The romance, as a literary creativity, is known to date back to the ancient Greeks - during the second and third centuries - whose works were written in prose to describe how two lovers overcome difficulties before they were eventually united. A similar experience was faced by the knights of the Middle Ages and was immortalized by romances narrated in verse and distributed by the troubadours throughout Western Europe about ten centuries later. And, in England, a group of poets came to revive the spirit of the knights of those romances and dominated the literary scene in the nineteenth century when they countered the rationality established by neoclassicism during the era of the Enlightenment.
Objectives of the Research
This paper aims first to underscore the significance of the romance in the history of English literature, second to highlight its influence on the later movement of Romanticism, and third to delineate on what grounds were both deprecated.
Research Questions
- What is the contribution made by the romance to English literature?
- To what extent is Romanticism influential on literature?
- Who took to deprecate the romance and the romantic tendency in literature?
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Yet, more significantly, the principles of chivalry facilitated important changes in attitudes regarding the value of women as Bromiley states in his Encyclopedia (1994; 272); for the first time in European history, ladies became regarded with a transcendence of premeditated thought by chivalries who conducted themselves graciously and bestowed upon ladies the utmost courtesy and attentiveness. And as highlighted by James Sweeny in The Dictionary of the Middle Ages, 1983, a chavalier was to echo shades of this attitude to all women, regardless of class, age or
The Romantic Period is characterized as an artistic and intellectually stimulating literary movement. Writers of this genre and time are considered to be those who fused the elements of romance in their writings to enhance the human experience. Edgar Allan Poe, known as the father of the modern short story, epitomizes this notion in his writings. In “Annabel Lee,” and “The Oval Portrait,” Edgar Allan Poe uses romance to illustrate the essence of death and misery and to illustrate elements in which the reader can actually feel that was is happening in the story is happening to them.
The period of Romanticism, occurring between the years 1800 and 1860, left a significant impact on not only the literature of that time, but the literature of today as well. Prior to romantic writings, the world focused on society and logic. Romanticism allowed people to start valuing individualism and to appeal to emotional responses. This new way of thinking brought new literary styles, themes, and genres that were never explored before and are still found today. The literature of Romanticism allowed people to escape the harshness of reality and enter a different world.
The start of the Romantic Age coincided with the start of the French Revolution in 1789. It ends in 1837. Just as the revolution was changing the social order, the romantic poets were taking literature in a whole new direction. The mechanical reason that pervaded the work of the previous era was replaced by strong emotions and a return to nature. Animals and respect for nature were frequently used subjects in works of his period. The first generation of poets included William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Sir Walter Scott. Their primary contribution to literature was with their lyrical ballads. They used the typical romantic themes of respect for nature and all of its creatures. Wordsworth is above all the poet
During early American Literature, four new philosophies arrived with the arrival of a new nation. As more people from Europe came to the new world, culture sprang into writing and writing turned into philosophy. The religiously-oriented Puritan writers of the 17th Century were classified as Neo-Classic writers. Writers such as Anne Bradstreet and John Winthrop were early American writers who stressed the beauty, truth, and perfection under one god. In the 17th and 18th century, the Romantics opened the door for the founding fathers and artists to write about the world from a new perspective. Romantics acknowledge human beings as the failures that they are, but they also celebrate human potential for greatness. Writers such as Thomas Paine, author of “common sense”, write about strong beliefs based on the mind ,and not the words of another man. With many great artists and authors, both Romantics and Neo-classics give many great examples that aid in proving the periods existed. Through their syntax and structure they prove their loyalty to either Romanticism or Neo-classicism.
