American Romanticism - Essay Example
American Romanticism
Romanticism originates from the Germany of the 1770s and from that time on it has captured the rest of Europe and from about the 1820s America, as well (Hampson, par. 1). In America, there had not been a long literary tradition as was the case in Europe, and therefore their Romantic period also helped with the build of the foundations of a national literary tradition. The Declaration of Independence had only been signed on 4 July 1776 (Ushistory.org, par 4). This means the country was not yet a century old during the start of the Romantic period in the United States. American Romanticism became both an imitation of European, especially British romanticism, but it was also innovative. There are many elements used to describe American Romanticism, but here some of the more important ones will be discussed with the use of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown, Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven and poem 260 I’m Nobody! Who are you? by Emily Dickinson. The first element of great importance to American Romanticisim is individualism. The individual is important with his or her personal feelings and ideas, which results in a subjective view of the world. During the Romantic Period, both writers and poets wanted to be a true individual. They did not want to be part of the great mass, even if this meant they would not fit in. Poem 260 I’m Nobody! Who are you? from Emily Dickinson expresses this idealisation of individualism:
“I’m Nobody! Who are you? Are you – Nobody – too? Then there’s a pair of us Don’t tell! they’d advertise – you know!
How dreary – to be – Somebody! How public – like a Frog – To tell one’s name – the livelong June – To an admiring Bog!” (Dickinson, 1204)
There was negative side to being an individual that is different from the rest of society. Edgar Allan Poe for instance lived a tragic life, filled with almost as much darkness as his stories (Levine,
Romanticism originates from the Germany of the 1770s and from that time on it has captured the rest of Europe and from about the 1820s America, as well (Hampson, par. 1). In America, there had not been a long literary tradition as was the case in Europe, and therefore their Romantic period also helped with the build of the foundations of a national literary tradition. The Declaration of Independence had only been signed on 4 July 1776 (Ushistory.org, par 4). This means the country was not yet a century old during the start of the Romantic period in the United States. American Romanticism became both an imitation of European, especially British romanticism, but it was also innovative. There are many elements used to describe American Romanticism, but here some of the more important ones will be discussed with the use of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown, Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven and poem 260 I’m Nobody! Who are you? by Emily Dickinson. The first element of great importance to American Romanticisim is individualism. The individual is important with his or her personal feelings and ideas, which results in a subjective view of the world. During the Romantic Period, both writers and poets wanted to be a true individual. They did not want to be part of the great mass, even if this meant they would not fit in. Poem 260 I’m Nobody! Who are you? from Emily Dickinson expresses this idealisation of individualism:
“I’m Nobody! Who are you? Are you – Nobody – too? Then there’s a pair of us Don’t tell! they’d advertise – you know!
How dreary – to be – Somebody! How public – like a Frog – To tell one’s name – the livelong June – To an admiring Bog!” (Dickinson, 1204)
There was negative side to being an individual that is different from the rest of society. Edgar Allan Poe for instance lived a tragic life, filled with almost as much darkness as his stories (Levine,