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American Romanticism 1800-1860. Romanticism. A revolt against Rationalism that affected literature and the arts Romanticism values feeling and intuition over reason Quick Review: What are the characteristics of Rationalism?. Rationalism Review. Reason Scientific thinking Logical thinking
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Romanticism • A revolt against Rationalism that affected literature and the arts • Romanticism values feeling and intuition over reason • Quick Review: What are the characteristics of Rationalism?
Rationalism Review • Reason • Scientific thinking • Logical thinking • Improve self and society • Justice
American Romanticism • Values feelings and intuition • Places faith on inner experience and imagination • Shuns artificialness of civilization and seeks unspoiled nature • Values youthful innocence to educated sophistication • Values individual freedom and individual worth
American Romanticism (cont) • Nature’s beauty is a path to spiritual and moral development • Looks backward to wisdom of the past and distrusts progress • Finds beauty and truth in exotic locations, the supernatural world, and the inner world of the imagination. • Believes that poetry is the highest expression of imagination. • Finds inspiration in myth, legend and folklore.
5 I’s of Romanticism • 1. Intuition • 2. Imagination • 3. Innocence • 4. Inspiration from nature • 5. Inner experience
Characteristics of American Romantic Heroes • Young, or possess youthful qualities • Innocent and pure of purpose • Sense of honor based not on society’s rules, but on higher principle • Knowledge of people and of life based on deep, intuitive understanding—not on formal learning. • Loves nature and avoids town life • Quests for higher truth in the natural world.
RATIONALIST HERO Worldly Educated Sophisticated Wanted to be civilized Knowledge of life based on formal learning Think rationally/logic Town life = progress ROMANTIC HERO Youthful Innocent, intuitive Close to nature – away from corrupt cities Sense of honor based on higher principals – not just society Knowledge of life based on deeper feeling – not formal learning Quest for higher truth of natural world Difference between Rationalist Hero and Romantic Hero
Washington Irving1783-1859 • Grew up in a middle-class American family. • Irving found inspiration in the European Romantics, folklore, and legends. • Irving invented fictional narrators, not signing his name to his work until later in life. • Jonathan Oldstyle, Gent. • Diedrich Knickerbocker-created this author who mocked America’s past
Washington Irving (cont) • These narrators and their stories established Irving as a great satirist. • Satire: a type of writing that ridicules the shortcomings of people or institutions in an attempt to bring about change. • Usually, satire has a moral purpose.
