Romanticism is among one of the many artistry movements that have dominated the historical consciousness of European and American society. It acted against European enlightenment in the 18th Century by shifting the focus from science dominance. In doing so, it led to several changes in the fields of philosophy, politics, and religion. Moreover, the place of music, painting, and literature work took a whole new turn. Believed to have been initiated in the early years of the 18th Century, the Romantic Movement grew gradually and spread across the European nations as more English poets embraced its arts. William Wordsworth and S.T. Coleridge were among the first contributors to this movement. They published several poems entitled Lyrical Ballads. Their writings and those of the French Romantic poets changed the perception of people dwelling too much on restrictive models and patterns of the past. They gave more meaning to the embracement of the current affairs and what nature had to offer presently. The Romanticism movement quickly bore fruit by steering the French Revolution, which saw the end of Renaissance tradition dominance as well as breaking the consciousness reliance on the classical authority of the Romans.
Romanticism had divergent opinions and ideologies far removed from the rationalism that was taking place in the 18th Century. It fought the Age of Reason and affected the way matters of art were handled and the general cultural mannerisms. It is from these changes that the English Romantic poets drew their works. The place of the reason was attacked with more emphasis placed on inspiration, subjectivity, and individual primacy. The major goals of the Romantic poets were to create strong senses, emotions, and feelings on matters of nature and its quasi-religious significance. For example, in one of Wordsworth’s writings, he brings out an amazing correlation between the heart in relation to femininity and beauty, stating that the heart played a crucial role in magnifying the beauty of life (Bainbridge, 2020, p.g.128). By opposing the Industrial Revolutionist mechanistic influence on European society, Romanticism’s goal was to redirect more emphasis on the awe of nature. Additionally, it aimed to project the importance of personal imaginative ideas. By focusing on the strong perceptions of individualistic capabilities, Romanticism was in essence, creating a platform for individual celebration and appreciation (Furst, 2017, p.g.49). The Age of Reason was marred with an endless set of rules and regulations with limited individual’s capabilities to thrive and expound their territorial gains. It was against solitary life and dwelled more on rules of nature and life in the society. However, the romanticism movement opposed these ideas and prioritized the superiority of imagination and devotion to beauty.
The alternative aesthetic of freedom professed by Romanticism was majorly an opposition to the formal rules of neoclassicism (Furst, 2017, p.g.26). Focus on nature was not only on its natural, primitiveness, and associated civilization but also on the untamed and disorganized sceneries. Spontaneity in thought and action meant that one had to come out from the prescribed and defined norms of the society. One had to act contrary to the rules set by society to be a true follower of this philosophical movement. This act of courage required one to have a certain level of natural genius. Through this freedom in thought expression, an individual’s imaginative quest to life was only limited by his or her ability to act. This imaginative aspect is what drove Romantic poets to a place where they could not only comprehend complex models of life but also simplify them to their readers in a more compelling, apprehensive, and truthful manner. All these actions elevated the Romantics’ view of life both from a personal angle and that of others. He exposed his soul to the scrutiny of his work, leaving himself vulnerable to any form of crisis. In this way, the Romantic can internalize his works with an ulterior motive of conquering his own true identity, which most people never get to figure out. These aspects make the Romantic poet stand out, attaining the mantle of a prophet-like spokesperson. His understanding of complex issues not only brings him dignity but also elevates his social and political status. With this newly acquired status, the Romantic poet can offer visionary solutions pertaining to the current sufferings of people by giving them hope of eventually settling in a more redefined world that is free from worldly rules (Casaliggi & Fermanis, 2016). Romanticism also brought out the outcasted aspect of the Romantic heroes. In their quest to attaining full self-actualization from worldly limitations, the Romantics were considered outcasts. This self-isolation gave them a perfect platform to focus on their autobiographical works as well as get a better scope of their visionary ventures.
Romanticism redefined the place of children, society, religion, and history in its quest to advancing its ideologies. It is through these aspects that the Romantic Movement stood out in the 18th Century to strengthen those who were fighting for democracy and liberation from authoritative forms of governance (Casaliggi & Fermanis, 2016). An example being the French Revolution in 1789. The Romantic poet perceived children with an innocent umbrella. They were much holier and purer, far removed from the corrupted and spoilt civilization of the 18th Century. Children are to be envied and admired as the future stars of society. It is for this reason that children needed to be guided, counseled, and cultivated in untarnished ways of life. Society was looked at by the Romantic poets as the force behind the cruelty and wrongs explained by its cities. Its molding and dwarfing of its citizens was the primary reason why most people did not achieve their true identities. Society corrupts man’s innocence; hence the Romantics viewing nature as the only remedy to reinstate the lost goodness. As for religion, the Romantic poets made more consideration on Platonism and Neoplatonism rather than the traditional Orthodox Christianity, which they perceived to have lost its spiritual relevance (Casaliggi & Fermanis, 2016). Christianity was being used by the members of the political class to advance their own selfish interests. Hence, there was a need for a more natural religion that supported the goals of Romanticism.
