"What is Romanticism?"
An artistic and literary movement characterized by a heightened interest in nature, emotion, and individualism.
Romanticism: Discovering Beauty in Nature, Emotion, and Individualism
Romanticism is not just about love, flowers, and chocolates. It is a cultural and artistic movement that emerged in the late 18th century as a reaction against the Enlightenment period's emphasis on reason and science. Instead, Romanticism celebrates the imagination, emotion, and individualism. It embraces mysticism, supernaturalism, and a keen interest in nature and folk culture.
The Romantics believed that nature was a source of beauty and inspiration. They saw it as a spiritual, organic entity that is connected with humanity. Therefore, they often used natural scenes to convey deep emotions and moods in their poems, paintings, and music. They also developed a fascination with medievalism, exoticism, and the sublime. By exploring these themes, they sought to expand their perception of reality and deepen their understanding of human experience.
In addition, Romanticism was a period of linguistic revolution, where writers and poets experimented with language and created new forms of expression. They broke the rigid rules of classical grammar and syntax and used more natural, colloquial language. This period also saw the rise of the novel as a predominant literary form, which often explored the inner lives and struggles of the characters.
Discovering how Romanticism was portrayed in literature can be an exciting and insightful experience. Below are two examples of how Romanticism was used for storytelling in literature.
In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, the protagonist Victor Frankenstein embodies the Romantic ideal of the individual seeking knowledge and adventure. His pursuit of knowledge leads him to create a life-like creature, but his obsession with playing God has dire consequences and leads to his own destruction.
John Keats's 'Ode to a Nightingale' is a perfect example of Romantic poetry. In the poem, Keats uses a bird's singing to explore themes of beauty, transience, mortality, and the escape from reality through imagination.