American Romanticism

1
American Romanticism

• 1800-1860

2
A Journey

• Away from civilization and back to nature
• Away from corruption and back to innocence and
  youth
• Away from industrialization and back to intuition
  and emotion
• Away from rationalization and back to imagination
• Away from science and back to poetry

3
Literature

• Search for higher truth
• Exotic locales
• Contemplation of the natural world
• Development of Gothic novel and exploration of
  the human mind
• Less clearly defined divinity in nature

4
American Novels

• New subject matter frontiers, westward
  expansion, frontier life, wilderness
• New American hero heroic, simple morality, love
  of nature, innocent, youthful, intuitive

5
American Poetry

• Mimics European styles, themes, meter, imagery
• Fireside Poets read aloud for family
  entertainment, subjects included love,
  patriotism, nature, family, God, religion
• Fireside Poets also introduced new subjects
  American landscapes, abolitionist issues, Indian
  culture