Origin of ROMANTICISM: when and where it arose

We are used to studying a good number of literary, thought and artistic movements that have happened throughout the history of mankind. On many occasions we have overlooked them, giving them the necessary interest to understand the matter, but without going deep enough. However, we must affirm that these changes in the literary or artistic paradigm were a reflection of the needs of the times in which they appeared and, therefore, have been guiding and forming us until we reach what we are today in day.

That is why it is relevant to know and understand these movements to know who we were, who we are now and who we can be in the future. Among all these artistic movements we come across the Romanticism, one of the most important. Therefore, in a Professor we are going to develop an article talking about the origin of Romanticism. Can you come with us?

Index

1. Where did the Romanticism movement originate?
2. When does Romanticism begin?
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3. What are the characteristics of Romanticism in literature?
4. Romantic themes in literature
5. When does Romanticism end

At the end of the 18th century, the Enlightenment ideals and Classicism (or Neoclassicism). On the one hand, the Enlightenment was characterized especially in reason and the use of knowledge and education to change the society of the time. Of course, we are talking about a more social, philosophical and political trend that also had its influence on art and, therefore, on literature. We are therefore dealing with an art aimed at combating ignorance, which moves away from feelings and is directed more towards knowledge and wisdom.

On the other hand, and together with the Enlightenment, we find the neoclassicist trend of the predominant art of the late eighteenth century. This Neoclassicism is an artistic reaction to enlightened thoughts. That is why it was intended to represent literature (and art in general) away from religious standards and more focused on the natural aspects of the real world, scientific and educational. This literature was simple and clear, without artifice and created in order to illuminate the path of wisdom to the reader and combat ignorance. For all these reasons, this century is commonly known as the Century of the lights.

And what does all this have to do with Romanticism? As well, We must understand the origin of Romanticism as a direct reaction to the artistic canons of Neoclassicism and, therefore, of the Enlightenment.

Specifically, the Romanticismwas born in Germany and the United Kingdom, although it spread over time throughout the European continent. In fact, this movement is considered the first to be shared throughout Europe as an artistic canon. Let's see, then, how was the exact moment of the birth of Romanticism.

We have already seen a very brief chronology of the origin of Romanticism. But when does the movement begin as such? Well, as we said, previously the cultural thoughts of European society were governed by tendencies based on the Enlightenment and, as an artistic consequence, Neoclassicism. In these strands of thought they focused exclusively on natural and scientific aspects, leaving everything else aside. That is to say, they sought knowledge and wisdom to combat thoughts which, for them, led to ignorance.

It is at that precise moment, between the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th, when an artistic trend was born in the United Kingdom and Germany that sought to move away, as a revolution, from what was established in Neoclassicism. This is how what we know today as Romanticism.

We find ourselves, then, in a turbulent time where the bourgeoisie was in full swing. The ideals of the Enlightenment led to the French Revolution as a reaction to what was incompatible with what they thought and promoted. For this reason, it can be said that Romanticism is a reaction to reaction, not for that reason more pacifist either. However, this new movement tries to move away from the natural and tangible and seeks to focus more on feelings, a characteristic that we will develop later.

Referents of Romanticism

There are, in fact, a couple of British authors who are considered the main references of the origin of Romanticism. These authors we are talking about are Samuel Coleridge (1772-1834) and William Wordsworth (1770-1850).

Of them, the joint work known as Lyrical Ballads, with a Few Other Poems (Lyrical ballads and other poems). Here the authors escape from what is conceived in the neoclassicist canons and get closer to the sentimental world, serving as the starting gun for a new movement that we know today as Romanticism. However, although we consider these key poems at their inception, some scholars consider that This work was published about ten years after the Romantic movement found its origin.

