The Rise of Romanticism: Ideology, Characteristics, and Literary Impact

Romanticism: Origins and Core Principles

Romanticism is an ideological, cultural, and social movement that originated in the 19th century. It arose from the Enlightenment and the subsequent disappointment felt when the individual failed to achieve their objectives or ideals. The term “romantic” seems to have been adopted in England, often used synonymously with exciting, wild, or passionate love.

The two principles that the Romantic posture celebrates above all are the Self and Freedom.

Key Characteristics of the Romantic Movement

• Subjectivism and Individualism: The self is the central focus, leading to strong self-interest.
• Nationalist Sentiment: A strong interest in history and the development of national identity.
• Themes of Love and Sentimentality: Emphasis on deep emotional experience.
• Search for the Absolute Ideal: This pursuit often resulted in pessimistic disenchantment and disappointment when ideals were not achieved.
• Escape: A tendency to escape into far-away and exotic worlds.
• Conception of Art: Art is viewed as a form of knowledge.
• Confrontation with Rules: The artist is often a rebel, both in their personal life and in their work.
• Literary Innovation: Romantic writers utilized metric mixture and invented new forms of expression.
• Nature as Reflection: Nature serves as a prolongation of sentimental moods. Romantics preferred wild nature, moving away from the Renaissance concept of the locus amoenus (pleasant place).

Phases of Romanticism

The movement is generally understood to have developed in three steps:

1. Preromanticism (18th Century): This phase showed signs of fatigue with rationalism and emotional repression, evident even in the work of some Neoclassical writers.
2. Full Romanticism: Marked by figures like Goethe and the impact of the French Revolution, signaling a new beginning.
3. Post-Romanticism (Mid-19th Century): This period coexisted with Realist literature and showed a clear interest in form.

Trends in Romantic Thought

Ways of understanding the Romantic movement are twofold:

• Revolutionary Romanticism: Characterized as liberal and progressive, pursuing enlightened ideals.
• Traditional Romanticism: A more moderate movement.

Goethe and the Significance of Romantic Poetry

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe marked an era, and his figure holds enormous significance for universal literature and the concept of freedom. Initially, he manifested as an Enlightenment figure whose objective was the search for pleasure and happiness, trusting in the triumph of intelligence. However, his work contains strong Romantic elements, featuring characters driven by their passions.

Goethe cultivated all genres, including scientific writing. His most universal work was Faust, structured in verse and dialogue.

Romantic Poetry: The Genre Par Excellence

Given the emotional and subjective nature of the Romantic movement, it is not surprising that lyric poetry became the genre par excellence, permeating the rest of literature. The reflection on the nature of poetry and its creation was a major concern for many writers.

For the Romantics, poetry is beauty, and nothing can limit the Poet; Poetry is Freedom. In the areas of interest to the Romantic—the “me and my world”—there are two main trends in intimate and sentimental poetry.