The Growth of Romanticism in Western Europe - Essay Example

Western Europe witnessed the growth of Romanticism in the second half of the 18th century. Romanticism was partly a revolt against the aristocratic, social and political norms of the Age of Enlightenment. This romantic period stressed upon the self, creativity and imagination. Romanticism also stressed on strong emotion as a spring for visual experiences thus placing emphasizes on such emotions as fear, terror and awe. Romanticism can trace its roots to the works of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Immanuel Kant. Philosophically romanticism represents the shift from the objective to the subjective. This move from the objective to the subjective is based on Kant’s idea that human beings perceive the world through various means. Therefore one understands the world through the humanistic point of view. Adoption of Kant’s perspective i.e. one can never know things in themselves, would lead one to Idealism. Idealism states that the external world is created by our own very minds. The romantic idea, on the other hand stresses on the individual as reflected in ideas of self-realization and nature. Wordsworth thought that the individual was able to understand nature devoid of the assistance of society and social pretence. “Deceptive apparitions haunt romantic writing: ignes fatui, ‘the viewless snow-mist` noticed by Cleridge in ‘Constancy to an Ideal Object’, and other dangerous shape-changers, like the fata morgana” (Gann, 1993) The fundamentals of Romanticism evoke the belief in the natural goodness of man, where man is in a state of nature but is marred by civilization. As Rousseau said “…..man is born free and everywhere he is in chains”. (Rousseau, 1762) The Romantic Movement was only a revolt against the prescribed rules of classicism. The intention of romanticism were, a return to nature and the belief that man was good in body and soul, the artist was perceived as the supreme individual creator. Romanticism epitomized the development of nationalistic pride and also sought the development of the senses and emotions over reason and intellect. Romanticism emphasizes the individual, addresses the subjective. Romanticisms changing forms are figures of imaginative desire; for to be romantic is to exist under the sign of longing:What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape? What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy? (Gann, 1993) Romantic literature was an experiment and search for a fresh source of this spontaneous feeling. William Wordsworth described poetry as “all good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings”. Wordsworth also proclaimed and insisted on the usage of natural everyday diction in the literary works. Coleridge also accentuated the usage of poet’s imagination and was against the adherences to literary rules. Therefore romantic poet’s focused on the individual self and the poet’s personal reaction to life. Jerome Mc Gann said “When we speak of romantic writing, even within its periodic context, we refer to a body of extremely diverse materials. The historic impossibility of defining the term romantic reflects this diversity.” (Gann, 1993) A Romantic poet establishes a personal, spontaneous, emotional, visionary and transcendental relationship with the outside world through poetry. It is the rejection of rationalism that characterizes the enlightenment. Romanticism involved broad-ranging revisionist moves against many traditional cultural ideas and artistic practices. (Gann, 1993) Having established the meaning and purpose of romanticism, applying these elements let’s analyze William Blake’s “London” and William Wordsworth “Written in London, September 1802”. Both poets speak about London and the horrifying sights their eyes see as they move along in life. Life combined with the evils of man which serves as a temptation for mankind. Blake’s opening lines “I wander thro` each charter`d street, near where the charter`d Thames does flow”. These lines portray the carefree individual, expressing hin inner most thoughts. The self is being investigated as the wandering through the streets occurs. Thames signifies the purity of humanity, flowing besides the horrifying and sorrowful never-ending woes of mankind. Here every person the narrator sees has “mark’s of weakness, marks of woe”. This stanza one can find the usage of alliteration and the choice of words such as ‘weakness’, ‘marks’, and ‘woe’ keep creating and keeping alive the mournful atmosphere. Therefore the theme of sorrow is established in the beginning of the poem. The usage of the word ‘charter`d’ is vague. This word ‘charter`d’ could mean two fold, it could express the political and economic control that London was enduring during that period or it could be referring to the hectic and overburdened streets. The self being utilized in the exposure of mankind on the streets-characteristic of Romanticism. The repetition of the word’s ‘every’ and ‘cry’ emphasizes and symbolizes the miserable depression that lingers through the streets of London. Romanticism portrayed wherein the poet speaks about man combined with the powerful emotions. ‘In every cry of man’ and ‘in every infants cry of fear’, the narrator has fused both birth and life into the horror. The ‘mind-forg`d manacles’ suggest that the