Part 2: Discuss the Romanticism works in terms of their form, iconography, and content. How does the form support the content? How do these relate to the goals of the movement? Your essay should include a brief biography of the artist.
Jean-Jaques Rousseau
Jean-Jaques Rousseau, a steadfast Romantic poet, was one of the great pioneers of Romanticism in the 18th Century (Prendergast, 2017, p.g.394). His influence was immense and pervasive, especially during the pre-romantic period being the force behind the inspiration of leaders during the French Revolution. Consequently, the Romantic generation that would follow suit borrowed much from his works. Born in Geneva in 1712, he developed his philosophical ideas to become one of the most renowned writers and political theorists in Switzerland during the 18th Century. His ideas marked the end of an era where reason had taken more preeminence in Europe. His philosophical approach provided loopholes that existed in the European Enlightenment agenda. He brought countless changes in the arts industry, such as several music reforms that saw the taste of music elevated.
Rousseau created an avenue of directly impacting the lives of people in his society (Prendergast, 2017, p.g.394). For example, he took a keen interest in the lives of children by encouraging their parents to use more profound ways of educating them rather than instituting them to a rotten education system. He advocated for the more expressive feeling of emotion in matters of love and friendship rather than the timid and polite restraint shown by parties in such circles. He helped to champion the sentiments of individuals who were fed up with the cultic religious practices and needed a new form of spiritual enlightenment. Generally, Rousseau was perceived as a prophet and savior who helped in liberating his people from the mentality of slavery and opened their eyes to embrace the beauties which nature freely offered. Though he had had a rough childhood, he overcame his past mistakes and tribulations to make it among the most revered philosophers, scholars, and musicians.
One of the outstanding works of Rousseau was Discours sur les sciences et les arts (1750). It is a discourse touching on science and arts. In this discourse, he emphasizes a virtuous form of simplicity relative to the usual human civilization on matters of science and art. Rousseau gives reason to the superiority of the human heart and heeding to the voice of conscience rather than being corrupted by the selfish ideologies put forth by those in the scientific and philosophical. He tarnishes scientific progress and speculative philosophy since they lead to inequality among people. His work portrays man as a noble creature who was untouched by any form of superfluities. Apart from being disease-free, he was far removed from the aggressiveness and uncompassionate nature witnessed in the world. He uses this description of a savage man to counter Hobbes’s view that man was naturally wicked. He argues that were it not the development of society, then the social evils of inequality and slavery would not have risen. Essentially, Rousseau’s style of writing brought forth a Romantic poet who strongly believed in the redemption of man from the evils professed by society. That man was naturally compassionate, and the emotional beauty of nature could still be championed by him. His piece on Social Contract (1762) evidently supports the contents in Discours sur les sciences et les arts (1750). This is through one of his famous quotes that man came into the world free, but everywhere he finds himself, there is an invisible chain holding his entire life from progressive to the subsequent stage (Prendergast, 2017, p.g.397). Such sentiments elicited a lot of discussions, with a majority celebrating his argument. Though he recognizes the part that the government of the day played in balancing chaos with law and order in the society, he was only saddened at its application of these important mandates. Rousseau advises the need for lawmakers to prioritize more the needs of an individual in the society in line with sorting out the interests of the general public.
La Nouvelle Héloïse (1761) is another one of the most celebrated works of Jean-Jaques Rousseau. He equally put forth strong arguments that continued to advance the place of the Romanticism Movement in the European societies. He expressed discontentment in the way workers and house helpers were treated. They were rudely handled, their wages not paid in full, and facing unequal representation. La Nouvelle Héloïse advocates for charity work towards the lowly in the society as well as exposing members of the public to equal educational opportunity. Rousseau argues that through education, liberal ideas will be created, and the poor will also get an opportunity to elevate their livelihoods. Through education, a child can develop at his own pace and be able to make informed decisions rather than being forced to embrace certain concepts once they are adults. Consequently, children, who were uncorrupted and unspoiled by the systems in place, were able to not only develop the idea of freedom from a tender age but also bring out the original goodness of man into the world. Rousseau’s works were able to correlate the improvement of human behavior with the beauty of nature. Because of tackling these critical subjects in society and outlying them in an emotional way that people could relate to, Rousseau stood out and influenced more Romantics to join the course towards individual liberation mechanisms.
Works Cited
Bainbridge, Simon. Mountaineering and British Romanticism: The Literary Cultures of Climbing, 1770-1836. Oxford UP, USA, 2020.
Casaliggi, C., and P. Fermanis. Romanticism: A literary and cultural history. Routledge, 2016.
Furst, L. R. Romanticism. Taylor & Francis, 2017.
Prendergast, Christopher. A History of Modern French Literature: From the Sixteenth Century to the Twentieth Century. Princeton UP, 2017.