Knowing the relationship between the French Revolution, the Enlightenment and thought romantic, it is relevant to underline the fact that, after this event that marked the world at the end of century, Romanticism traveled to France, notably influencing the works of such relevant authors as Victor Hugo. What's more, this well-known author published a play entitled Cromwellwhose preface turns out to be one of the most important writings of Romanticism, if not the most. And it is that this preface is considered as the founding manifesto of Romanticism.

Image: Literary Somnia

Ok, we already know, broadly speaking, the origins of Romanticism, but what is Romanticism really? What characteristics make it up?

We know what those who promoted Romanticism were trying to avoid. That is, the thoughts of the Enlightenment based on reason and the artistic movement neoclassicist who followed him, which focused on the natural aspects of the world and the scientific-technical. Therefore, it is important to know what Romanticism is not to know what it is. Well, what then is Romanticism?

• The Literary romanticism was based on feelings and emotions. Special reference is made, as a literary device, to melancholy and abrupt landscapes lacking human interaction. Moreover, knowing that the Enlightenment focused on wisdom and the plausibility, it is obvious to intuit that the works of Romanticism were moved by implausibility, fantasy or incredulity.
• In this artistic movement more individuality is sought that in the Enlightenment, which, as its literature was more scientific and shunned from feelings, one could say that it used to be more collective or plural. Therefore, and in general, Romanticism advocates the subjectivity of the individual and his feelings, where that individual is freer when it comes to expressing himself. This freedom is an emblem of Romanticism, since the author is free to share his emotions or feelings without having to seek an objective message in the work.
• Despite being born as a revolution to what was previously established, Romanticism it recreates in tradition. It is very common in this movement to find allusions to legends, stories, etc. Past times are also highly sought after, especially the Baroque and Middle Ages.
• Related to the other characteristics, and as it might be obvious, Romanticism is also constituted by fantastic, dreamlike or supernatural works.
• There is a great rebel feeling of revolution. This is added to the need for freedom, which is also a fundamental characteristic in the romantic movement, and is expressed as an escape from reality and already established canons.
• The Romantics they seek to find the absolute, that is, the eternal, however, they are aware that reality is inevitable and that everything has an end.

Even so, we must underline the fact of the great appearance of autobiographies in this literary aspect. We also find at this time the adventure novels starring a rebellious and melancholic hero. Also, something that is often closely related to Romanticism are Gothic horror works and historical novels.

As for the forms in which the literary art in Romanticism, we have serials, poetry, prose, drama, etc. However, theater is the genre most used by romantic authors, where romantic drama also stands out. In addition, and finally, it is in these moments where it is also resorted to the melologist, a literary genre that mixes poetry and prose, originating in classical Greek literature.

The themes that we find in Romanticism are very concrete and common, which are the following:

• Love: A recurring theme in Romanticism.
• Disenchantment and Evasion: They reject the present and turn to the past.
• Hero: A melancholic and idealized hero who acts rebelliously.
• Imperfection: The imperfection of a work makes it perfect.
• Liberty: As we said, the author is free to express his feelings.
• Melancholia: Recurring feeling in romantic works.
• Death: They are aware that the end will come sooner or later.
• Nature: Abrupt, aggressive, wild and far from the human hand.
• Poet: The poet as a creative eminence.

The romanticism was losing strength in the second half of the nineteenth century and gave way to what is known as Post-romanticism. This is how aestheticism begins to enter the artistic canons and their standards, taking second place what was defended in Romanticism.

This Post-Romanticism of which we speak is actually composed of a good number of literary currents such as the symbolism, pre-Raphaelite, decadentism or Parnassianism.

Later, this Post-Romanticism evolved, or rather influenced, in other aspects of thought (and artistic) such as the Avant-garde and Surrealism. But that is another issue.

If you want to read more articles similar to Origin of Romanticism, we recommend that you enter our category of History of Literature.

• Llanas Rodríguez, L. J. (s.f.). Literary movements: Romanticism. Monographs.com
• Marino, A. (February 18, 2019). Romanticism. Historiando.org