romanticism...features of romanticism 1. imagination over reason 2. intuition over facts 3....

1800-1855

ROMANTICISM&THENEWENGLANDRENAISSANCE

SocialScene• 5millionin1800• 25millionby1850

SocialScene• Nationalism

•  Surgeinnationalprideandidentity•  “ManifestDestiny”:destinedbyGodtoexpandandspreaddemocracy

• Diversity•  “AmericanExperience”•  English,Irish,German,Belgian,French,Catholic,Protestant,Mormon

• EconomicStability• Withstabilitycomesleisure• Withleisurecomescreativity• NewYorkandBostonbecomecentersofcommerceandculture

PoliticalScene•  1801-1809:Jeffersonpresident• WestwardExpansionand“ManifestDestiny”•  1803:LouisianaPurchase—doublessizeofAmerica

•  1804-1805:LewisandClark—firsttoreachPacificoverland

•  1812-1815:War

•  1820:MissouriCompromise•  1830:IndianRemovalAct

•  1846-1848:Mexican-AmericanWar•  1848:Gold!

•  “ItisthemanifestdestinyoftheUnitedStatestooverspreadandtopossessthewholeofthecontinentwhichprovidencehasgivenusforthedevelopmentofthegreatexperimentoflibertyandfederatedself-governmententrustedtous.”

–NewYorkMorningNews

LiteraryScene• For200yearsAmericahasbeendominatedbyEuropeanliterature• However,withgreaterleisuretimeandpoliticalstability,Americanliteraturenowhastimetogrowbeyondthepracticalandpolitical

• WritingcommunitiesspringuparoundNewEngland• Writingbecomesaprofessionforthefirsttime• Romanticismisborn• Romanticismhasnothingtodowithlove• Romanticismemphasizesemotion,imagination,thesupernatural,andattimesthedarker,melancholyaspectsofnatureandman

FeaturesofRomanticism1.  ImaginationoverReason2.  IntuitionoverFacts3.  IndividualaboveSociety4.  NatureasWildandChaotic—butFascinating

• RomanticismisareactionagainsttheEnlightenment•  Insteadofemphasizingreasonandlogic,Romanticsexploreimaginationandintuition

•  Insteadofemphasizingscientificobservation,Romanticsexplorethebeautyofmystery

• Aboveall,Romanticsarefascinatedbytherelationshipbetweennatureandtheinnerself