Introduction:
The Romantic period was from 1830-1870. The period is a very brief time of forty years. During these forty years America was in a period of transition. Americans had just established themselves as an individual nation. They now needed to grow together as a nation and reflect their ideals. The works produced from the Romantic Period were focused on the individual. The over-arching focus and idea of this time period is on the individual's imagination. This period embraced emotion and creativity over logical thinking. The colonists living in America had just left their homes and everything they knew in hopes obtaining something better. Americans had already embraced the imagination that ran in their blood, but during this period they began to promote it. When dealing with a person's imagination you will find many different views. Out of this period came many differing philosophies. Also many different types of literature developed, including the dark side of the imagination with the genre of dark romanticism.
Nature also had a large impact of the Romantic era. Transcendentalism developed during this time. Transcendentalism is a branch of Romanticism with the focus being on nature. Transcendentalism teaches that all humans have a connection to nature. Many authors of the Transcendental movement also brought to light new thoughts and views of what the government's job should be. Transcendentalists such as Emerson or Thoreau did not see the need for government at all.
The Romantic Period between 1830 and 1870 brought to the surface several new philosophies and view points on several different subjects. During this period new ways to view yourself and each other were developed. Also the people's view of nature and the government were changed due directly to the authors of this period.
The Romantic period was from 1830-1870. The period is a very brief time of forty years. During these forty years America was in a period of transition. Americans had just established themselves as an individual nation. They now needed to grow together as a nation and reflect their ideals. The works produced from the Romantic Period were focused on the individual. The over-arching focus and idea of this time period is on the individual's imagination. This period embraced emotion and creativity over logical thinking. The colonists living in America had just left their homes and everything they knew in hopes obtaining something better. Americans had already embraced the imagination that ran in their blood, but during this period they began to promote it. When dealing with a person's imagination you will find many different views. Out of this period came many differing philosophies. Also many different types of literature developed, including the dark side of the imagination with the genre of dark romanticism.
Nature also had a large impact of the Romantic era. Transcendentalism developed during this time. Transcendentalism is a branch of Romanticism with the focus being on nature. Transcendentalism teaches that all humans have a connection to nature. Many authors of the Transcendental movement also brought to light new thoughts and views of what the government's job should be. Transcendentalists such as Emerson or Thoreau did not see the need for government at all.
The Romantic Period between 1830 and 1870 brought to the surface several new philosophies and view points on several different subjects. During this period new ways to view yourself and each other were developed. Also the people's view of nature and the government were changed due directly to the authors of this period.
Emily Dickinson:
Emily Dickinson's poems are now regarded as some of the most influential pieces of work from the Romantic time period. However during the actual period of Romanticism her works were not regarded as being important pieces of literature.
Emily Dickinson was born December 10, 1830 in Amherst, Massachusetts. She was born into a very prominent, but not wealthy family. Her grandfather founded Amherst college, and her father was an active figure in the state government. Her education as a small child was considered to be ambitious for that time period. Dickinson's father wanted to assure that his children were getting the best education they possibly could. As a child she was very well liked and considered to be very well behaved. Many of her educators commented on how bright she was and her potential. She enjoyed music, particularly playing the piano. As a teenager Dickinson had to endure many tragedies and hardships. Many of her close friends and family members died, which left Dickinson with a curiosity and fascination about death. When her second cousin and close friend died from Typhus Dickinson said she felt as if she were going to die as well. After the death of her cousin Dickinson became so melancholic and depressed that her parents sent her to live with another family member in Boston in hopes of recovery.
Dickinson had never had a public declaration of her faith. When she returned back home to Amherst in 1845 there was a religious revival going on which she commented at the time she enjoyed. In 1847 she attended seminary for ten months. Later in 1852 she stopped attending church and adding the comment "Some people keep the Sabbath going to church, I keep it staying at home.". Dickinson stopped all school and religious type events and moved back to Amherst in 1848.
Dickinson was a very close friend to attorney Benjamin Franklin Newton. Newton introduced her to the writings of William Wordsworth and Ralph Waldo Emerson. When Newton was dying from Tuberculosis he wrote to Dickinson telling her he wished to live until he saw her achieve the greatness he foresaw. In the later years of Dickinson's life she was an introvert and recluse. At first she would rarely leave her house and then her bedroom. She would not even come downstairs to greet guests of her parents. Since she did not get out and socialize she kept in contact with her friends and distant family through writing letters. Her letters reflected the common themes she wrote about in her poems.
During her life less than a dozen of Dickinson's poems were published. She was very private about what she wrote, and did not what her family to have anything done with her poetry after she died. Her poetry did not follow the meter and usual format of other poetry during that time. When the first publication of her poetry was released it was heavily altered in order to better depict the ideas of that time period. Two common themes of Dickinson's poetry are death and immortality. From her childhood she had a fascination with death and it is often referred to in her poetry. In many of her poems death is described as being a bigger power than anything else, and impossible to escape. Dickinson's poetry is still held in very high regard today.
Other Important Literary Contributors:
- Walt Whitman: "Leaves of Grass"
- Ralph Waldon Emerson: "Nature", "Self-Reliance"
- Edgar Allan Poe: "The Raven"
- Henry David Thoreau: "Walden", "Civil Disobedience"
- Washington Irving: Legend of Sleepy Hollow
- Harriet Beecher Stowe: Uncle Tom's Cabin
- Nathanial Hawthorne: The Scarlett Letter
system- 1837
- Trail of Tears- 1838
- Manifest Destiny-1840
- Fugitive Slave Law-1850
- Harriet Beecher Stowe "Uncle Tom's Cabin"-1852
- Dred Scott case-1857
- Abraham Lincoln elected president-1860
- Civil War begins-1861
- The Emancipation Proclamation-1863
- The 13th amendment is passed outlawing slavery-1865
- Lincoln is assassinated-1865
Themes of the Romantic Period:
The main themes of the romantic period are self-reliance and romanticism. During this time there was a focus on the individual and their imagination. Edgar Allan Poe clearly reflected individualism and imagination in his works. "The Fall of the House of Usher" reflected the individual's imagination with the sickness of the characters and the horror themed story. Another common theme of the Romantic Period was self-reliance. This period was during the Civil War when people had to be self-reliant and learn to take care of themselves. Nature was also a common theme evident in many of the works produced from the Romantic Period.