Secondly, while both groups believe nature is a
deeply spiritual force
, Dark Romanticism views it in a much more sinister light than does Transcendentalism, which sees nature as a divine and universal organic mediator.
How did the American Romantics view nature?
The American Romantics looked to
nature for inspiration, for escape from society, and as a place where their individuality could let its freak flag fly
. The Romantics believed that in nature we could be free in a way that we couldn’t be in society, where rules and conventions limit our individuality.
How did the dark Transcendentalists view nature?
Despite sharing membership in the American Renaissance with Transcendentalists, Dark Romanticists took a
more pessimistic view of human nature
, writing narratives characterized by destruction and sin. Poe, Hawthorne, and Melville, authors of the genre, often corresponded with one another.
What did the dark Transcendentalists believe about the mind *?
Transcendentalists believed that people’s thoughts and intuition were
the voice of God
. Transcendentalists did not believe in institutions like government because they thought the individual human mind was the strongest power in the universe.
How do dark romantic writers address the theme of human nature?
Read this Herman Melville excerpt from “Introduction to Dark Romanticism: American Gothic.” … According to “Introduction to Dark Romanticism: American Gothic,” how do Dark Romantic writers address the theme of nature? by
focusing on nature’s destructive forces
. Read the excerpt from “The Fall of the House of Usher.”
What do Dark Romantics believe?
Dark Romantics focus on
human fallibility, self-destruction, judgement, punishment, as well as the psychological effects of guilt and sin
. Authors who embrace this genre include Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, and Emily Dickinson.
What did Transcendentalists oppose?
Transcendentalists advocated the idea of a personal knowledge of God, believing that no intermediary was needed for spiritual insight. They embraced idealism, focusing on nature and opposing
materialism
.
What is the purpose of American Romanticism?
American Romanticism
emphasized emotion, individualism, and personality over rationalism and the constraints of religion
.
Why was nature so important to the Romantics?
As such, Romantics sought
to restore man’s relationship with nature
. They saw nature as something pure and uncorrupted and, therefore, almost spiritual. Most Romantics believed that humans were born pure and good and that society corrupted. Nature, therefore, became a symbol of life without society, a truly good life.
What are the main themes of Romanticism?
- Revolution, democracy, and republicanism. …
- The Sublime and Transcendence. …
- The power of the imagination, genius, and the source of inspiration. …
- Proto-psychology & extreme mental states. …
- Nature and the Natural.
What is dark romanticism in simple terms?
Dark Romanticism is
a literary subgenre of Romanticism
, reflecting popular fascination with the irrational, the demonic and the grotesque. Often conflated with Gothic fiction, it has shadowed the euphoric Romantic movement ever since its 18th-century beginnings.
What were transcendentalist values?
As a group, the transcendentalists led the celebration of the American experiment as one of individualism and self-reliance. They took progressive stands on
women’s rights, abolition, reform, and education
. They criticized government, organized religion, laws, social institutions, and creeping industrialization.
What do transcendentalists define truth?
They define
truth as something that is in other words “inborn” and that knowledge of truth was intuitive
. … They see them as Eternal Soul, part and parcel of God, the absolute truth. Kawohl, Kurt. “Transcendentalism.” Transcendentalism.
What do dark romanticism and Transcendentalism have in common?
There are many similarities between Romanticism and Transcendentalism. One of the similarities between the groups is
the incorporation of nature
. Writings by authors of both types seem to tie nature into many of their works.
How is the birthmark a good example of dark romanticism?
The birthmark and the painting
may represent the flaws of human nature
— sinfulness, evil, and corruption (“Dark Romanticism”). In this case, as the birthmark fades and as the painting is perfected, the women are cleansed of their innate flaws that make them human and therefore cannot live.
What is Gothic dark romance?
Gothic romance, type of novel that flourished in the late 18th and early 19th cent. in England. Gothic romances were mysteries, often involving the supernatural and heavily tinged with horror, and they were usually
set against dark backgrounds of medieval ruins and haunted castles
.
