Literary Movements: Romanticism, Theory, and American Fiction
Rationalism Versus Romanticism: Core Differences
The conflict between Rationalism and Romanticism can be summarized by these opposing concepts:
- Reason / Emotion
- Reality / Fantasy
- Mundane / Exotic
- Conservative / Revolutionary
The romantic journey often leads to the countryside. Romantics associated the country with independence, moral clarity, and purity. However, the Gothic Romantic E. A. Poe saw the country as a phantasmagoric place, while Irving viewed it as idyllic and a means of escape.
Defining Romanticism
Read MoreRobert Frost’s Poetic Analysis: Themes of Nature, Reality, and Tragedy
Robert Frost’s Poetic Themes and Techniques
The Tragedy of Raymond Fitzgerald and Core Themes
Frost based his poem on an accident that had taken place six years before, which had taken the life of a sixteen-year-old boy, Raymond Fitzgerald, in nearby Bethlehem, New Hampshire. Frost focuses on this small event to suggest the larger themes of his poetry:
- The isolation of the individual
- The mystery of human existence
- The ambiguity of nature
- The need to create order and meaning out of chaos
Personification
Read MoreSpanish Literary Movements: Romanticism, Realism, and Naturalism
I. Romanticism: Characteristics and Key Authors
The Romantic Lyric
The Romantic genre cultivated the lyric because it was the ideal medium to express feelings. It is characterized by a break with neoclassical forms. Topics covered include:
- Love
- Life
- Freedom
Style and Metric Development
Romantic writers use a suggestive and resonant vocabulary, treating language as music and sound. They often employ rhetorical exclamations or question marks to express intense emotions.
Regarding metric, they use verses of
Read MoreEssential Phrases for Different Writing Styles
Informal Letter or Email to a Friend
Opening Phrases
- Hi David,
- Introductory sentence
- How have you been?
- How are things?
- Thanks so much for your last email/letter.
- Sorry I haven’t been in touch for such a long time.
Main Body: Introducing the Topic
This is where you introduce the topic.
- I’ve just read an interesting article about … and I think …
- It’s great to hear that…
- You must tell them to visit…
- Why don’t we/you visit…?
- You should definitely go to…
- I’d really recommend (+ verb + -ing or subject +
Defining Romanticism: Characteristics and Spanish Literary Forms
Concept and Characteristics of Romanticism
Romanticism is an ideological, literary, and artistic movement, fundamentally defined by an attitude toward life marked by the desire for freedom.
Vital Freedom and Conflict
The Romantic spirit is characterized by conflict: conflict with the self, with the world, and with destiny.
- The irrational spirit breaks the boundaries of the rational and the real. However, the limitations and disappointments of life often create an uneasiness that can lead to suicide.
Spanish Literary History: Journalism and Drama in the 20th Century
The Interplay of Literature and Journalism in Spain
The Press as a Vehicle for Cultural Transmission (Pre-1950)
The press was key to primary cultural transmission and the formation of political criteria. Writers utilized journals to disseminate their ideas, and newspapers published high-quality weekly literary supplements.
Key Figures in Early Literary Journalism
- Unamuno: Started writing in El Noticiero Bilbaíno and contributed to many newspapers. His most famous work was published as a series of twelve