How History Influences How History Influences TextsTextsAmerican Romanticism

American Romantic Period American Romantic Period (1800 – 1860)(1800 – 1860)

Sometimes called the American Renaissance.However, Renaissance means “rebirth” and

the American Renaissance was not the rebirth of an old style; it was a completely new, uniquely American style.

Authors were mature, innovative, and optimistic about America and individualism.

Values of American Values of American RomanticismRomanticism Cherished

imagination, individual feelings, and wild nature

Held a realistic view of the dark side of the human spirit

Reflected strong national pride

Believed that the individual, no matter what background or class, was to be respected for his/her personal, and unlimited, accomplishments

American Romanticism was a American Romanticism was a response to:response to:The grime and noise of the industrial ageThe direct contact of the population with

the American wildernessBrewing conflict among the people

regarding slaveryWomen’s push toward equality with menAn audience of readers hungry for

literature that was purely American

The Progression of American The Progression of American ThoughtThought

ROMANTICS WERE DISTINCT FROM PREVIOUS AMERICANS …

YET, INFLUENCED BY THESE SAME GROUPS OF AMERICANS

Romantics saw themselves as revolting against the “Age of Reason” and its values.

Romanticism rejected fiery Puritan rhetoric about religion, guilt, and salvation.

Romantics were moved by powerful Rationalist rhetoric about the rights of the individual and freedom.

Romantics searched for truth and beauty in ordinary objects or scenes, like the Puritans.

The Voyage of Life: The Voyage of Life: ChildhoodChildhood Thomas Cole, 1840Thomas Cole, 1840

The Voyage of Life:

Childhood Thomas Cole,

1840 (detail)

How does this painting depict childhood. Consider both what it shows (denotation) and what it implies (connotation). You have five minutes to write.

Characteristics of Romantic Characteristics of Romantic textstexts Passionate and

emotional Sentimental Sometimes deal with

the supernatural Characters are often

larger-than-life and aristocratic—sometimes stock characters are used

Distinctions between upper and lower class characters

Colloquial language and settings

More characteristics of More characteristics of Romantic textsRomantic texts

Often written in third-person omniscient with the author/narrator interrupting to moralize or guide the reader

Intense, with strong rising action leading to a dramatic climax

Symbolic, allegoricalShow life as it might

have been or might be rather than average life as it was during the author’s lifetime

Romanticism vs. Romanticism vs. Rationalism Rationalism intuition versus

calculationemotion versus

reasonspontaneity versus

control individualism versus

social orderwilderness versus

industrysubjective experience

versus objective factmetaphysical musing

versus scientific research

TranscendentalismTranscendentalism Developed from

Romanticism

Transcendental refers to the idea that one must transcend everyday human experience in the physical world in order to find Spirituality.

Transcend: to rise above or extend notably beyond ordinary limits

The idea that in determining the ultimate reality of God, the universe, the self, and other important matters, one must transcend, or go beyond, everyday human experience in the physical world.

What did Transcendentalists What did Transcendentalists believe?believe?An individual

could perfect himself or herself.

Everything in the whole world, including human beings, is part of the Divine Soul.

The physical facts of the world are only a doorway into the spiritual world.

People must use their intuition and senses to behold the Divine Spirit and their own souls.

What else did What else did Transcendentalists believe?Transcendentalists believe? Transcendentalists did not believe in

following authority without question.

They resisted blind conformity to traditions, customs, and religious dogma.

A Transcendentalist believed in individuality and sought solitude and time alone in nature.

What genres of text did the What genres of text did the Transcendentalist write?Transcendentalist write? They preferred to write personal narratives.

They told the story of their own experiences when in nature and alone.

They wrote of their individualism and their profound belief that humans were born good and should seek to perfect themselves throughout their lives.

They used imagery, figurative language and rich description.

Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau are famous transcendentalists.

THE DARK ROMANTICSTHE DARK ROMANTICS

• Edgar Allen Poe, Hawthorne, and Melville are known as anti-Transcendentalists but had much in common with Transcendentalists

• Explored conflicts between good and evil, psychological effects of guilt and sin, and madness

• Like other Romantics, valued intuition over logic and reason• Like other Romantics, saw signs and symbols in all events• Unlike other Romantics, did not believe that nature is good or

harmless• Explored the conflict between good and evil, the psychological

effects of guilt and sin, and even madness • Saw the horror of evil behind the thin façade of respectable society

Timed Writing:Timed Writing:Are You Rationalist or Are You Rationalist or

Romantic?Romantic?Do you, personally, relate more closely to the values of the Rationalists or of the Romantics? Give specific examples of political / philosophical assumptions that you share with the group you identify.