america isn't romantic

7/31/2019 America Isn't Romantic

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America Isnt Romantic

By: William Phillips

History 2010

Section HIST-2010-014


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William Phillips Page 2

Art is not emotion. Rather, art was not emotion. The present perception of art as a

medium of autonomous emotive expression is a consequence of new artistic ideals. Classic

western artist, such as Beethoven and Mozart, were not dependent upon empathic emotion.

Instead, they were manipulators of consciousness. They presented a designed experience as

opposed to a means of absolute self-expression. The modern reality of American art and its

relationship with emotional transparency is a direct culmination of the 19th

century European

movement of Romanticism. However, the concept of Romanticism is very abstract. In order to

accurately draw conclusions on its influence, we must define its parameters as well as understand

its context in time.

Romanticism is not easily defined. A prevalent generalization within the music

community is that Romantic composers tend to focus less on form than their predecessors.

However, that description is more contingent on what it is not than what it is. Deniz Tekiner

Ph.D. expresses a similar dissatisfaction with this definition. He states such a sociological

generality pays little or no attention to the ideas of individual artist1. He goes on to say that in

order to define Romanticism one must examine its, spiritual existential concerns2. What

Tekiner fails to realize is that it is the existence of these concerns that truly separates

Romanticism from its predecessors. The concept of spiritual existentialism is the only

commonality shared amongst emissaries of the style. This distinction is much more obvious

when put into historical context.

The era of Romanticism was a direct response to the previous Age of Enlightenment in

Europe. The Enlightenment brought forth notions of logical totalitarianism. Emotion and

1Deniz Tekiner, Modern Art and the Romantic Vision (New York: University Press of America, 2000), vii

2Tekiner, Modern Art, 5


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spirituality were deliberately slandered as irrational and insignificant. This would create an

environment hostile toward emotional suppression. It would also encourage the exploration of

self; this is Romanticism. Romanticism favors an optimistic mindset, but only in reaction to the

apathy and disenfranchisement brought on by the Enlightenment3. It was this embrace of the

inexplicable that made Romanticism so heavily applicable in America4.

The American frontier was a new land, free from the shackles of cultural, political, and

social precedents. Tekiner stressed that the ideas of artist arise in response to general social

conditions1. If we accept that, then it is quite obvious that Romanticisms liberal nature would

attract the artists of historys most free society. These ideals of freedom and self-analysis would

not be emboldened by any selection better than Americas writers.

American literature had the most discernible application of Romanticism. Writer William

Andrews says the Romantic attitude is, essentially American and the birthright of the

American writer5. The first selection within Andrews book of essays on American

Romanticism is authored by Clarence Gohdes. Gohdes proclaims that Americas deep

understanding of Romantic philosophy stems from its experiments in democracy5. He goes on

further, stating that great American author Ralph Waldo Emersons idealism undergird the

American faith in government5. Indeed, Emersons romantic idealism would serve as

democratic propaganda. A contemporary of Emersons, Nathaniel Hawthorne, would approach

Romanticism through a much different perspective.


4Richard Moody,America Takes the Stage (New York: Indiana University Press, 1969), 1

5William Andrews, Literary Romanticism in America (Baton Rouge: Louisana State University Press, 1981), ix


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In place of Emersons starry-eyed idealism, Nathaniel Hawthorne would discover in the

nations past the seeds of mounting irrepressible conflicts, not a glorious manifest destiny6.

These two authors demonstrate an important quality of Romanticism. The optimism it emblazons

is not always positive. Instead, it is optimism for the search rather than the outcome. This

concept of the search is applied most efficaciously in the work of Henry Thoreau. Thoreau is

quoted as saying, the farthestwest is but the farthest east, and that a traveler must expect to

be born again on the road7. This idea of romantic rebirth as a pilgrimage would be mirrored on

the American Stage.

American theatre was full of romantic detailssuch as the the real life adventures in the

birth and growth of the new democracy8. Moody defines the early American theatres romantic

idealism as directly stemming from the adventurous dream of unexplored frontiers9. Moody

states that since America had never been subjected to the rigid classical system of art,

Romanticism was applied to life, not art10 . This meant it was embraced as the only form of

expression, instead of a rejection of any previous establishment. In this light, we can better

evaluate the often crude yet expressive works of American Romantic theatre. One of the main

contributors to American theatre was William Dunlap11.

Dunlap was an absolute Romantic, and he saw the previously misunderstood liberty in

Americas blank scrapbook. He stated that America was an art utopia due to it being

unhampered by caste, or the dead hand of prestige11. However, Romantic theatre would not

6Andrews, Literary Romanticism, ix

7Joel Porte, In Respect To Egotism: Studies in American Romantic Writing (New York: Cambridge University Press,

1991), 1648

Moody,America Takes the Stage, vii9

Moody,America Takes the Stage, 110

Moody,America Takes the Stage, 24-2511

Moody,America Takes the Stage, 27-28


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truly become a significantpart of American culture until the 1820s11. During this period, a

number of important works would be released including:Metamora,Mount Savage, The Patriot,

and The Gladiator. All these works celebrated distinctly American ideals such as heroes of the

Revolution, Native Americans, and the newly crowned republic. Indeed, the main application of

Romantic Idealism would be through the praise of liberty in our new democracy.

Americas devotion to liberty and democracy cultivated the most fertile habitat for the

Romantic archetype. Its vast open landscape, promised fulfilled aspirations and unconditional

freedom. These sentiments animated Americas artistic movements in Literature and Theatre

throughout the 1800s. However, Romanticisms effect on American culture would not end

there. In the early 1900s, Abstract Expressionism became Americas first art movement. The

movement had spiritual inspiration and solid foundations in Romanticism12. Americas

fascination and admiration of the Romantic ideal will never die because Romanticism is the

innate basis of our culture. Many argue that the founding of this country was due to the Romantic

revolutions happening in Europe9. Its ideologies are laced within the core of American literature,

theatre, art, and philosophy. America isnt Romantic, Romanticism is America.



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Bibliography

Andrews, William.Literary Romanticism in America. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University

Press, 1981.

Moody, Richard.America Takes the Stage; Romanticism in American Drama and Theatre, 1750-

1900. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1955.

Porte, Joel.In Respect to Egotism: Studies in American Romantic Writing. New York: Press

Syndicate of the University of Cambridge, 1991.

Tekiner, Denise.Modern Art and the Romantic Vision. Lanham: University Press of America,

1999.

america isn't romantic

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