narrator is not mentally stable. Maybe the surrounding horror has also enabled the narrator to enter a trance. By now the reader has fully entered the poets mind and is thus able to have an insight. Characteristic of Romanticism-the poet opens the individual mind and soul and exhibiting spontaneous emotions. From emitting self and personal emotions the poet not utilizes imagery to further enhance the visualization of destruction and religion. Romanticism implies that there is also good in man. Therefore ‘the chimney-sweepers cry’ symbolizes a society that is willing and wanting to uncontaminated the ashes that is the cause for depression. Examine the use of the word ‘black` ning Church’- religious imagery representing the loss of innocence and purity and portraying a society devoid of religion. The vision of judgment day can be envisioned for this destruction of humanity would lead to judgment day. Religion damned and now image of war, ‘hapless soldiers’. Thus emphasizing damnation for the soldiers is forced into war to serve their country. Death imagery for the soldiers knows that they will die as “sigh runs in blood down Palace walls”. What is the poet’s trying to convey? The usage of destruction of society and mankind would enable the people to repair the ‘weakness’ and ‘woe’ of their society. The final stanza disentangles the meaning of the poem “London”. How? ‘The youthful Harlot’s curse’ symbolizes the youth’s sinful deeds and these will affect the future generation. These ‘curse’ will be the cause for the ‘newborn infant’s tear’, for the future generation would be required to correct the evil deeds of the previous generation. A sense of hope and well being for man kind just as Romanticism states that the natural goodness of man finds mankind in a state of nature. The ‘plagues’ symbolize the curses and the ‘marriage hearse’ creates a contradiction of eternity and death. Further this reference can be examined as the spread of diseases in the city, passed through prostitution and therefore marriage can become a sentence to death. Blakes romanticism is yet another thing. Indeed, Blakes special position is fairly well measured by the fact that its proper cultural installation had to await the coming of Pre- Raphaelitism, that unique mixture of late romantic attitudes and early modern gestures. (Gann, 1993) Thus through the usage of alliteration, imagery and choice of words the emotional significance and personal interpretation was implied. Further romantic poetry idealizes the child as found in “London”, Blake idealizes the infants and the youth to represent the mistakes of the adults. In order to examine William Wordsworth poem “Written in London, September 1802”, let us review his background. Wordsworth was in France during the French Revolution and therefore was a witness to life destruction, war and hunger. These images found Wordsworth mentally troubled. With this framework Wordsworth returns to London. In London he finds the place a direct contrast to France wherein the people are placid and are oblivious to the destruction around them. Based on this contrasting life Wordsworth wrote “Written in London, September 1802”. For Wordsworth found himself in an age of disparity. As Wordsworth himself stated; “This was written immediately after my return from France to London, when I could not but be struck, as here described, with the vanity and parade of our own country, especially in great towns and cities, as contrasted with the quiet, and I may say the desolation, that the Revolution had produced in France” The opening line of the poem portrays the poet as being himself, where he expresses his mind. The poet reflects shock and a troubled mind that is oppressed. Thus the tone is shocking, appalling and searching for answer’s to justify the present scenario in London. Imagery vividly utilized as in, “To think that now our life is only drest” where dressed epitomizes the pomp and frivolous life. This dressing typifies the different levels of life; “For show; mean handy-work of craftsman, cook”. Life in London is more concerned with low society or high society, for cooks and craftsman symbolize low society whereas ‘groom’ signifies the higher society. What is the use of dressing and living a pompous life when ones fellow brethren is suffering and dying? The poet expresses this sense of dismay and sublimity utilizing not flowery language but diction that the common man can understand. Every word, ‘opprest’, life is only drest’, ‘show’, epitomizes grief, agony and in depth meaning. From this note and tone of anguish the trend is established when the poet moves on to state ones union with nature. A sense of advice for this present scenario is not befitting the manner of living life. Instead like the brook one should be open and transparent. “We must run glittering like a brook In the open sunshine, or we are unblest:” In the sunshine one is able to see the depth of the brook and what lies inside it. Imagery of the brook signifies the sense of nothing that is dead or past. As the brook stops for nothing but as it flows it cleans itself. Similarly life should be an open book. Sun symbolizes nature and its union with God that shines in this dark world. If we are like the brook then one is blessed, failing which one would be ‘unblest’. From providing an example of the brook the tone shifts to