ROMANTICISM

The eighteenth century in Europe saw the beginning of the intellectual and literary approach known as Romanticism, which lasted until nearly the middle of the nineteenth century. It was both an extension of and a response against the Enlightenment because of its profound concentration on self-awareness. The personalized, the independent, the irrational, the inventive, the intimate, the serendipitous, the passionate, the clairvoyant, and the transcendent were all highlighted by Romanticism. Its perceptions included a real understanding of nature's beauty, an overall adoration of sentimentality over cause and the senses over cognition, a focus on the creative mind as a doorway to spiritual reality and transcendent insight, and a preference for the far-off, strange, bizarre, occult, and horrifying. Therefore, analyzing romanticism regarding its various themes and characteristics is crucial in showcasing its different influences, approaches, and implications to the world as seen by movements and pieces such as Frankenstein and the likes critiquing industrialization.

Themes and Characteristics of Romanticism

The invocation or critique of the past, worship of sensation with its focus on women and children, the Creator's or protagonist's solitude, and love for nature are all common topics in Romantic literature. The essential significance of the Creator's right to express their emotions freely may be used to evaluate the essence of Romanticism (OpenLearn, 2022). For instance, the romantic writers of the Commemoration of Nature saw nature as an instructor and a source of boundless beauty. John Keats' To autumn (1820), one of the renounced works of Romanticism, has the writer personifying the season and charts its growth from its initial arrival after summer through the harvesting season and ultimately to autumn's close as winter ushers in (Favret, 2009). The Romanticists viewed nature as a source of authenticity and elegance. The exquisite quality of nature is emphasized in a lot of Romantic literature. Many Romantic writers created lyrical poems about many subjects, such as birds, flora, landscapes, and cloud cover (Furst, 2017). Thus, the aspect of nature greatly features in Romanticism as expressed by pieces like ‘To autumn’ where personification and authenticity are emphasized. 

Romanticism also emphasizes the self and spirituality. Romantic authors went inward and prioritized the individual experience. As a result, Romantic literature established a stronger feeling of spirituality and arose to integrate occult and supernatural themes (Furst, 2017). The writing of Edgar Allan Poe is a good example of this philosophical component. The Raven relates the tale of a man who is lamenting the loss of his deceased love when a raven that appears to be sentient appears and terrorizes him, which may either be taken literally or read as a sign of his mental illness (OpenLearn, 2022). Many Romanticists also believed that they were self-sufficient, independent people standing apart from the majority of humanity, and some even decided to live mostly alone and in isolation (OpenLearn, 2022). Thus, the self and spirituality are emphasized by Romantic literature where Romanticists emphasized on self-sufficiency and independence.

Ralph Waldo Emerson was a key figure in Romanticism and a major contributor to the glorification of solitude and melancholy. Many of the literary revolution issues were addressed and formalized in his collections of essays. A key piece of Romantic literature, his 1841 essay Self-Reliance, implores the need to search inside, choosing one's path, and depending only on one's capabilities (Furst, 2017). Additionally, in keeping with the emphasis on isolation, sadness is a common trait of many Romantic creations and is typically seen as a response to impending collapse. Writers sought to express the unadulterated beauty they saw. When they failed to do so sufficiently, they experienced despair similar to that Percy Bysshe Shelley described in ‘A Lament’ The Romanticists had a strong emotional connection (Watcher, 2022). One of the most important aspects of the Romantic era was emotion, and Romanticists were interested in feelings like dread, awe, and terror. Characters frequently emphasize the most emotional aspects of narratives in Romantic writers' works, such as their inner conflicts, aspirations, and desires (Furst, 2017). Therefore, in the glorification of melancholy and solitude, figures such a Ralph Emerson emphasized on sadness as a trait as a means of creating strong emotional connection in their narratives. 

