Understanding Romanticism: Art, Culture, and Lyric Poetry

Romanticism

The Romantic Spirit

In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, Europe witnessed a cultural movement of liberal and revolutionary character, which opposed the Enlightenment rationalism of Neoclassicism. This new thinking, manifested in all the arts, emphasized the role of human beings and their emotions, in contrast to the rule of reason. This was Romanticism.

Characteristics of Romanticism

Romanticism brought a new vision of the world. The Enlightenment model of the eighteenth century became a prison for Romantics, preventing them from expressing their passions, fantasies, and dreams. Therefore, artists rebelled against the established order and sought new forms of expression. Key characteristics include:

• Subjectivity: Art became an instrument to reflect the inner world, feelings, desires, and frustrations.
• Desire for Freedom: Romantics rebelled against social norms and customs of the time.
• Existential Anxiety: The world was unsatisfactory for Romantics.
• Nationalism: Romantics valued their own culture, viewing it as authentic and genuine. This trend led to the revival of Galician, Catalan, and Basque literature.

Historical and Cultural Situation

• Economy: Spain experienced significant economic decline.
• Culture: Spanish society suffered from a serious cultural lag despite technological advances. Three out of four Spaniards were illiterate.
• Politics: The first half of the century was marked by confrontation between absolutists and liberals. Key events include:
  • In 1808, Napoleon invaded Spain.
  • In 1814, Ferdinand VII restored the absolute monarchy in Spain.
  • From 1833 to 1868, liberals returned to power due to the introduction of a constitutional monarchy during the reign of Isabella II.

The Romantic Lyric

Romantics found the ideal way to express their feelings in lyric poetry. Romantic lyric poetry is characterized by the breakdown of neoclassical forms and the search for creative freedom beyond rational constraints.

Themes

The themes explored in Romantic lyric poetry are deeply connected to the poet's inner feelings: love, existence itself, anxiety, and more.

• Love: This was the great theme for Romantics and, for them, the foundation of existence. Love manifested in two forms:
  • Idealized Love
  • Tragic Love
• Existence: Life was a constant source of agony. Romantics were often dissatisfied with the world they inhabited, leading to discouragement and frustration that could result in sadness, loneliness, or even suicide.
  • Sometimes, disappointment led to escape from reality, with poets seeking refuge in dreams or distant, exotic places.
  • The poet often identified their state of mind with nature.
• Freedom: A strong desire for Romantics, leading them to fight against rules and oppression. A variation of this theme was patriotism, understood as a territory of freedom.

Style and Metrics

To reflect their feelings, Romantic authors used vocabulary