Romanticism: Traits, Trends and Literary Impact

Romanticism: Traits, Trends & Historical Impact

From the Romantic movement, authors introduced many elements that produced a new artistic perspective. The emphasis on emotions and the intimacy of the author gained weight over the rational analysis of reality. Romantic traits emphasize individualism and authenticity; in Romanticism the human spirit becomes central. A cult of dignity emerged that sometimes led to egocentrism, while nationalism sought independence and the characteristic features of each nation.

Key Traits of Romantic Literature

The movement includes several defining features that often coexist in Romantic works:

• Individualism: focus on the self and subjective experience.
• Authenticity: the human spirit and inner life over external rules.
• Cult of dignity: sometimes resulting in egocentrism.
• Nationalism: emphasis on national identity and independence.
• Search for the absolute: the quest for the eternal and transcendent.
• Morbid or melancholic feeling: inability to transcend physical reality can produce an unhealthy, melancholic tone.
• Rebellion: dissatisfaction with a reality that limits freedom, leading to opposition to the established order.
• Evasion: the artist often escapes reality, retreating into worlds of their own creation.

The Artist's Role and Liberty

The role of the artist: art is understood as a form of knowledge, and the creator is portrayed as a being fueled by an almost supernatural gift that allows them to see inward and communicate to others what they may not perceive. Liberty is presented as a primary human value: freedom of the person. Politically, this feeling is often identified with liberalism. In the literary field, it manifests as a rejection of neoclassical rules.

Rebellion and Evasion in Romantic Characters

Rebellion arises from dissatisfaction with a reality that restricts freedom and begets opposition to established institutions; Romantic literature reflects this through a series of characteristic, often defiant, characters. Evasion complements rebellion: many Romantic artists and protagonists escape from reality and take refuge in imagined or idealized worlds.

Style and Stylistic Renewal

Romantic literature was characterized by stylistic renewal summarized in the development of narrative elements: the cultivation of the story in verse, the use of effective resources and declamatory techniques, and the combination of conflicting values. For example, theater often alternated comic and tragic episodes to underscore dramatic contrasts.

Milestones and Trends

Romanticism focuses on the analysis of reality and proposes improvements while moving away from eminently rational positions. At the same time, works remained subject to artistic considerations. Two main trends can be identified:

• Conservative Romanticism: does not pursue absolute rebellion and limits the defense of individual liberty out of fear of social disorder.
• Liberal Romanticism: grounded in democratic principles, it openly opposes the restriction of liberties and represents the ideas of rebellion and individualism.

In the second half of the nineteenth century, European literature increasingly oriented toward realism. However, a number of writers continued to exploit the senses and deny the primacy of the strictly real—an attitude that has been called Post-Romanticism.