the characteristics of wealth. For wealth is perceived as the ruling evil. Evil that blinds mankind from the realities of life. “The wealthiest man among us is the best: No grandeur now in nature or in book delights us”. A sense of hope is portrayed from the grief stricken tone. Wealth is emitted not that which characterizes the wealthiest man instead wealth defined through knowledge and unity with nature. For books and nature define purity and sublimity and detests glamour and show. A sense of visionary as portrayed in “No grandeur now in nature or in book delights us”. Nature and book the only two aspects that remains innocent and forever in the world. Romantic element for the request is a return to innocence. Reality is stressed and combined with the idiosyncrasies of mankind. The dark and evil world exhibits man with, ‘Rapine, avarice, expense’. ‘Idolatry’ symbolizes anything and everything that occurs against God. Pomp and materialistic possessions combined with a flamboyant life only implement the distance from God. This pompous life visions man as unprepared for the end of the world when he would have to meet God. Reality is innocence and worship of God is lost. For the idol worship is for ‘Rapine, avarice, expense. This is idolatry; and these we adore’. The final lines stand as advice and a suggestion from the poet. The romantic element exhibits real visionary experience combined with observation and a return to insight. “Plain living and high thinking are no more: The homely beauty of the good old cause Is gone; our peace, our fearful innocence, And pure religion breathing household laws”. A sense of lamenting that exhibits agony and simple thinking. The answer for London to return to its original beauty is for a return to God. Where a simple life is lead and every household law envisions God and the commandments. The vanity life is to be deserted. The poet shifts from the present situation to the past, the return to innocence which forms the basis of a blessed life, as well as the answer to London pretentious life. One can find agony, anger and sorrow in the poet but all this is portrayed in a subtle manner. Blessing will come when one returns to the innocence of the past. Thus one can state that Wordsworth is nostalgic and expressed love with a passion for modernity. His language appeals to the senses. The tone calmly discusses the need to find the right solution for the present problem. Creative spontaneity is found in the imagery of nature. Wordsworth adopted the romantic formula by composing real, setting, and visionary experience combined with a setting filled with insight. Though viewed as a natural poet, Wordsworth poetry is conservative and descriptive in his evocations of nature. It deals with issues of man, human nature and mans relationship with the natural world. A kind of rhyme scheme can be established through the words, ‘look’, ‘cook’, ‘brook’ and ‘book’ and with ‘opprest’, ‘drest’, ‘unblest’ and ‘best’. The poem is in first person thus establishing a relationship with the reader. The tone is not an angry or serious instead it is relaxed and undisturbed feeling combined with inner emotions. France portrayed as violent, bloody and revolutionized affected life. In contrast London life is portrayed as one that is camouflaged, pomp and show and indifferent. The tone is set as a manner of expression through writing. Attitude and sentiments are expressed in a contemplative mode. The thoughts and emotions reflected are natural and not commanding and at the same time the poet is not being forceful on anyone. Romanticism finds the self and the individual are epitomized in a subjective, irrational and imaginative manner-“ To think that now our life is only drest, For show; mean handy-work of craftsman, cook, Or groom! Rapine, avarice, expense, this is idolatry; and these we adore”. The emotional, visionary and transcendental are revealed. The rejection of rationalism characterizes enlightenment. Romanticism is movement of exemplifying the classicism and the rejection of rationalism. For instance the comparison of man with the brook: “We must run glittering like a brook In the open sunshine, or we are unblest”. Transparency as revealed with the opening up to God and revealing that innocence can be attained through the union with nature and religion. “Plain living and high thinking are no more: The homely beauty of the good old cause. Is gone; our peace, our fearful innocence, And pure religion breathing household laws”. Thus romantic period was a prolific period in poetry that produced emotional and complex poems. It provided an insight into the minds of the poets and their inner most thoughts and feelings. Both poems “London” by William Blake and “Written in London, September 1802” by William Wordsworth are perfect in comparison with the romantic’s, yet show two completely different views on London. References Gann Mc Jerome. The New Oxford Book of Romantic Period Verse. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993. Rousseau, J.J. The Social Contract. Penguin:London. 1953. p.33. Sullivan, Roger. J. An Introduction to Kant’s Ethics. Cambridge University Press. 1994. p.7-15. Swinburn Algernon Charles. William Blake: A Critical Essay. Arno Press. New York, 1980. p.1-84. Wu Duncan. Romanticism: An Anthology. Oxford:Blackwell, 1998. p.79,53,189,270.374. Read More