Romanticism: Historical Context

Front 1

the tragedy of slavery

Back 1

1.)the greatest social achievement of the romantics was to create and in awareness of slavery and cruelty
-south view/slavery was economically necessarily
-north view/slavery is moral

Front 2

call for social reform

Back 2

1.)by the mid-19th century, many Americans had joined together to fight slavery and other social ills of the time.
2.)social ills called for
-end to slavery
-improve condition of workers and opportunities for women

Front 3

nationalism vs. sectionalism

Back 3

1.)nationalism- belief that national interest should be placed ahead of regional concerns or the interest in other countries.
2.)writers of this age forged a literature, entirely the nations own that reflected the national pride and optimism of the American people.
3.)sectionalism-the placing of the interest of ones own region ahead of the nation as a whole

Front 4

romanticism-had first emerged in Europe in the late 18th century

Back 4

1.)the early romantics
-were inspired by the beauty of nature
-emphasized emotions and the imagination over reason
-celebrated the individual spirit
2.)early romantics included
-William Cullen Bryant
-Washington Irving
-James Kenmore Cooper
3.)William Cullen bryant-1817 poem" thanatopsis"went a long way to establishing romanticism as the major force in the literature of mid 19th century American
4.)Washington Irving- first American writer esteemed abroad ;pioneered the short story of a literacy form; put America on The literary map
5.)James fenimore cooner-remembered for writing the first true my original American novel; wrote the leatherstocking. tales

Front 5

the fireside poets

Back 5

1.)characteristics of fireside poets
-emphasized moral themes in work
-were viewed as equals of British poets of the day
2.)Henry wadsworth Longfellow
-James Russel Lowell
-Oliver Wendell Holmes
-John Green leaf whittier

Front 6

transcendentalism

Back 6

1.)philosophical and literacy movement that...
-emphasized living a simple life
-stressed a close relationship to nature
-celebrated emotions and the imagination
-stressed individualism and self reliance

Front 7

two prominent transcendentalists

Back 7

1.)Henry David Thoreau
Ralph Walsh Emerson

Front 8

the brooding romantics included

Back 8

A.) Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne. Herman Melville
B.)the brooding romantics were also called anti-transcendentalism
C.)these writers used gothic elements such as grotesque characters , bizarre situations violent events in their fiction
D.)characteristics of the brooding romantics
-did not believe in the innate goodness of people
-explored the human capacity for evil
-probed the inner life of characters

Front 9

which European authors were contemporaries of American romantic writers

Back 9

Jane Austin" pride and predjustus
Charles Dickson
Karl Marx
Friedrich Engels