American Romanticism
Early 1800s -1865
What Romanticism is NOT!
Despite the name “Romantic”,
this literary period DOES NOT deal
with sappy love stories.
So…What is Romanticism?
Romanticism is the name of the literary
period that followed the Age of Reason
(Revolutionary literature)
Writers moved focus away from politics
and focused on emotions and
imagination
Romanticism is N.I.I.C.E
Nature
Individualism
Imagination
Creativity
Emotion and Experience
Nature
Seeking the unspoiled beauty of nature
Rejection of civilization
Believed nature was the pathway to spiritual
and moral improvement
“Catskill
Scenery” by
Thomas Cole
1833
Individualism
Worth of the individual
Belief of individual freedom
Contrasts with Puritan view of community
Life is unpredictable and short death is
certain…so be yourself!
#YOLO
“Wander above
the Sea of Fog” by
Casper David
Friedrich
1818
Imagination
Explore the supernatural
Inspiration in myths and legends
Finds truth in the inner imagination
Values imagination over reality
Creativity
Wrote mostly fiction
Used a lot of rich, figurative language
Poetry is the highest expression of the
imagination
“Youth”
by
Thomas
Cole
1840
Emotion and Experience
Believed that emotion is the BEST teacher
Explored powers of good (life and love) and evil
(death and fear)
Intuition is above reason and logic
Looked towards the past for guidance. Distrust
of progress
“Abbey in a Dark
Forest” by
Casper David
Friedrich 1810
Satire
Literary device used to ridicule (make fun of)
or mock and individual or society by the use
of humor, irony and exaggeration
Example
Washington Irving
Many of his pieces are written as a satire
Wrote many short stories and essays
Became famous for pieces such as “Rip Van
Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”
W. Irving Continued
Set his writings in an American setting
Characterized by American stereotypes
Battered husband
Nagging wife
Uses a funny tone but has a serious underlying
(hidden) message
The Devil and Tom Walker
The story's plot is based on a very famous
German legend about a man called Faust ,
who makes a deal with the Devil in order to
gain knowledge and wealth.
The story if set up as an old legend, with
witnesses who have passed the story down
over the years giving it some validity for his
audience.
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