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Review Article z Available online at http://www.journalcra.com INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CURRENT RESEARCH International Journal of Current Research Vol. 7, Issue, 08, pp.19254-19257, August, 2015 ISSN: 0975-833X REVIEW ARTICLE THE AMERICAN ROMANTICISM IN R.W. EMERSON, WALT WHITMAN AND EMILY DICKINSON’S POETRY *Dr. Vitthal V. Parab Department of English, K.M. Agrawal College of Arts, Commerce & Science, Kalyan (West)-421301 Recognized Ph.D Guide In English (University Of Mumbai & JJT University, Rajasthan) V.C. Nominee Subject Expert at Interview Panel for Recruitment of Assistant Professors in University of Mumbai Subject Expert at Maharashtra Public Service Commission, MPSC Head Office, Kuparej, Mumbai- 400021 Visiting Professor, Post-Graduation & Research Center, R.J. College, Mumbai-400 086 ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article History: Marker Romanticism, the special term in literature has been used to refer to certain artists, poets, Received 06th May, 2015 writers, musicians, as well as political, philosophical, and social thinkers of the 18th and early to Received in revised form mid 19th centuries. It has equally been used to refer to various artistic, intellectual, and social trend 10th June, 2015 of the era. Despite of this common usage of the term, a precise characterization and specific Accepted 03rd July, 2015 definition of Romanticism has been the subject of debate in the fields of intellectual history and Published online 21st August, 2015 literary history throughout the 20th century, without any great measure of consensus emerging. The romantic impulse played a major role in the mid-nineteenth century blossoming of American Key words: literature and art that has been called the American Renaissance. Romanticism in English literature had little connection with nationalism, the related term, Transcendentalism, Romanticism, American literature, intellectualism etc. The major figures in the movement of Transcendentalism were Ralph Waldo American Emerson and romantic realism of Walt Whitman. The poetry of Emily Dickinson— can be taken as Renaissance, epitomes of American Romantic literature. By the 1880s, however, psychological and social realism Nationalism, was competing with romanticism in the novels too. Through this paper we can innovate many new Social Realism, ideas and philosophies of the age of Romanticism. The books and journals of English literature are Philosophy. enriched by plenty of papers on Romanticism which give us enough opportunities to review and research on this topic. Copyright © 2015 Dr.Vitthal V. Parab. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Citation: Dr.Vitthal V. Parab, 2015. “The American romanticism in R.W. Emerson, Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson’s poetry”, International Journal of Current Research, 7, (8), 19254-19257. INTRODUCTION Enlightenment and a reaction against the scientific rationalization of nature. It was embodied most strongly in the Basically the term “Romanticism’’ has been used to refer to visual arts, music, and literature, but had a major impact on certain artists, poets, writers, musicians, as well as political historiography (Ashton Nichols, 2005), education (David ,philosophical, and social thinkers of the 18th and early to mid Lavin, 1967) and natural history. (Dickinson) 19th centuries. It has equally been used to refer to various artistic, intellectual, and social trend of the era. Despite of this The movement validated strong emotion as an authentic source common usage of the term, a precise characterization and of aesthetic experience, placing new emphasis on such specific definition of Romanticism has been the subject of emotions as trepidation, horror and terror, and awe — debate in the fields of intellectual history and literary history especially that which is experienced in confronting the throughout the 20th century, without any great measure of sublimity of untamed nature and its picturesque qualities, both consensus emerging. It was a movement originated in the 2nd new aesthetic categories. It elevated folk art and ancient half of the 18th century in Europe and strengthened in reaction custom to something noble, made spontaneity a desirable to the Industrial Revolution. Partially it was a revolt against characteristic, and argued for a "natural" epistemology of aristocratic social and political norms of the Age of human activities as conditioned by nature in the form of language and customary usage. It focuses on Nature: a place *Corresponding author: Dr. Vitthal V. Parab free from society’s judgment and restrictions. Romanticism Department of English, K.M. Agrawal College of Arts, Commerce & blossomed after the age of Rationalism, a time that focus Science, Kalyan (West)-421301. 