Romanticism: Poetry, Novels, and the Rise of Emotion
Romanticism: An Era of Emotion
Poetry: The Dominant Genre
Poetry reigned supreme, expressing authors’ feelings and personalities. Lyricism permeated even other genres, blurring the lines between generations. Hölderlin’s novel Hyperion and tragedy The Death of Empedocles exemplify this lyrical infusion, where poetic emotion overrides narrative. Romantic poetry, rejecting rigid rules, championed freedom of expression. Some poets favored intimate tones (Novalis, Keats), while others embraced grand, rebellious themes (Lord Byron, Victor Hugo, Espronceda).
German Lyricism
Germany embraced Romanticism in thought and genre. Two prominent poets stand out: Hölderlin (1770-1843) sought wholeness in nature and classical Greece, diverging from medievalism. He viewed the poet as a conduit of truth and beauty. Novalis (1772-1801), in Hymns to the Night, explored grief, intimacy, and a mystical reality after his beloved’s death.
English Lyricism
Romanticism in England began with William Blake. Later poets like Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron rebelled against social and political norms. Keats emphasized poetic imagination, beauty, and sensuality, echoing Hölderlin’s focus on an idealized past.
Other Romantic Voices
Leopardi explored the imprecise nature of imagination, creating poetry of indefinite beauty reflecting life’s uncertainties. He found solace in the past, nature, and love, but recognized their illusory nature. Rejecting Christianity and spiritualism, he criticized their resignation in the face of adversity. Leopardi saw nature as cruel and blamed it for human unhappiness. He advocated for dignity amidst suffering, linking love and death as a blend of pleasure and pain.
The Romantic Novel
The sentimental novel flourished, particularly in England, continuing the tradition of focusing on women’s inner lives. First-person narratives explored emotional complexities through love stories, prioritizing feelings over action. These novels idealized rather than faithfully reconstructed history, featuring virtuous yet flat characters. The gothic mystery novel also gained popularity, emphasizing gloomy landscapes and nocturnal scenes. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein serves as an allegory about the dangers of unchecked reason. With the rise of journalism, serialized novels in simple language, like Alexandre Dumas’s The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, gained a wide readership.
Short Stories: A Flourishing Genre
Short stories thrived, especially in Germany, often featuring fantastical and mysterious elements, as seen in the works of E.T.A. Hoffmann and Ludwig Tieck. Reflecting Romanticism’s interest in local traditions, these stories often drew upon popular legends.