Romanticism: Key Characteristics and Themes
Rejection of Neoclassicism
Facing the scrupulous rigor and order that prevailed in the eighteenth century, Romantic writers rebelled against the rules. They combined genres and verses of different sizes, sometimes mixing verse and prose. In theater, the rule of three unities (place, space, and time) was neglected, and dramatic comedy was alternated.
Dissatisfaction with Reality
This dissatisfaction led to rebellion and a desire for escape.
Rebellion Against the Established
- Prometheus: Represents man’s rebellion against his fate and against the God who created him (as seen in Frankenstein).
- Satan: The fallen angel who defies God and mocks the sacred.
- Don Juan: Seeks the Absolute through love.
- Protagonists who are outside the law or do not accept the norms of society: The pirate, the inmate, etc.
Personal Freedom
Personal freedom of each individual is considered the main value of the human condition. In the socio-political field, this feeling is identified with liberalism. In the field of art, it manifests in the abolition of the rigidity of neoclassical rules and the defense of the author’s freedom against precepts.
Escape from Reality
The rejection of the bourgeois society in which they lived led Romantics to escape their circumstances.
- Escape in space: Many works are located in exotic and remote locations to escape from the sad and decadent Europe (e.g., exotic places like East Africa).
- Escape in time: Unlike the Neoclassicists, who admired Greco-Roman antiquity, Romantics preferred the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
Sentimentality
Facing classical literature, which proposed objective literature subject to reason, the cult of reason is replaced by the cult of feelings.
Idealism
The Romantic man aspires to absolute ideals (happiness, love, justice, peace, etc.) that are very difficult to obtain or are unavailable. This causes a collision with prosaic reality, leading to disappointment.
Irrationalism
Rejection of reason in favor of the magical and mysterious.
Subjectivism
The author expresses his inner world. Intuition, imagination, dreams, and fantasies prevail over passion and feeling over reason.
Nationalism
Exaltation of the country or the language itself. This led to the revitalization of literature in each community (e.g., Catalan, Galician). Folklore and folk traditions were also embraced.
Individualism
The consciousness of self as an autonomous entity is the essence of this period. Therefore, against the law and the rules that prevailed in the previous century, the personality of the individual and their right to freedom are now exalted.
Solitude
Consciousness of self leads to loneliness. Lonely places such as castles, cemeteries, ruins, and the night are often featured.
A New Conception of Nature
Nature is understood as dynamic, and authors project their own feelings onto it. Landscapes often reflect the feelings and moods of the author. Night scenes, cemeteries, raging storms, etc., abound.
Freedom
Freedom was one of the key pillars that had arisen with the French Revolution (1789). Romanticism defended the freedom of the individual:
- Moral and social freedom: Challenging accepted conventions.
- Political freedom: Support for the liberal system, which proclaims respect for the rights of citizens.
- Artistic freedom: Rejection of neoclassical rules and proclamation of the right to creative imagination.
Exaltation of love and passion gives meaning to life.