romanticism the beginning of a new age a radical change in european culture about the concept of...
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ROMANTICISM
THE BEGINNING OF A NEW AGE
A radical change in European culture about the concept of human beings,
world and poetry
ROMANTICISM can be thought as a REACTION TO:
INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION:
- England changes from an agricultural society into a modern and industrial nation
-There is an increase of population and the development of a factory system → urbanization (mushroom towns)
- Increase of transports (railways, barges and canals)
- Inhuman conditions of work
- Important changes in agriculture
FRENCH REVOLUTION:
- Fear of Jacobinism (especially
government – no reforms) but
intellectuals and artists supported
the French Revolution
NAPOLEON:
- Contrast between France (Napoleon) and
England (Nelson). After that there are a
lot of poor people who lived in bad conditions of
life
CONCLUSIONS: – Fear of French Revolution ideas– Bad conditions of life (inhuman life for poor people and workers)
– Associations of workers
ENLIGHTENMENT(‘700)
ROMANTICISM(‘800)
BEST FACULTY
Faith in reason (as clear as light), that can explain everything.
Reaction against reason and supremacy of feelings and emotions (as mysterious as night).
RELATION-SHIP MAN-
NATURE
Nature is governed by mechanical laws and it’s completely dominated by humans.
It is a living, powerful, active and organic force. Now nature itself dominates humans.
PERIOD OF REFERENCE
Classicism, because of the rationalistic ideas of perfection, balance and harmony.
The classical ideas don’t consider the humans’ emotions. Revaluation of the Middle Ages, which is seen as irrationalistic and fascinating.
ARTMimetic orientation, like in classical art.
Expressive orientation. Symbolism: use of allegory (similar to the medieval one), useful to express the infinite.
NATURE IN ROMANTICISM: Josef Mallord William Turner, The shipwrek
English Romanticism is characterized by different literary genres:
More freedom from models
and rules
Symbols as vehicles
of visionary perception
The search for absolute
Nature as a mirror of the poets soul and feelings
Expression of the power
of imagination and creativity
ROMANTIC POETRY
Supernatural beings like ghosts, vampires
and monsters
The presentation of characters
who embody Evil
Taste for error and horror (spectral
locations such as cemeteries and haunted houses)
Superiority of night on the fleeting day
The most important works are: •The Castle of Otranto
•The mysteries of Udolpho•The monk
•Frankenstein
THE GOTHIC NOVEL
NOVEL OF MANNERS
Third person narrator
Human passions are not
expressed directly but more subtly
Characters are usually set in the upper or middle levels
of society
It deals with codes and
conventions of daily
behaviour
Visits, balls and teas are
occasions for meeting and for
discussions
The most prominentauthors is
Jane Austen
Historical context
It gives support to the idea of romantic nationalism
Both actual-historical
and fictional characters
Use of the third- person narrator
It descibes manner, buildings
of the past,according
to the historicalverisimitude
HISTORICAL NOVEL
Fading forms, many shades of colour
and brightness
We can percive the comparison between human
fragility and greatness of nature
The artist is guided by his imagination
and not by standards canons set
One of the central
theme is the explosion of
nature
ROMANTIC ART
It translates the concept of Sublime in
the painting.All the feelings, that man perceive in front of the spectacles of
Nature
William Turner, The burning of the house of lords and commons
ROMANTIC MUSIC(Composers: Beethowen, Brahms, Schumann, Schubert, Chopin)
Innovations:
• A new approach to instrumental music
• The orchestra conductor arises (before that this role was given to first violin and to harpsichordist)
• Like art and literature, it evokes moods or inspire feelings of nationalism, love and awe
Matter of continuity:
• It maintains much of the structure of the music from the classical play
• Composers work to expand the forms
THE MAIN ISSUES OF ROMANTIC
PHILOSOPHERS
The problem of death.
It is considered as a reunion with the
Total,so life doesn’t die, but returns to the
whole universe.
The meaning of life.
Philosophers belived that life
is not desiderable because it is full
of grief.
The disagreement between finite and infinite, so between
man and nature.
It follows that man feels the
aspiration towards the Infinite that
can be achieved
through art and especially
through poetry.