19255 Vitthal V. Parab, The American romanticism in R.W. Emerson, Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson’s poetry on scientific reasoning’s. In literature, Romanticism found The major figures in the movement were Ralph Waldo recurrent themes in the evocation or criticism of the past, the Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, and Amos cult of "sensibility" with its emphasis on women and children, Bronson Alcott. Other prominent transcendentalists included the heroic isolation of the artist or narrator, and respect for a Charles Timothy Brooks, Orestes Brownson, William Ellery new, wilder, untrammeled and "pure" nature. Channing, William Henry Channing, James Freeman Clarke, Christopher Pearse Cranch, Walt Whitman, John Sullivan Actually Romantic literature displayed a number of recurrent Dwight, Convers Francis, William Henry Furness, Frederic motifs: the theme of the individual in rebellion; the symbolic Henry Hedge, Sylvester Judd, Theodore Parker, Elizabeth interpretation of the historic past; subjects from myth and Palmer Peabody, George Ripley, Thomas Treadwell Stone, and folklore; the glorification of nature; faraway settings; Jones Very. (Ashton Nichols, 2005) Later Transcendentalist sentimentalism; the nobility of the uncivilized man (the Native writers such as Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo American, for example); admiration for the simple life; the Emerson still show elements of its influence and imagination, elevation of the common man; a fascination with Gothic as does the romantic realism of Walt Whitman. The poetry of themes, with the supernatural and mysterious, with Emily Dickinson— can be taken as epitomes of American introspection, melancholy, and horror; and a humanitarian Romantic literature. By the 1880s, however, psychological and political and social outlook. social realism was competing with romanticism in the novel. The romantic impulse played a major role in the mid- Objectives nineteenth century blossoming of American literature and art that has been called the American Renaissance. (Cliff notes) In a. To review and recritique of literature, especially English literature, the group of poets now considered the Romanticism key figures of the Romantic movement includes William b. To make aware of the readers a number of recurrent motifs Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, John Keats, Percy B. through romantic literature Shelley, and the much older William Blake, followed later by c. To help in the emergence of new ideas and in the process the isolated figure of John Clare. The publication in 1798 of led to the emergence of positive voices that were beneficial Lyrical Ballads, with many of the finest poems by for the marginalized Wordsworth and Coleridge, is often held to mark the start of d. Sections of the society. the movement. However in the period when they were writing e. To give an unprecedented importance to folk literature, they were widely regarded as a marginal group of radicals, non- classical mythology and children's literature, though they were supported by the critic and writer William f. To search different literature we can know more about that Hazlitt and others. particular literature. Romanticism in English literature had little connection Methodology with nationalism, and the Romantics were often regarded with suspicion for the sympathy many felt for the ideals of the a. Study of the available literary texts and relevant criticism French Revolution, whose collapse and replacement with the of the author, dictatorship of Napoleon was, as elsewhere in Europe, a shock b. Collection of materials from libraries and internet- to the movement. François-René de Chateaubriand is often websites and suggestions of eminent specialists, called the "Father of French Romanticism". In France, the c. Critical study and analysis of the collected materials, movement is associated with the 19th century, the plays, poems d. Data collection from the statements or writings of the and novels of Victor Hugo, Spanish Romanticism also author or author’s circles. influenced regional literatures. A very strong aspect of Polish Romanticism was its relation to and inspiration from Polish DISCUSSION history .Brazilian Romanticism is characterized and divided in three different periods. The first one is basically focused in the European Romanticism on American writers- European creation of a sense of national identity, using the ideal of the Romantic movement reached America in the early 19th heroic India. century. American Romanticism was just as multifaceted and individualistic as it was in Europe. Like the Europeans, the The related term, Transcendentalism is a philosophical American Romantics demonstrated
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