Romanticism: Characteristics, Literary Forms, and Historical Context
Origins of Romanticism
This cultural, artistic, and ideological movement of the mid-18th century originated in the German Sturm und Drang school, which advocated a break with established rules and the expression of feelings. It then spread to England and France, and later to Spain (starting around 1833). Romanticism was introduced gradually in stages: the first stage was more conservative, focusing on cultural identity; the second was more liberal; and the third was more intimate.
Key Features of Romanticism
- Freedom: Valued as a supreme ideal.
- Search for Full Individual Freedom: Both in politics and art, breaking with established patterns.
- Subjectivism and Individualism: Feelings transform life and ideals, leading to an intimate perception of the world, often in conflict with it.
- Idealism: A permanent longing for life’s absolutes. This pursuit often led to frustration due to the impossibility of achievement.
- Nature: A subjective reflection of the romantic’s mood, often depicted through storms, seas, and wild landscapes.
- Break with the Everyday World: An excessive taste for the supernatural and mysterious.
- Return to the Past: A retreat to exotic places and historical times to escape a distressing reality.
- Dynamism: A defender of progress and scientific advancement in history.
- Nationality: Exaltation of all that distinguishes one’s country.
- The Romantic Writer as a Superior Being: Often depicted with special, semi-divine power, viewing the world with pride and haughtiness.
Central Themes in Romanticism
- History: Including folklore, ballads, and myths like Don Juan.
- Love: A source of melancholy, longing, sadness, and frustration; often desired yet unreachable.
- Passion: An uncontrollable force that dominates lives, leading to submission.
- Life: An existential conflict between the self and the surrounding world, leading to introspective romantic literature.
- Death: Accepted and longed for as a form of liberation.
- Destiny: Resignation in the face of a cruel and tragic sense of life.
- Freedom: Alongside love, it is a central theme of Romanticism, pursued as an absolute ideal.
Romantic Style
- Abundance of Adjectives: Used to provide vivid hues.
- Cultivated and Popular Language: Both registers are combined to adequately reflect feelings.
- Expressive Function: Achieved through interjections, rhetorical questions, and exclamations.
- Literary Devices: Such as hyperbaton and antithesis, used to enhance subjectivity and expression.
- Symbols.
Romantic Poetry
Romantic poetry broke free from neoclassical stiffness, seeking new forms of expression. It retained the defining themes of the movement, such as love, freedom, loneliness, and supernatural elements, while introducing stylistic innovations.
- Symbolic Language: Reflects melancholy, mystery, and impossible love.
- Polymetry: Characterized by combining various stanzas within a single poem. Romantics also used other innovative structures beyond traditional forms.
Lyrical Poetry
Lyrical poetry enjoyed wide acceptance due to its expression of authorial subjectivity. Verse was the primary means of expression. An emphatic style and polymetric verse remained predominant. Two stages can be distinguished based on their subject matter:
First Half of the 19th Century
Focused on patriotic and social issues. Key figure: José de Espronceda.
Second Half of the 19th Century
More intimate in nature. Key figures: Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer and Rosalía de Castro.
Narrative Poetry
Narrative poetry consisted of long stories told through verse, where content was paramount. It peaked in the first half of the 19th century. Trends, considering length and rhyme scheme:
Extensive Narrative Poems
Thematically, two types emerged:
- Historical Poems: Often with medieval themes. Example: The Moor Foundling.
- Symbolic or Philosophical Poems: Fundamentally represented by José de Espronceda. Example: The Student of Salamanca.
Short Narrative Poems
Had a double formal expression:
- Romance: Historical in nature. Recovered by Duke de Rivas in Historical Romances.
- Legend: Utilized folk and literary traditions. This genre was highly appreciated as it allowed for a mixture of history and fantasy. Key figure: José Zorrilla.