American Romanticism
Early 1800s -1865
What Romanticism is NOT!
Despite the name “Romantic”,
this literary period DOES NOT deal
with sappy love stories.
So…What is Romanticism?
Romanticism is the name of the literary
period that followed the Age of Reason
(Revolutionary literature)
Writers moved focus away from politics
and focused on emotions and
imagination
Romanticism is N.I.I.C.E
Nature
Individualism
Imagination
Creativity
Emotion and Experience
Nature
Seeking the unspoiled beauty of nature
Rejection of civilization
Believed nature was the pathway to spiritual
and moral improvement
“Catskill
Scenery” by
Thomas Cole
1833
Individualism
Worth of the individual
Belief of individual freedom
Contrasts with Puritan view of community
Life is unpredictable and short  death is
certain…so be yourself!
#YOLO
“Wander above
the Sea of Fog” by
Casper David
Friedrich
1818
Imagination
Explore the supernatural
Inspiration in myths and legends
Finds truth in the inner imagination
Values imagination over reality
Creativity
Wrote mostly fiction
Used a lot of rich, figurative language
Poetry is the highest expression of the
imagination
“Youth”
by
Thomas
Cole
1840
Emotion and Experience
Believed that emotion is the BEST teacher
Explored powers of good (life and love) and evil
(death and fear)
Intuition is above reason and logic
Looked towards the past for guidance. Distrust
of progress
“Abbey in a Dark
Forest” by
Casper David
Friedrich 1810
Satire
Literary device used to ridicule (make fun of)
or mock and individual or society by the use
of humor, irony and exaggeration
Example
Washington Irving
Many of his pieces are written as a satire
Wrote many short stories and essays
Became famous for pieces such as “Rip Van
Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”
W. Irving Continued
Set his writings in an American setting
Characterized by American stereotypes
Battered husband
Nagging wife
Uses a funny tone but has a serious underlying
(hidden) message
The Devil and Tom Walker
The story's plot is based on a very famous
German legend about a man called Faust ,
who makes a deal with the Devil in order to
gain knowledge and wealth.
The story if set up as an old legend, with
witnesses who have passed the story down
over the years giving it some validity for his
audience.