1 / 8

Unit II: Romanticism

Unit II: Romanticism. Colonial literature Puritanism – Belief that man is inherently evil. Only the divine mercy of God will allow them into Heaven. Rationalism- Humans can use their own reasoning; they do not need God to figure out their own solutions to their own problems.

toya
Download Presentation

Unit II: Romanticism

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Unit II: Romanticism • Colonial literature • Puritanism – Belief that man is inherently evil. Only the divine mercy of God will allow them into Heaven. • Rationalism-Humans can use their own reasoning; they do not need God to figure out their own solutions to their own problems. • Deism- People do not need God’s help. They are capable of caring for themselves. People need reasoning to get through life – not God’s divine guidance.

  2. Birth of Romanticism • Began in Europe, affecting art, music, and literature • Reaction against rationalism • Also reaction to Industrial Revolution • over-crowded, crime-ridden cities • wretched working conditions • Spread to American post Revolutionary War

  3. Characteristics of American Romanticism • Values feeling and intuition over reason • Places faith in inner experience and the power of the imagination • Shuns the artificiality of civilization and seeks unspoiled nature • Prefers youthful innocence to educated sophistication • Champions freedom and the worth of the individual

  4. Characteristics of American Romanticism • Contemplates nature’s beauty as a path to spiritual and moral development • Looks backward to the wisdom of the past and distrusts progress • Finds beauty and truth in exotic locales, the supernatural realm, and the inner world of the imagination • Sees poetry as the highest expression of the imagination • Finds inspiration in myth, legend, and folk culture

  5. Escaping reality • The Journey to the countryside/nature • Find moral clarity, healthful living, independence, and imagination • Reveal underlying beauty and truth

  6. Romantic Hero • Exemplified by James Fenimore Cooper’s Natty Bumpo (The Last of the Mohicans) • Characteristics • Young or has youthful qualities • Innocent or pure of heart • Has a sense of honor not based on society’s rules—based on a higher principle • Not necessarily formally educated—still has deep, intuitive understanding of people and life • Loves nature—avoids towns/cities • Quest for some higher truth in natural world

  7. Romantic Poetry/Fireside Poets • Movement in American poetry to prove that Americans were sophisticated—could also write poetry • Devoted to European/English poetic traditions of meter, rhythm, imagery, and theme • Fireside Poets: Longfellow, Whittier, Holmes, and Lowell • Poetry read aloud by families by fireplace—“fireside” • Subject matter: Patriotism, Love/family, Nature, God/religion

  8. AMERICAN LITERATURE (Beginning to 1860) The American Renaissance

More Related