William Wordsworth was among the first writers to accept the idea of poetry that everyone could read, appreciate, and understand in terms of Interest in the Common Man. His most well-known poem, ‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,’ is an example of how he avoided highly exaggerated language and allusions to ancient works in favor of dynamic imagery expressed in understated, exquisite language. Romanticism also adheres to the glorification of Women (Wolfson, 2017). This is seen in pieces like Poe's The Raven, where women are consistently portrayed as ideal love partners who are pure and lovely but typically have little to give. Curiously, owing to these beliefs, the most important novels of the era were written by women but had to be first released under masculine pseudonyms (OpenLearn, 2022). As a result, the idea that women are beautiful, innocent beings who should only be cherished, lamented, and respected—never depended upon or touched—permeates most of the Romantic writing. Additionally, throughout the Romantic period, women were revered and worshipped as pure, innocent beings (Perry, 2017). Numerous Romantic writers and poets focused their stories on praising the innocence and attractiveness of a lady. However, because of this glorification, the Romantic Movement tended to view women as something to be admired by men rather than as individuals with their own goals and aspirations. Because of these prejudices, female authors like Jane Austen, Mary Shelley, and the Bronte sisters were forced to publish behind male pen names (Wolfson, 2017). Thus, in the glorification of women and the appreciation of the Common man, romanticists showcased dynamic imagery.

Personification and Pathetic Falsehood are also prevalent in Romanticism, where the focus on nature in romantic writing is exemplified by the frequent use of personified and pathetic fallacies. This may be seen in Mary Shelley's employment of these strategies in Frankenstein, where she did quite well (Furst, 2017). The romanticists held that reality could be found in both fantasy and nature, and they preferred the more ephemeral realities of art above the highly objective facts of science. The actual truth, which was more enduring and transcendent than anything found with the logical intellect, was believed to be attained by self-expression (Furst, 2017). They contested the idea that there was a universal fact.

How Romanticism has affected the world 

One of the major trends in the development of English literature is the Romantic Era. At their core, romanticists were rebels. Several of them were drawn to liberation from repression and individualism initiatives. Many Romantic thinkers were influenced by the French Revolution and subsequent democratic movements (OpenLearn, 2022). Conversely, Romantic authors thought that instead of adhering to official guidelines and conventional norms, people should be free to choose what and how they wished to write (Wolfson, 2017). In principle, Romanticism held that most writers' literary creations should be the product of their imagination. The biggest issue was considered to be being derivative or replicating work that had already been done (Furst, 2017). Many Romantic writers defied era norms, including William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Instead of writing poetry that adhered to the more complex standards that previous poets had formerly followed, they composed poetry that used common parlance and had the feel of a typical conversation. Walt Whitman went one step beyond by using free verse, which lacks rhyme and meter (Perry, 2017). Today, this is a popular poetic device, but it broke with convention when it was first used.

Around the beginning of the 19th century, scholars and other thinkers, including artisans, realized the local consequences of environmental deterioration in Europe and the U.S.A. Scientific theory and empiricism, developed during the Enlightenment, were the foundation for researchers' perception abilities. Artists and scholars noted natural beauty throughout the Romantic era, and they recorded it in paintings, music, and literature (Watcher, 2022). The Industrial Revolution, which represented a tangible result of the technological knowledge acquired during the Enlightenment, gave rise to Romanticism. Romanticism, as a result, was a forerunner of the environmental movement and was, in part, a response to the effects of industrialization on nature. One aspect of Romanticism, known as transcendentalism, sparked a continuous location legacy that encouraged artistic endeavors influenced by nature and an enhanced feeling of spiritualism (Watcher, 2022). Based on the land's and environments inherent worth, these efforts ultimately resulted in the conservation of wild regions. This view expanded the conservation movement's potential and was consistent with Muir's later initiatives to protect pristine areas in the U.S.A (Wolfson, 2017). Therefore, in the age of enlightenment, various features based off of scientific discovery resulted in environmental deterioration where aspects such as transcendentalism sparked continuous location legacy that encouraged artistic endeavors influenced by nature and an enhanced feeling of spiritualism.

Urbanization and industrialization were mainly seen negatively by romanticists. Many Romantic writers acknowledged the value of development but bemoaned how it affected the average person. A sizable working class that endured hazardous and arduous circumstances had been produced in England due to the Industrial Revolution (Watcher, 2022). Day after day, the gap between the affluent and the poor grew wider. Numerous Romantic authors illustrated the negative effects of urbanization and consumerism while promoting social reform in England. The well-known novel Frankenstein (1818) by Mary Shelley is an illustration of a Romantic book that portrayed the perils of science without evoking emotion (OpenLearn, 2022). Victor Frankenstein, in the tale, becomes so engrossed in his pursuit of understanding that he neglects to consider his morality and ends up producing a monster. The creature even shouts at one point: "Creator, you are a curse! How did I survive? Why did I not snuff out the life you had so carelessly given at that same moment?" (Watcher, 2022).Thus, urbanization sparked negativity in romanticists given the increasing gap between the affluent and the poor.

