Romanticism and Transcendentalism (1800-1865)

Romanticism

Romanticism was a major literary movement that every country of Europe, the United States,
and Latin America that lasted from about 1750 to 1870. Romanticism's essential spirit was revolt
against Neoclassicism that characterized Classicism in general and late 18th-century.
Neoclassicism sought about precise rules, laws, dogmas, and formulas, but the romanticism
regarded imagination over reason, emotions over logic and intuition over science-making way as
important on literature.

Romanticism style

The original meaning of romantic is “romance like” that resemble the fanciful character of
medieval romances. But the mood and movements was changed, and it regarded on self-
expression and individual uniqueness.
The beginning of Transcendentalism

Transcendentalism appears around 1836 until 1860. This movement had a unique way of
thinking: everyone is connected with the universe. Transcendentalists believed that God was
present in every aspect of life. Their goal was to "transcend'' ordinary life to experience the
symbolic and spiritual world around them. This movement was a declension of romanticism but
with some differences: Romanticists were not concerned by God whereas Transcendentalists saw
God everywhere.

Impact of transcendentalism on literature

Transcendentalists used imagination: readers had to imagine what is he is reading and used their
personal experiences to transcend them.  Literature was a platform to liberate people, to help
them see what needs to be seen: nature, spirituality, self-identity, and social injustice.For the
Transcendentalists, man needed to live in the world, participate in it, look at it closely, and take
action.
Dark Romanticism (1800-1865)

How did Dark Romanticism start?

   
After the age of Enlightenment when literature became more scientific (due to the Industrial
Revolution & The French Revolution), causing writing to leave out the human emotions, The
Romantics rose up disagreeing with this new style of literature and started bringing up works full
of feelings.
          This literary movement can be classified into three branches:
 The Romantics,
 The Transcendentalists
 And the Dark Romantics
(Transcendentalists and Dark Romantics were both
sub genres of Romanticism. )
     
The difference between the three is that the Romantics were against rules, and intellectual
writing which was introduced during the Revolutionary Period, and gave importance to self-
expression, idealism, imagination and individuality.
-         Transcendentalists believed that “God is in the center of the universe” and that life is one
big harmony.
-         Whereas Dark Romanticism had the opposite point of view and portrayed the world and
human nature as dark and evil. Sin and super naturalism such as vampires, demons, monsters etc.
where prevalent in many of the books of the era.