The Romantic Movement

1. The Romantic Movement France & Germany

2. Romanticism Defining ‘Romanticism’ is difficult because the idea of what is romantic varies. Arthur Lovejoy claimed that what had truly existed was not ‘Romanticism’ but a veritable ‘plurality of Romanticisms.’ • Common factors which shaped Romanticism, such as the French Revolution and the British Industrial Revolution. Both of these crisis caused writers to look for explanations. • Myths of creation and nature [natural beauty & harmony vs. artifice] became more important, and replaced the Neoclassical ideals of rationalism, traditionalism, and formal harmony. • Romantics emphasized individualism [the individual spirit, mind and capabilities], imagination [thought], and emotion [bliss and agony] as their guiding principles.

3. French Romanticism • Reaction to the cruel realities of the French Revolution - trying to make sense of the chaos of their society. • A sense of loss for what might have been, part of the French post revolutionary sentiment, was reflected in its many romantic writings • Rousseau’s Confessions had a major influence on the French Romantic movement. • Focus on the past and individual remembering became one of the focuses of French Romanticism. • The idea of living a solitary and imaginative life away from society was another important focus. • Writings dealing with the emotions and the idea of the tragedy of love rather than a utopian bliss. • Desire for freedom and escape authority

4. French Romantic Heroes • Conscious that they are unlike others [exceptional] • Solitude, leading to melancholy • Feeling of being outside society [so not bound to its laws] • Often an outlaw figure with a grudge against society [more sinned against than sinning] • Love and fate go together • Mysterious in past/origin and usually die

5. German Romanticism “In Germany, Romanticism was a combination of spirit and life, of universe and the individual.” Romanticism in Germany pertained not only to art and literature, but also to the sciences and everyday life. • Journeys of self-realization • Infusion of nature with the mysterious to make it unique and beautiful • Life is poetry, and that all things are connected in such a way that a beautiful harmony and peace can exist. • Some aspects of loss – modern society is out of touch with something important. • pain of unrequited love or love triangle • Impossible loves • Romanticism was seen as a diversion from present problems but the end product was a piece that acknowledged what was happening politically while providing a respite from reality. • Goethe’s tales included ghost stories, love stories and moral tales.

6. German Romantic Heroes • Conscious that they are unlike others [exceptional] • Need for individual spiritual growth • Suffer emotional pain [loss in love] • Somehow hopeful that harmony can be achieved • Stunned by natural beauty – find the mysterious in nature • Fantastical realms combined with reality [magic, gods, devils]