Culture in the Age of Reaction and Revolution: The Mood of Romanticism

1. Culture in the Age of Reaction and Revolution: The Mood of Romanticism At the end of the 18th century, Romanticism challenges the Enlightenment’s preoccupation with discovering truth. Romantics tried to balance reason with intuition, feeling, emotion, and imagination

2. The Characteristics of Romanticism • Romantic writers emphasized emotion, sentiment, and inner feelings • The Sorrows of the Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, romantic model • Werther sought freedom to fulfill himself • Misunderstood and rejected by society, he still believed in his own worth through inner feelings • Rejected by a girl he loved, he committed suicide

3. The Characteristics of Romanticism • Important characteristic of Romanticism was individualism • Interest in unique traits of each individual • Following inner drives led romantics to rebel against middle-class conventions • Long hair, beards, outrageous clothes reinforced individualism (“shades” of the 60s)

4. The Characteristics of Romanticism • Sentiment and individualism came together as a stress for the heroic • Solitary genius ready to defy the world • Thomas Carlyle wrote of heroes who did not destroy themselves but transformed society for the better

5. The Characteristics of Romanticism • Many Romantics had passionate interest in the past • In Germany, the Grimm brothers collected and published fairy tales • Hans Christian Anderson in Denmark (ditto) • Literature reflected historic consciousness • Novels of Walter Scott—Ivanhoe—clash between Saxon and Norman knights

6. The Characteristics of Romanticism • Gothic literature can be added to the bizarre and unusual, including chilling short stories • Edgar Allan Poe • Frankenstein by Mary Shelley • Romantics sought unusual experiences in their lives • Pursuing states of experience in dreams, nightmares, frenzies, etc., and experimenting with cocaine, opium, and hashish to produce altered states of consciousness

7. Romantic Poets • Romantics ranked poetry highest literary form—saw it as expression of the soul • Romantic poets viewed as seers who revealed invisible world to others • Many living intense, but short lives • Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote Prometheus Unbound –a revolt of against laws and customs • Died by drowning in Mediterranean Sea

8. Romantic Poets • Lord Byron • Dramatized himself as the melancholy Romantic hero described in his work, Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage • Participated in the movement for Greek independence and died fighting the Ottomans

9. Love of Nature • Romantic poets gave full expression to love of nature • William Wordsworth • Nature contained a mysterious face the poet could perceive and learn from • Nature was alive and sacred • Nature was a mirror in which humans could learn about themselves

10. Love of Nature • Other Romantics carried this worship of nature further into pantheism by identifying the great force in nature with God • Romantics would not recognize the deist God of the Enlightenment • German Romantic poet, Friedrich Novalis, wrote, “Anyone seeking God will find Him anywhere.”

11. Critique of Science The Romantics believed science reduced nature to a cold object of study To Wordsworth, the poet who left the world “one single moral precept, one single affecting sentiment,” did more for the world than scientists who were soon forgotten The Frankenstein monster symbolized the danger of science trying to conquer nature

12. Romanticism in Art • Visual art were deeply affected by Romanticism • Romantic artists shared two characteristics • Artistic expression (e.g. painting) was a reflection of the artist’s inner feelings--his own imagination • The principles of Classicism were rejected • Beauty not timeless—depended on one’s culture and age • Abandoned classical restraint for warmth, emotion, and movement

13. Friedrich • German painter Casper David Friedrich had life experiences that guided him to preoccupation with God and nature • Mountains shrouded in mist, gnarled trees bathed in moonlight, etc., conveyed mystery and mysticism • Nature was a manifestation of divine life • Look to your inner vision—”Shut your physical eye and look first at your picture with your spiritual eye…”

14. Turner • Englishman Joseph Malford William Turner • Twenty thousand paintings, drawings, watercolors • Concern with nature—innumerable landscapes, seascapes, sunrises, and sunsets • Did not produce nature accurately—conveyed natures mood using skilled interplay of light and color to suggest natural effects • Objects melt into surroundings

15. Delacroix • Eugene Delacroix was the most famous French romantic artist • Largely self-taught • Fascinated with the exotic and had passion for color • The Death of Sardanapalus—portrayal of last Assyrian king • Theatrically and movement with daring use of color • “a painting should be a feast to the eye”

16. Romanticism in Music • To many Romantics, music was the most Romantic of the arts because it enabled the composer to probe deeply into human emotions • …’the awakening of emotion” • Eighteenth century: Classicism • Nineteenth century: Romanticism • Ludwig van Beethoven served as bridge between both Classicism and Romanticism

17. Beethoven • One of few composers to singlehandedly transform the art of music (1770-1827) • Ablaze by events in France • Yearned to communicate his cherished beliefs • “I must write, for what weighs on my heart, I must express” • Music had to express his deepest inner feelings

18. Beethoven • Born in Bonn, came from family of musicians • Reflected the influence of Haydn and Mozart • Wrote from largely Classical framework • Wrote Eroica—originally intended for Napoleon • Broke through to elements of Romanticism • “opens flood gates of fear, of terror….”

19. Beethoven Chorale finale of Ninth Symphony, most moving of pieces, composed when he was totally deaf

20. Berlioz • Frenchman Hector Berlioz composed in Romantic style • One of founders of program music—usiing the moods and sound effects of music to depict the actions and emotions in a story • SymphonieFantastique – complete program symphony—invoking passionate emotions of tortured love affair

21. The Revival of Religion in the Age of Romanticism • After 1815, Christianity experienced a revival • Catholicism had lost its attraction with educated elites as they flirted with the Enlightenment in 18th century • Restoration of nobility brought new appreciation for Catholic faith as force for order • Force was greatly reinforced by Romantic movement • Attraction of Romantics to Middle Ages, emotion, etc.

22. Catholicism • Romantic period benefitted Catholicism • Many conversions to Catholic faith • Frenchman Francois-Rene de Chateaubriand wrote, Genius of Christianity • Defense of Catholicism based on Romantic sentiment • “You could not enter a Gothic church without feeling a kind of awe and vague sentiment of the Divinity”

23. Protestantism • Protestantism experienced revival • The “awakening” • Evangelical preachers and messages • Sin and redemption central to message • Hellfire and emotional conversion