Romanticism in American Literature
Oppaper
Romanticism in American Literature,
Getting to Know Thoreau & Poe Within this paper will be an explanation of the ideals of Romantic writers in Early American Literature. We will also look at some aspects of Romanticism that were uniquely understood by the writers and artists in the United States. There will be a brief discussion of “bright” and “dark” Romantic writing and it is there that we will look at the lives, and one poem each, of Henry David Thoreau, a “bright” romantic writer and Edgar Allan Poe, a “dark” romantic writer. Romanticism began in Germany sometime around 1770. From there it spread to the rest of Europe including England and then finally to the United States. In the late Eighteenth Century people’s ideas about themselves, their religion, their world and the art and literature in it were evolving rapidly. This was mostly due to a re-examination of priorities and beliefs because of constant new scientific discoveries and an enthusiastic embrace of the uniquely human abilities of storytelling using ones imagination and a kind of rejection of reason and logic. For the first time since the concepts of religion and rulers began to regulate the spirit and creative energy of humankind people looked more to nature and within to define themselves and their humanity rather than to their Churches or to their Kings. The Romantic period of American Literature is from about 1830 to 1860 and it interestingly overlaps the period which is said to be Victorian (1830 to 1880) in the United States. Romantic writers believe in the natural goodness of man and also that what is special in a particular man should be highly valued. They indulge heavily in introspection and self-analysis. Some finding their deity within themselves while others found their religion in the beauty of nature. Nature was food for the soul that provided their inspiration and was a resource for their wisdom. Indeed, for some of the Romantic writers nature was their muse; however,
Romanticism in American Literature,
Getting to Know Thoreau & Poe Within this paper will be an explanation of the ideals of Romantic writers in Early American Literature. We will also look at some aspects of Romanticism that were uniquely understood by the writers and artists in the United States. There will be a brief discussion of “bright” and “dark” Romantic writing and it is there that we will look at the lives, and one poem each, of Henry David Thoreau, a “bright” romantic writer and Edgar Allan Poe, a “dark” romantic writer. Romanticism began in Germany sometime around 1770. From there it spread to the rest of Europe including England and then finally to the United States. In the late Eighteenth Century people’s ideas about themselves, their religion, their world and the art and literature in it were evolving rapidly. This was mostly due to a re-examination of priorities and beliefs because of constant new scientific discoveries and an enthusiastic embrace of the uniquely human abilities of storytelling using ones imagination and a kind of rejection of reason and logic. For the first time since the concepts of religion and rulers began to regulate the spirit and creative energy of humankind people looked more to nature and within to define themselves and their humanity rather than to their Churches or to their Kings. The Romantic period of American Literature is from about 1830 to 1860 and it interestingly overlaps the period which is said to be Victorian (1830 to 1880) in the United States. Romantic writers believe in the natural goodness of man and also that what is special in a particular man should be highly valued. They indulge heavily in introspection and self-analysis. Some finding their deity within themselves while others found their religion in the beauty of nature. Nature was food for the soul that provided their inspiration and was a resource for their wisdom. Indeed, for some of the Romantic writers nature was their muse; however,
Cited: Ackroyd, Peter. Poe: A Life Cut Short. New York: Random House, 2008. Englishman Peter Ackroyd writes about the life of the master of macabre. His book is very entertaining and the reader may find, as I did, he does not know Poe as well as he may have thought he did. Ackroyd’s book is honest and frank about the seamier side of Poe’s tortured existence. Hutchisson, James M. Poe. Jackson: University of Mississippi, 2005. Hutchisson relies on documented records and a lot of research from Poe’s time to piece together the story of his life. Hutchisson adds to the reading by explaining some of what the common practices in that era. Sanborn, Franklin Benjamin. The Life of Henry David Thoreau. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1917. Probably one of the older texts that it has been my pleasure to peruse this one is like the “Dragnet” of books about Thoreau, “Just the facts”. Although quite extensive it is very easy to read because it is broken down into stages of his life. There are a lot of photographs of the people you learn about while learning about Thoreau. Sullivan, Robert. The Thoreau You Don’t Know. New York: Harper Collins, 2009. Sullivan uses Thoreau to take on everything from the environment to Abu Ghraib. It is a very well written book and it is very entertaining. This book seems to speculate about what the author thinks Thoreau is really trying to say in his poetry and prose.