and forgiveness (“Nathaniel Hawthorne”). These authors helped to popularize the movement of Romanticism in using writing styles different from the age prior to …show more content…
One of these characteristics is Imagination or Escapism. This was encouraged with the industrializing of the nation where more and more civilized cities were popping up. Jobs were available in these cities, and people began to look to the future for what could be achieved that is better than the current situation. Writers thought of perfect societies, and what would be the makeup of such a place. These Utopias were planted around the country in places like The Oneida Community or Brook Farm (“Utopian Societies”). Another characteristic of Romantic writing is “Common Man as a Hero”. This is a writing strategy where the hero of the story is not a valiant, strong, godlike, Hercules type character, but rather a normal person who can be related to by the reader. The hero has their own weaknesses, but overcomes them throughout the story. Also in a different time period, stories like “The Chronicles of Narnia”, or, “The Lord of the Rings”, are inspired by this writing strategy where the hero is not perfect in every aspect. These characteristics made the Romantic style of writing popular, and spread it throughout