Literary Movements from 18th to 19th Century
Sturm und Drang
Sturm und Drang (Storm and Anxiety), a German movement primarily in literature, music, and visual arts (1767-1785, Modern Age), was a reaction against the excessively rationalistic literary tradition. It opposed the German Enlightenment and preceded Romanticism. Sturm und Drang rejected Neoclassical rules (18th century), establishing sentiment, not reason, as the source of art. It emphasized that sentiment has no divine origin but comes from the spiritual nature of humankind.
Illustration: The Enlightenment
During the first half of the 18th century, Europe (especially France) was dominated by the Enlightenment, a philosophical attitude that sought to liberate humanity from the weight of religious tradition. It placed absolute dominance on human reason over other faculties of the mind.
Romanticism
Romanticism was a revolutionary movement that broke with the established schemes of Neoclassicism. It defended fantasy, imagination, and the irrational forces of the spirit. Romanticism spread throughout Europe and America. It rejected Neoclassicism through:
- Mixed verse and prose
- Drama that broke the three unities (location, time, action)
- Subjectivism: attraction to the night, rejection of bourgeois society, and the use of nature to reflect mood.
Parnassianism
Parnassianism was a French literary movement of the second half of the 19th century. It reacted against Romanticism, subjectivism, and artistic socialism. Parnassianism emphasized form, believing that content should be subservient to it. While Romantics focused on feelings and personal concerns, Parnassians prioritized beauty.
Symbolism
Symbolism was an important art movement of the late 19th century. It had metaphysical intentions, seeking to find perfect musical forces in its rhymes. Symbolism aimed to express ideas through symbols and emphasized musicality in its works.