Neoclassicism vs. Romanticism: Key Differences Explored
Neoclassicism and Romanticism: A Period of Transition
Between Neoclassicism and Romanticism, we find a period of transition. Romanticism breaks with traditional ideals, but this was not an overnight change. Pre-romanticism prepares us for the Romantic movement.
Romanticism vs. Neoclassicism
We can find a great deal of differences between these two literary movements in various aspects:
The View of the Universe
In Neoclassical Arts, the universe is compared to a machine, to a watch, where everything works perfectly. God is seen as the organizer of the Universe, the watchmaker. This view is expanded to all areas of human knowledge. This way of thinking is influenced by the Newtonian view of the Universe. Neoclassical thinkers wanted to find universal truths in order to establish their validity for anything else. For Newton, the Universe was based on mathematical truths.
In Romanticism, however, this idea is no longer valid. Romantic poets think that the Universe is something imperfect, variable, and in constant change.
The View of the Human Mind
Neoclassical writers were influenced by Locke’s empiric ideas. Locke thought that the human mind is a tabula rasa, that is, our mind is blank when we are born. As we gain experience, these experiences are printed in our minds. This theory implied a very passive image of the human mind.
Romantics, however, believed that the human mind is dynamic. We can create new material through our imagination, our creative capacity. Neoclassical artists also emphasized universal ideas and generalizations. Romantics, however, believed in intuition, imagination, and creativity.
Man and Society
In Neoclassicism, man is seen as a social being. Civilization is the perfect state of man. Romantic poets, though, rejected the limitations of society, which corrupts him and imposes rules on man. They believed in man as part of nature, in a state of primitiveness: “Man is intrinsically good, but corrupted by society” (Rousseau). That is the reason why children, outcasts, pirates, and primitive cultures would become romantic symbols.
It is interesting that romantic poets themselves embodied these ideals. Many of them were rebels, like Byron, who fought in the Greek War of Independence.
Poetry
For Neoclassical poets, poetry was considered as an imitation of life. Art should imitate nature, since it is the creation of God. We find therefore a mere imitative and prescriptive poetry, based on rules, and whose main function was didactic (docere et delectare).
For Romantics, poetry becomes the most cultivated area, as it is the most suitable genre to express the author’s emotions. Poetry in Romanticism is based on individual emotions and feelings. It is an extremely narcissistic poetry, in which the feelings of the author are always the main topic of the composition.
Poetic Composition
For Neoclassical writers, the poetic composition parts from rules. Ars is more important than ingenium. In Romanticism, however, we find an opposition to this idea. The poems shape themselves as if they were a plant. They grow from an idea to the final poem. This is the organic theory.