Understanding Romanticism: Core Tenets and Literary Figures

Romanticism: Cultural Ideals and Development

Romanticism expressed cultural ideals during the bourgeois period, coinciding with political, social, and cultural development.

Core Tenets of Romanticism

• Romantic Individualism: Expressed the original artist through rebellious and nonconformist attitudes, stemming from a deep sense of dissatisfaction with society, often depicted through turbulent nocturnal landscapes.
• Romantic Subjectivism: The artist prioritizes the manifestation of personal beliefs and standpoints, often favoring exotic and distant worlds.
• Rejection of Sentimentality: Good feelings are considered the best guides to action (Note: This point seems contradictory to general Romanticism, but is retained as per original text structure).
• Irrationalism: The world of individual privacy is seen as mysterious and contradictory.
• Artistic Freedom: The work of art is viewed as the product of pure inspiration.

Romanticism reacted against the artistic ideals of neoclassicism, which were considered oppressive and outdated.

Romantic Theater

Theater recurred to legends and historical drama themes. Lovers often face tragic circumstances. Characters from higher social classes are depicted as rebellious, maverick, and mysterious. Topics were innovative; the rules of neoclassicism disappeared, mixing verse and prose, and tragic and comic language. Environments aimed to create a mysterious atmosphere and impress, featuring settings like convents, castles, and cemeteries.

Late Romanticism

Early Romanticism was sometimes criticized for superficiality and excessive rhetoric, with authors imitating foreign writers and exaggerating elements. Late Romantic poets corrected this situation by refining and internalizing the poetic language of Romanticism while avoiding its excesses. Inspiration was drawn from nature, and the language became simpler yet more intense.

Key Late Romantic Writers

• Mariano José de Larra (1809–1837): The most important prose writer; committed suicide at age 28. Notable works include El viejo castellano and Artículos de costumbres (implied by context, though not fully listed).
• José de Espronceda (1808–1842): A radical liberal influenced by England and France; associated with the malditos (cursed poets). His style mixed characters, exemplified in El estudiante de Salamanca and El diablo mundo.
• Ángel de Saavedra (1791–1865): Achieved success with the romantic drama performance of Don Álvaro o la fuerza del sino.
• José Zorrilla (1817–1893): The most successful playwright, famous for Don Juan Tenorio.
• Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer (1836–1870): From Seville, worked in Madrid; died of tuberculosis.
• Rosalía de Castro (1837–1885): Galician writer whose work reflects painful and lonely themes, influenced by the death of her son. Her content is intense and intimate, focusing on nature, as seen in En las orillas del Sar and Cantares.