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Analysis Of Friedrich Schlegel 's ' The Fragment No

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Friedrich Schlegel’s “Athenaeum Fragment No. 116” discusses romantic poetry, an art form that the Romantic generation changed quite drastically. According to Schlegel, romantic poetry is different from previous poetry because it combines poetry with other art forms. Romantic poetry is a social and literary, allowing people from all cultures and classes to read, listen, and interpret what each poet is conveying. The topics of romantic poetry range from a comprehensive description of nature, as in William Wordsworth’s “Daffodils,” to a focus on the death of beloved, as in Wordsworth’s “A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal,” to a focus on love, friendship, and deep emotion, as in John Keats’ “Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art.” …show more content…

And it can also – more than any other form – hover at the midpoint between the portrayed and the portrayer, free of all real and ideal self-interest, on the wings of poetic reflection, and can raise that reflection again and again to a higher power, can multiply it in an endless succession of mirrors.” As the poet writes, they reflect on what they are writing about and the feelings they are evoking; once the audience receives the poem, they, too, ponder of its meanings and what the artist may have been trying to convey. The audience does this with such fervency and so frequently that their thoughts make it back to the poet, who then in turn does more writing. In addition, members of the audience may both critique and be inspired by the poem, which can cause more writing and introspection.
Another reason romantic poetry is progressive is because it cannot be perfected. It, like the nineteenth century, constantly evolves and adapts. Thus, as Schlegel says, “no theory...would dare try to characterize its ideal,” that is, romantic poetry cannot be defined by its ideals since it encompasses a myriad of themes and styles. It is chiefly governed by the will of the poet, not conforming to the laws of literature of the time. Romantic poetry is more than just a style of poetry; it has the ability to be defined and classified for a multitude of poems, at least it did in the

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