Romanticists greatly aided the conservation movement on several fronts. They have a special ability to convey the wonders of nature, and they are perceptive to a changing local environment. Whereas many Romanticists attempted to embrace the effects of industrialization on the environment, others had negative reactions, pointing out the environmental harm and looking for measures to protect the rural area and its way of life (Watcher, 2022). Many people saw soil degradation, species extinction, increased air pollution, and changes to streams and reservoirs even as they reveled in the wonders of nature. Scientific findings confirmed their views of immediate environmental degradation (Watcher, 2022). For instance, scientists had a basic knowledge of carbon dioxide's role as a greenhouse effect by the 1820s. Researchers began seeing acid deposition near English industrial centers around 1850, a result of burning coal for houses and industry (OpenLearn, 2022). Thus, romanticists aided conversation movements by conveying the wonders of nature as a means of halting environmental degradation. 

Aldo Leopold, writer, keen spectator of nature and human activity, educator, and well-known environmentalist and ecologist, produced some of the most important work to connect Romanticism and restoration as a physiological, natural, and social science. Leopold's vision of thriving land and its connection to human cultures is what contributes to conservation (Watcher, 2022). Leopold did not distinguish between human and natural activity. Instead, he broadened the notion of community to encompass both the local ecosystem and the environmental elements and the areas in which individuals live and socialize. Leopold gave restoration a rich element by providing an ethical framework for it (Perry, 2017). His land ethic demands that care for the soil, freshwater, air, and other living things be prioritized in communal decision-making. Natural resources are for human usage, yet the local ecosystem has inherent value that is essential to a society's short- and long-term survival. The conservation group was influenced by Leopold's nature right to become more aware of how people interact with the natural world (Watcher, 2022). His Sand County Almanac is regarded as a conservation classic because it connects the beauty of nature with scientific endeavor and, more significantly, emphasizes how crucial it is for people to care for the environment as a vital part of society (OpenLearn, 2022). Leopold's ideas set the stage for an ethical systems-based strategy for environmental preservation.

The literature trend known as Romanticism had a profound impact on modern literature. The corpus of material produced by Romantic authors, still widely read today, is the most obvious legacy they left behind (Watcher, 2022). Most English literature schools still cover works from the Romantic Period, including novels and poetry. Nevertheless, more significantly, Romantic authors defied expectations and advanced fresh ideas in techniques that altered the landscape for modern authors (OpenLearn, 2022). Before the Romantic Movement, writings and Classics studies dominated English literature, emphasizing objectivity and the truth. Well-respected authors were required to adhere to extremely strict standards. The emphasis on sentiments and creativity in literature was moved by literary Romanticism (Watcher, 2022). A poem without a pattern or a book that emphasizes the sentiments and aspirations of the subject are both examples of Romantic Era literature.

Analyzing Romanticism regarding its various themes and characteristics is crucial in showcasing its different influences, approaches, and implications to the world as seen by movements and pieces such as Frankenstein and the likes critiquing industrialization. The personalized, the subjective, the irrational, the creative, the intimate, the serendipitous, the passionate, the clairvoyant, and the transcendent were all highlighted by Romanticism. All these were seen in how nature, individuality, solitude, and personification were perceived. In principle, Romanticism held that most writers' literary creations should be the product of their imagination. The biggest issue was considered to be being derivative or replicating work that had already been done. Additionally, the Industrial Revolution, which represented a tangible result of the technological knowledge acquired during the Enlightenment, gave rise to Romanticism. This was brought forth by how urbanization sparked negativity in romanticists, given the increasing gap between the affluent and the poor. As such, the main influence exhibited showcased conversation movements and new techniques emphasizing objectivity and truth. Therefore, Romanticism showcased various themes that greatly influenced the world and literature.

References

Favret, M. (2009) “The study of affect and Romanticism,” Literature Compass, 6(6), pp. 1159–1166. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-4113.2009.00666.x.

Furst (2017) “Romanticism,” Routledge [Preprint]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315115641.

OpenLearn (2022) Legacy of the Romantics.

Perry, S. (2017) “Romanticism: The Brief History of a Concept,” A Companion to Romanticism, pp. 1–11. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781405165396.ch1.

Watcher (2022) Romanticism and conservation - Global Climate. Available at: https://www.climate-policy-watcher.org/global-climate-2/romanticism-and-conservation.html.

Wolfson, S.J. (2017) “Romanticism and Gender,” A companion to Romanticism, pp. 413–427. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781405165396.ch38.