The origin of the word chivalry is from the French term “chevalrie”, literally used to describe the characteristics of armed knights on horseback.1 It did not originally include the moral aspects which it had become later known for. Into the later times in the Middle Ages, chivalry began to be a more concrete code of conduct which was followed by the high class and knights.1
Romanticism was a period time 1750 to 1870 in Europe, Latin America and The United States. Romantic Movement didn’t reach to France until the 1820’s. Romanticism main spirit was against of rule, law and formulas that classicism the different characterized of general in 18th century. Imagination, Subjectivity of approach, freedom, Expression and the idealization of nature will be focused in movement of Romantic Literature. In this period industrial revolution with the social and political norms form as age of enlightenment and against of scientific rationalization of nature. Some Literature element of that period will be emotional, imagination and suspense. Romanticism movement brings some of different writes such as John Keats, Blake William, Wordsworth William and other. They came with the different illustrated, poetry that expresses the language, emotion and imagination. Romanticism is a phenomenon characterized by subjectivity of approach and reliance on the imagination, An Idealization of nature and freedom of though and expression.
1. Romantic literature everywhere includes themes such as: imagination was praised over reason, emotions over logic, and intuition over science—making way for a vast body of literature of great sensibility and passion.
Imagine a candle-lit dinner on a starry night in Paris, the Eiffel Tower just in view with dazzling lights shining into the night. This image is probably what you think of when you hear the word “romantic,” correct. However, this image is a stumbling block when people think of the “Romanticism Period” in literature. Where “romantic” means having a lovely time with the person you love the most, “Romanticism” is a piece of literature written with key themes in mind. Those themes tend to be a strong emotion, imagery or worship of nature, and individuality and subjectivity. The peak of inspiration for these pieces was in the years 1800-1850, and there are famous poems that are well loved today from this period. Many of the poets that you enjoy reading and know are, in actuality, Romanticism writers, and instill the themes above in our minds.
Many romantic writers focused on the gothic side of romantic literature, from quirky to evil they tend to draw emotions from the viewer. The focused material is “
The period of Romanticism, occurring between the years 1800 and 1860, left a significant impact on not only the literature of that time, but the literature of today as well. Prior to romantic writings, the world focused on society and logic. Romanticism allowed people to start valuing individualism and to appeal to emotional responses. This new way of thinking brought new literary styles, themes, and genres that were never explored before and are still found today. The literature of Romanticism allowed people to escape the harshness of reality and enter a different world.
M. H. Abrams defines romantic themes in prominent writers of this school in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries as being five in number: (1) innovations in the materials, forms and style; (2) that the work involve a “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings”; (3) that external nature be a persistent subject with a “sensuous nuance” and accuracy in its description; (4) that the reader be invited to identify the protagonist with the author himself; and (5) that this be an age of “new beginnings and high possibilities” for the person (177-79).
Two of most interesting ages in the English literature are the Enlightenment and the Romantic era. They are interesting because the Romantic era followed the Enlightenment era and criticized it.
In order to fully understand how supernatural themes played such a large role in Romanticism, we must further explore what Romanticism really is. This spiritual and artistic movement rejected rationalism, and emerged as a reaction against ‘the age of enlightenment’, which put strong emphasis on reason and logic. Thus, for the Romantics, literary creation was what the artist produced after reconstructing or developing a new interpretation of the world around him. It was the offspring of imagination applied to the writer’s impressions of real life. Authors such as Coleridge, Blake, and Shelley, believed that literary creation was the product of transforming reality into something beyond reason, but not beyond the
Through the late 1700s and early 1800s, the period of Romanticism blossomed. “Romanticism” very loosely describes the era in which modern culture began to take shape. During the Romantic era, many advancements were made in all aspects of people’s lives and cultures. One aspect in particular has held great value even to this day. That aspect being the expansive amount of literature created during the era. The era of Romanticism had its name for a reason. It can be greatly attributed to the romantic style or genre of literature that defined the period. Romantic writers wove many tales of admiration, longing, and aspirations. They were fantastical, in a sense, and almost the antithesis of realism, even. Amidst the great breadth of literature
Romanticism came to be in the 18th and 19th centuries which emphasized the imagination and emotions of romanticism. Many people viewed this type of literature as the quality or state of being impractical or unrealistic meaning romantic feelings or ideas. During this time many poets were encouraged to express their true colors and individual uniqueness. The Romantic Era expanded all throughout the world, and reached poets such as Keats, Byron, Shelley, and Wordsworth.