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Characteristic of American romanticism Romanticism is an art movement and style that flourished in the early nineteen century. It emphasized the emotions painted in a bold, dramatic manner. Romanticism might be described as anti-Classicism. Classicism was nostalgic, but Romantics were more emotional, usually melancholic, and even melodramatically tragic. A term romanticism loosely applied to literary and artistic movements of the late 18 th and 19 centuries. What can we say about characteristics of Romanticism?
Resulting in part from the libertarian and egalitarian ideals of the French Revolution, the romantic movements had in common only a revolt against the prescribed rules of classicism. The basic aims of romanticism were various: a return to nature and to belief in the goodness of humanity, the rediscovery of the artist as a supremely individual creator; the development of nationalistic pride and the exaltation of the senses and emotions over reason and intellect. Id like to talk about one of the best representatives of the style. American author, short story writer, essayist, poet, travel book writer, biographer and columnist, Washington Irving has been call father of the American short story.
He is best known for Rip Van Winkle, a story about a man who falls asleep for 20 years. Irving's success in social life and literature was shadowed by a personal tragedy. He was engaged to be married to Matilda Hoffmann, who died at the age of seventeen. After that a hopeless regret took place in his mind. He also traveled a lot (he lived in Dresden, London, Paris, Madrid) and was famous as a first American author to have achieved international fame. Among his literary friends were Mary Shelley, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Charles Dickens.
Irving's best-known story Rip Van Winkle made a great impression upon me. Rip Van Winkle is a childlike and kind man. It is said that he didnt derive battailous character of his ancestors. He had an exceptions wife, but the author is very bonhomous in talking about that. He is a farmer, who wondered into the Catskill Mountains. There he met a group of dwarfs playing ninepins.
Rip helped a dwarf and was rewarded with a draught of liquor. Then he fell into an enchanted sleep. He awakened only 20 years after. Of course, the world has changed. He became a man with a long and white beard. Rip goes into town and finds everything changed.
His wife was already dead, his children were grown ups. The old man entertains the people with tales of the old days and his encounter with the dwarfs. The story leaves a strange feeling of passing of our life. It makes us, the readers to think one more time what we are and what we do with our lives.
To my mind, sentimental elements are present here too. Generally, its pleasant to read works like this. However, this is un doubtful romantic work. Such features of Romanticism as belief in natural goodness of man, sincerity, spontaneity and faith in emotion, nature as a source of instruction, delight, and nourishment for the soul return to nature as a source of inspiration and wisdom are present here. Let us remember, that Rip found peace in joining with the nature going to forest.
Thats a nice example of celebrity of mans connection with nature. Life in nature often contrasted with the unnatural constraints of society we see that when being already an old man, Rip comes back to society and sees how unusual everything is. Here we see the authors interest in the antique: medieval tales and forms, ballads etc. So, the author turns to the ethnic roots, he talks about ancestors even describing their old national costumes. Perhaps some gloom moments are also offered in the text but generally it is optimistic.
In the United States romanticism had philosophic expression in transcendentalism, notably in the works of Emerson and Thoreau. Such poets as Poe, Whittier and Longfellow all produced works in romantic vein. Walt Whitman in particular expressed pride in his individual self and the democratic spirit. The works of James Fenimore Cooper reflected the romantic interest in the historic past, whereas the symbolic novels as Hawthorne and Melville emphasized the movements concern with transcendent reality.
Bibliography: B. M. Irving. The Life and Letters of Washington Irving. 1967.
C. Rosen and H. Zerner. Romanticism and Realism. 1984 Washington Irving.
Rip Van Winkle. William L. Hedges. Washington Irving. 1965
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