What is Dark Romanticism?
The label Dark Romanticism is used by different people in different contexts, to describe gothic novels from the 18th century as well as popmusic from the 60s and 70s.
The meaning of Dark Romanticism seems to vary. Apparently, there is no exact, widespread and unitary definition. First, we must notice that Romanticism is not properly defined either. Some suggest that Romanticism was a period when artists merely praised the Christian Lord. Others suggetst that Romanticism must be felt - it can not be understood in any other way. Baudelaire, the french dark romanticist wrote: "To say the word Romanticism is to say modern art--that is, intimacy, spirituality, colour, aspiration towards the infinite, expressed by every means available to the arts." Others suggest that Romanticism was a period when the market economy for the first time influenced authors.
A dictionary might help us to find some kind of definition. romantic (roman'tik), a. pertaining to, of the nature of or given to romance; imaginative, visionary, poetic, extravagant, fanciful; fantastic, unpractical, chimerical, quixotic, sentimental (of conduct etc.); wild, picturesque, suggestive of romance (of scenery etc.); pertaining to the movement in literature and art tending away from the moderation, harmonious proportion and sanity of classicism towards the unfettered expression of ideal beauty and grandeur. n. a romantic poet, novelist etc., a romanticist; a romantic person; a person given to sentimental thoughts or acts of love. dark [dahk], a. destitute of light; approaching black; shaded; swarthy, brown-complexioned; opaque; gloomy, sombre; (fig.) blind, ignorant; obscure, ambiguous; hidden, concealed; without spiritual or intellectual enlightenment; wicked, evil; cheerless; sad, sullen, frowning; unknown, untried (esp. used of a horse that has never run in