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19th Century American Romanticism

Decent Essays

Romanticism Romanticism was a popular movement that became popular in Europe in the nineteenth century. Romanticism had a lasting effect on Europe and is still felt there today. The authors state, “their ideals were more in tune with human nature” (476). Romanticism became a part of the culture, it affected the literature, paintings, and architecture. Romanticism allowed one to escape their everyday life, whereas realism was a style that depicted the hard, and real lives of the middle and lower class people. Realism did not create an unrealistic scene, it was simply what was in front of the author, artist, or architect. Romanticism and realism both took place during the American and French Revolutions which is why Romanticism was more popular, …show more content…

Romanticism was popular among the lower and middle class because they were the ones fighting the government, and need hope that a hero would come and save them. In France, only wealthy males could vote, so they controlled the government. The upper class voted for what was in their best interest not thinking of what was happening to the middle and lower class. French Emperor Napoleon III realized the middle class was growing and could expand the industrial base. Napoleon III also gave the lower class social security. In Great Britain, the voting qualification were lowered to allow the males in the working class to vote. The growth in these countries caused a boom in the industrial industry. The authors state, “In romanticism, they found escape from the sordid and ugly side of industrialism” (507). Another movement was taking place during the Romanticism movement called Realism. Realism was different than romanticism because people in the realism movement saw thing as what they were. Realist didn’t exaggerate the picture in front of them like the romantics did. Realism was the real lives of the working people and poor in their everyday struggle with no hero to rescue them. Darwin’s scientific explanation is an example of realism because it rejected the bibles explanation for how the world was created. “In literature, the romantic style continued to dominate poetry, essays, and novels until …show more content…

Europe was the start for this movement and romanticism is still heavily felt there today. Romanticism catered to a human’s nature to have a hero sweep them off their feet. Literature, paintings, and architecture was a part of the culture affected by the Romantic movement. There was another movement during the nineteenth century called realism that showed the real everyday lives of the middle and lower class people. Romanticism created another world for the people to escape too unlike realism that showed the hard truth in front of the author, artist, or architect. Romanticism gave the people that were fighting the French and American Revolutions a place to get away from all the death and

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