【大学英语专业――美国文学史】American_Romanticism

(1)Romanticismwasarebellionagainsttheobjectivityofrationalism.Itwasamovementofconsciousrebellionagainstbeingtooobjective.Theromanticspiritwasoneofsubjectivityofinwardfeelingsthatonecouldtrustone’ssubjectiveresponses.Romanticsplacedmuchemphasisuponthecreativefunctionofimagination,andsawartasaformulationofintuitiveandimaginativeperceptionsthattendtospeakanoblertruththanthatoffact.(2)Forromantics,thefeelings,intuitionsandemotionsweremoreimportantthanreasonandcommonsense.Thecontroversywasonebetweenheadthinkingandheartfeeling.Therewasamuchgreaterstressonemotionsinthewritingoftheromanticperiod.Romanticsheldthatonecouldfindtruththroughone’sfeelings.ThisisjusttheoppositetotherationaltheoriesthatBenjaminFranklinfollowed.Rationalistswouldsaythatpeoplecouldfindtruththroughscientificinvestigation,butromanticswerereadytotrusttheirfeelingsasameansforfindingtruthandfindingwhatwasessentialinlife.Theybelievedthattheirrationalwasimportantinhumanexperienceandthatnoteverythingcouldbeexplainedbyreason.(3)RomanticsdidnotthinkoftheworldasatickingwatchmadebyGod.Theythoughtoftheworldasaliving,breathingbeing.Theystressedthecloserelationshipbetweenmanandnature.Theyviewednatureasanexemplarandsourceofvividphysicalbeautyandasamanifestationofspiritintheuniverse.Withdeeplovefornature,theysawnatureasarevelationoftruth,thelivinggarmentofGod.Therefore,naturewasasuitablesubjectfortrueart.TheybelievedthatGodwasimmanentincreation.Inotherwords,whentheywouldlookatthefiniteobjectsinthisworld,theywouldfindthepresenceofaninfiniteGod.(4)Theyemphasizedindividualism,placingtheindividualagainstthegroup,againstauthority.Theysawtheindividualattheverycenteroflifeandart.Theyemphasizedpersonalfreedomandfreedomfromformalism,tradition,andconformity.Theydelightedinself-analysis,intricateexaminationandfullexposureofthesoul.Theycherishednohero-worship,yetbelievedintheperfectibilityofhumanity.Romanticsbelievedinthenaturalgoodnessofhumanbeings.Theyheldthathumanityclosetonaturewouldbehavewell,andwouldnotbehinderedbycivilization.(5)Theyaffirmedtheinnerlifeoftheself,andwantedeachpersontobefreetodevelopandexpresshisowninnerthoughts.Theybelievedeverybody’sinnerself(subconscious)wasmeaningful,andeverybodyshouldhaveanopportunitytobecreativeandtoexpresshisownthoughts.(6)Theycherishedstronginterestinthepast,especiallythemedieval.Theywereattractedbytheprimitivebecausetheprimitiveoftenwasinnocentandclosetonature.ThereweremanythingswrittenbytheromanticsabouttheAmericanIndian.TheyromanticizedtheAmericanIndianintoanoblesavagewhowasclosetonature.TheirattitudeswerequitedifferentfromPuritanswhoemphasizedthattheIndianswerewild,degeneratebarbarians.TheycomparedthemtoSatan.TheromanticswouldlookattheIndiansasclosetonatureandthereforecloseintouchwithGod.(7)Theywereattractedbythewild,theirregular,theindefinite,theremote,themysterious,andthestrange.(8)Theywereinterestedinvariety.Theyaspiredthesublimeandthewonderful,andtriedtofindtheabsolute,theidealbytranscendingtheactual.Inromanticfiction,mystery,romance,andadventureplaythelargestpartinplot.Typicalliteraryformsofromanticismincludeballad,lyric,sentimentalcomedy,problemnovel,historicalnovel,gothicromance,metricalromance,sonnetandcriticalessay.A.RomanticismwasextremelyinfluentialinarisingAmericaasAmericahadalwayshadastrongspiritualtraditionandromanticismwasverycomfortablewithAmericanspiritualheritageanditsidealsofdemocracyandequality.Americanromanticismstretchedfromtheendofthe18thcenturytotheCivilWar.AsAmericawasstrivingforpolitical,economic,andculturalindependencefromBritain,radicalchangestookplaceinallaspectsofAmericanlife:burgeoning(developquickly)industrialism,greatimmigration,westwardexpansion,etc.Thebuoyantmoodofthenationcalledforanewliteraryexpression,andromanticismansweredthecall.B.Europeaninfluences,ofcoursealsoplayedanimportantroleinformingandprotectingtheRomanticMovementinAmerica.ThesuccessoftheEuropeanromanticsstimulatedtheirAmericancounterpartstofollowtheirexamples.Infact,earlyAmericanromanticsoftenmodeledtheirwritingonEuropeanworks.C.OnemorefactorthatpromotedAmericanromanticismwastheever-increasingnumbersofmagazineswhichprovidedtheplaygroundforromantics.AlthoughtherewasnodenyingofthestrongEuropeaninfluencesonAmericanromanticwriters,Americanromanticismhaddistinctfeaturesofitsown.DifferentfromtheirEuropeancounterparts,Americanromanticstendedtomoralize,toedifyratherthantoentertain.AmericanromanticismpresentedanentirelynewexperiencealientoEuropeanculture.Theexoticlandscape,thefrontierlife,thewestwardexpansion,themythofaNewGardenofEdeninAmerica,andthePuritanheritagewerejustafewexamplesofthenativematerialforanindigenousliterature.Evidently,Americanromanticismproducedafeelingof“newness”whichinspiredtheromanticimagination.Hence,Americanromanticismwasbothimitativeandindependent.EarlyAmericanromanticismwasbestrepresentedbyNewEnglandpoetsWilliamCullenBryant(1794-1878)andHenryWadsworthLongfellow(1807-1882)inpoetry,andJamesFenimoreCooper(1789-1851)andWashingtonIrving(1783-1859)infiction.Thelater/peakperiodisrepresentedbyRalph