American RomanticismSociety’s Impact on the Individual Writer

Changes in America

Louisiana Purchase

Manifest Destiny

Mexican-American War

Conflicts in Emotion

Patriotism vs. individualismShould we support our nation no matter what?

Urban vs. untamedContrast between settled cities and new wilderness

Wealthy vs. enslavedExpansion and industrialization led to financial gains, but slavery for African Americans

Writers reacted by turning to nature and to the self for simplicity,

truth, and beauty

Early Romantics

William Cullen Bryant, Washington Irving

Reacted to Puritanism

Aimed to capture the energy and character of their growing country

Saw limits to reason and celebrated human nature

Optimistic

Fireside Poets

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Oliver Wendell Holmes

Uplifting and romantically engaging

Family custom: reading poetry around a fire

Celebrated individualism, nature, social reform

The Transcendentalists

What does “transcendentalism” mean?There is an ideal spiritual state which “transcends” the physical and empirical.

It is a loose collection of eclectic ideas about literature, philosophy, religion, social reform, and the general state of American culture.

Had different meanings for each person involved in the movement.

Basic Premise #1 An individual is the spiritual center of the universe, and in an individual can be found the clue to nature, history and, ultimately, the world itself. It is not a rejection of the existence of God, but a preference to explain an individual and the world in terms of an individual.

Basic Premise #2The structure of the universe literally duplicates the structure of the individual self—all knowledge, therefore, begins with self-knowledge. This is similar to Aristotle's dictum "know thyself."

Basic Premise #3Transcendentalists accepted the concept of nature as a living mystery, full of signs; nature is symbolic.

Basic Premise #4 The belief that individual virtue and happiness depend upon self-realization—this depends upon the reconciliation of two universal psychological tendencies:

The desire to embrace the whole world—to know and become one with the world.

The desire to withdraw, remain unique and separate—an egotistical existence.

Who were the Transcendentalists?Ralph Waldo Emerson

Henry David Thoreau

The Dark RomanticsDoes every individual have a dark side?

The Dark Romantics

Inspired by nature

Fascinated with the supernatural

Didn’t have the same faith in the goodness of humankind

Aware of human capacity for evil

Freedom of imagination led them to:Explore inner life and motivation of characters

Include fantastic or supernatural elements in their writing

You may recognize them as…

Edgar Allan Poe

Nathaniel Hawthorne