Romanticism - an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in the late 1700s and reached its peak in the mid-1800s. Romanticism affected art, literature, music, and philosophy in both Europe and America. Enlightenment Era (1715 - 1789): General trends ● Growth of Empiricism - belief that all knowledge derives from senses ● Emphasis on scientific method - scientific and technological progress ● Establishment of democracies - considered a rational system, as opposed to the irrationality of divine rule ● Displacement of religious authority with science; continued weakening of Catholic Church David Hume Enlightenment Philosophy ● Man is but a bundle of sensations; rejects metaphysics and theological views on the basis that they are not “No man's knowledge here can go grounded in fact and observations beyond his experience.” ● Argued that "the mind itself, far from being an independent power, is - John Locke simply 'a bundle of perceptions' without unity or cohesive quality" ● To Hume, morals are mere feelings What are the consequences? ● This displacement of emotion/spirituality produces a vacuum ● "Romanticism" basically fills that vacuum Romanticism (1800-1850) ● Reaction to the “cold” Enlightenment worldview; reality not denied, but is considered to encompass more than the physical/material ● Consequently, rationality has its limits in explaining life ● In contrast to Enlightenment values of logic, science, and reason, Romantics instead value imagination, intuition, individuality, idealism, and inspiration. ● Romantics depict life as something dramatic, spiritual, and awe-inspiring. The Romantic Man ● Romanticism does not reject the enlightenment entirely; the individual remains more important than the group. ● However, man is portrayed as something more than a mere biological entity; he is instead heroic and capable of transcending the material. ● In contrast to the views of the Puritans, man is typically viewed as intrinsically good. Emphasis on Nature ● As the antithesis of civilization and rationality, nature is associated strongly with Romanticism and features as a frequent theme ● In Romantic works, nature is portrayed as something powerful, sublime, and sometimes terrible The Fireside Poets ● Considered to belong to a sub-genre of the larger Romantic movement ● First American poets who rivaled the popularity of British poets ● Structurally, poetry tended to be conventional and accessible ● Thematically, Fireside poets often focused on issues of social injustice.