Romanticism
(1798)
The form “romanticism “is
derived from the word “romantic” which means attitude, ideals and feeling.
These ideals or feelings are romantic rather than realistic. However according
to American scholar A.O.Lovejoy, there are many definition and meaning of the word
romantic or romanticism. As a result, there is ‘complexity and multiplicity’ in
European romanticism. Many definitions are given by the critic and writers
about ‘romanticism’.
EXAMPLE- “The decline and full of the romantic
Ideal” – 1948, F.L.Lucas
In this book Lucas has counted 11,396
definition of romanticism.
“Classic romantic and modern”- Barnum (1961)
Here in this book, Barnum has
offered many similarity uses of the term “romantic”. According to him one can
use the following word for the umbrella term “Romantic”, ‘attractive’,
‘bombastic’, ‘emotional’, ‘heroic’, ‘mysterious’, ‘ornamental’, ‘adventurous’,
‘extraordinary’, ‘gallant’, ‘passionate’, ‘wild’ etc. However as a student of
literature and in literary context we have to use the word romantic or
romanticism for “responses from repugnance to enthusiastic approval”.
v History of romanticism
According to J.A.Cuddon
“The word romanticism has
a complex and interesting history”.
In the Middle Ages ‘romance’ means
new vernacular languages derived from Latin. However ever there were many contradictions
between new vernacular and Latin. The term also signified popular book,
sometimes it was also known as “something new, different divergent”.
After that during 17th
and 18th century in England, France and German the term was used in
varied sense.
vRomanticism as a literary
movement
Fried rich Schlegel is considered
to be the first person who has first established the ‘romantisch’ in literary
contexts. According to him
“Romantic depicts emotional matter in an imaginative
form”.
He even draws connection
between ‘romantic’ and ‘Christians’ later Madame DE Steal has popularize the
term “romantique”in literary context in France. She made distinction between
the literature of the north and of the south. The northern was medieval, Christian
and romantic while the southern was classical and pagan.
v Major characteristics of Romanticism.
ü In increasing interest in
Nature.
ü Prominence of emotion and
feeling.
ü Away from city life and
manner.
ü More interest in simple
and decent.
ü Note of feelingful
meditation.
ü Interest in simple and
ordinary people and their activities.
ü Importance of common Man’s
language.
ü Conscious following of
simple and nature related themes.
ü A feat range of subject
and literary output.
Generally majority of the writers’ appreciate
Nature. They believed in
God who is there in all natural objects. Generally the writers have given importance
to human feeling and emotion.
Even the romantic writers
have talked about country side, scenery and natural landscape. They didn't highlight
city life which was full of selfishness and practicality. Even there is no
single writer who has ever talked about king, queen, prince or princess. They
have talked about working class people and their simple, sober life.
There are many poets who had
meditative insight. They often reflected their deep thinking when they have
seen natural object.
EXAMPLE- “To a
Skylark”- P.B Shelley
Since there was return to nature during
their age, majority of the books were about the theme of nature and its
wonderful world. Not only that there was great variety of literary output.
Thousand of poems, novels, essays and theories were written during their
period.
At last what s more important and
special about romanticism is that whatever was written in literature it was written
in very simple language as a result anyone can easily understanding.
v Influence on the
Romanticism in literary context.
The ideals of the French revolution
inspired the romantic writers. The French motto “liberty, equality and fraternity”
inspired romantic writers like Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelley, Byron Etc.
Rousseau is the major figure
in 18th century has greatly influences the pre- romantics. The
following work by Rousseau has inspired many writers.
“Les confessions”
“Du contract social” etc
Another influence came from German literature;
German scholar and writer like Goethe, Kant, Schelling, and
Schlegel etc....have influenced the English literature.
EXAMPLE- “Esemplastic
imagination on” by Coleridge.
The theory is inspired by German
thinking.
v Writers and Works
ü The Early Romantics.
James Thomson,
Robert Burns, William Black, Thomas Gray etc are considered to be the early
Romantics or pre – romantic. The book which is landmark in the history of
Romanticism is as below.
“Seasons” – James Thomson
“Night Thoughts” – Young
“The Grave”- Blair
“Elegy” – Thomas Gray.
ü The later Romantics
During romantic revival
the poetry flourished greatly compare to other literary genres. The major poets
are Wordsworth, S.T. Coleridge, Lord Byron, P.B Shelley, John Keats etc.
Even
the novel form was developed by Richardson, Goldsmith, Laurence Sterne, Walter Scott
and Jane Austen during this period. Other prose writers include Charles Lamb,
Coleridge peacock etc.. Finally the every form was developed under writers
William Hazlitt and Southey. Some best poems are as below.
“Lucy poems”
“The solitary
Reaper”
“Daffodil” –
Wordsworth
“Kubla Khan”
“The rime of
Ancient Mariner” – Coleridge
“Don Juan” –
Byron
“Isabella”
“The pot of
basil” – Keats.
Some
novels are as under.
“Pamela”-
Richardson
“The vicar
of Wake field”- Goldsmith
“Sentimental
Journey”- Stern.
v Conclusion.
Thus the
romantic is very wide movements. It includes many meanings and interests. But
in literary context we can quote oxford dictionary.
“Romanticism is the autistic movements of the 18th
and 19th centuries which were concerned with expression of the
individual’s feeling and emotion”.
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