3 American Romanticism (1).doc

Romantic Period of American Literature: (1)History and Anthology of American LiteratureHistorical Background (p.50-52) Independence in politics Development in economy Mixture of thoughts Improvement in education Emergence of professional writers Literature Early works National literature Romanticism Transcendentalism American Romanticisml Connection between American Romanticism & l English Romanticism?l Romanticisml A. Romanticism was a movement in literature, philosophy, music and art which developed in Europe in the late 18th and early 19th centuries;l B. It emphasized individual values and aspirations as a reaction to the Industrial Revolution;l C. It looked to the Middle Ages and to direct contact with nature for inspiration;l D. It gave impetus to the national liberation movement in 19th-century Europe.Characteristics of Romanticisml 1. subjectivityl feeling and emotions, finding truthl emphasis on imaginationl emphasis on individualism personal freedom, no hero worship, natural l goodness of human beingsl 2. back to medieval, esp medieval folk literaturel unrestrained by classical rulesl full of imaginationl colloquial languagel freedom of imaginationl genuine in feelings: answer their call for classicsl 3.back to nature nature is “breathing living thing” (Rousseau)1. Connection between American Romanticism & English Romanticism? The attitudes of American writers were shaped by their New World environment and an array of ideas inherited from the romantic traditions of Europe. A new romanticism had appeared in England in the last years of the 18th century. It spread to continental Europe and then came to America early in the 19th century.2. Beginning and end? Beginning: early 19th century Washington Irvings The Sketch Book 见闻札记 End: the outbreak of the Civil War Whitmans Leaves of Grass 草叶集 the American Renaissance3. English Romanticism VS. American Romanticism? Similarities? Differences? It (Romanticism) was pluralistic; its manifestation were as varied, as individualistic, and as conflicting as the cultures and the intellects from which it sprang. Similarities: moral enthusiasm; faith in the value of individualism, intuitive perception, imagination and emotion a presumption that the natural world was a source of goodness and mans societies a source of corruption. distinct features of American romanticism: (1) American Romanticism didnt show the kind of political radicalism as seen in English Romanticism.(2) American Romanticism was full of idyllic sentiments and humorous description of the rural life.4. Distinct Features? 1) The American national experience of pioneering into the west proved to be a rich source of material for American writers to draw upon. They celebrated Americas landscape with its virgin forests, meadows, groves, endless prairies, streams, and vast oceans. American Romanticism was full of idyllic sentiments and humorous description of the rural life.12(2) American Romanticism didnt show the kind of political radicalism as seen in English Romanticism. 3) American Puritanism as a cultural heritage exerted great influences over American Romanticism: a. American romantic writers tended more to moralize than their English and European counterparts. b. a preoccupation with the Calvinistic view of original sin and the mystery of evil marked the works of Hawthorne, Melville and a host of lesser writers. l c. With the growth of American national consciousness, American character types speaking local dialects appeared in poetry and fiction with increasing frequency. d. New England Transcendentalism is the mot clearly defined Romantic literary movement in this period. ll Themes: l home, family and children, nature, idealized love; Apathy（对漠不关心） to major problems of American lifel Technique: l traditional meters and stanza forms, British English, stereotyped metaphors, explicit and superficial symbolismTranscendentalism-ism: A distinctive doctrine, theorytranscend:*Love transcends any other human emotion.*Your words transcend my understanding. go beyond the limits of sth. Q. _ transcends _?A: The Transcendentalists “placed emphasis on spirit, or the Over-soul, as the most important thing in the universe” (Chang,2006:57). The power of the human imagination transcend the limitation of the material world. TranscendentalismIn New England, an intellectual movement known as transcendentalism developed as an American version of romanticism. The movement began among an influential set of authors based in Concord, Massachusetts, and was led by Ralph Waldo Emerson. They discussed theology, philosophy, and literature.Transcendentalism was an intensified expression of Romanticism.-Emerson was ultimately the most representative Transcendentalist. “Nature” (1836) “The American scholar” (1837) “Self-Reliance” (1841) Transcendentalism emphasized- (1) The importance of intuition. The Transcendentalists believed that individuals can intuitively receive higher truths otherwise unavailable through common methods of knowing. “The Over-soul was an all-pervading spiritual power for goodness, omnipresent and omnipotent from which all things come and of which all were a part. It existed in nature and man alike and constituted the chief element of the universe” (ibid.). (2) The importance of the individual. “the individual soul communed with the Oversoul and was therefore divine” (ibid.). “To them the individual was the most important element of society” (ibid.) . Individuals self-culture/self-improvement regeneration of the society influenced by Puritanism (3) The importance of the nature. “the Transcendentalists offered a fresh perception of nature as symbolic of the Spirit or God” (ibid.) . more information Flourishing period: from 1830 to the Civil War Greatest literary advocates Emerson: man was apart of absolute good Thoreau: divinity in the “unspotted innocence” of nature Early Writers of American Romanticism Washington Irving (1783-1859) Importance: (1) He was the first American writer to achieve international recognition. (2) He started writing short stories as a genre. Masterpiece The Sketch Book (见闻扎记)Genre: short storiesSubject matters? “Rip Van Winkle” 瑞普 凡 温克尔“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” 睡谷的传说 l The Authors Account of Himself “ I was always fond of visiting new scenes, and observing strange characters and manners I made myself familiar with all its places famous in history or fable. I knew every spot where a murder or robbery had been committed, or a ghost seen” (qtd. in Wu, 2006：63).幻灯片24“Rip Van Winkle” “Rip Van Winkle” Rip Van Wrinkle, a descendant of Dutch warriors, was a good natured man, well-liked by all the “good wives” of the village. How about his other characteristics? Why did he wander into the wilderness? Two important characteristics:l Idle : l “The great error in Rips composition was an insuperable aversion to all kinds of profitable labor.”l Having difficulties in communicatingl with the real world:l childlike - l “ghosts, witches, Indians” Henpecked - his wife a “shrew”, a “virago”, a ”termagant” He wandered into the wilderness.l He came across some quaint-looking people in a remote valley and served them while they played games. After drinking a lot of liquor, he fell into sound sleep.l On his return to his village, he found:l The house? l had “gone to decay”;l His wife?l was gone;l His son? l took the name Rip Van Wrinklel “Im not myselfIm somebody else thats me yondernothats somebody else got into my shoesI was myself last night, but I fell asleep on the mountain, and theyve changed my gun, and every things changed, and Im changed, and I cant tell whats my name, or who I am!”Excerpt Reading He now hurried forth, and hastened to his old resort, the village inn (pub) but it too was gone. A large rickety (shaky) wooden building stood in its place, with great gaping (deep and wide open) windows, some of them broken and mended with old hats and petticoats (womens underskirts), and over the door was painted, “the Union Hotel, by Jonathan Doolittle”. Instead of the great tree that used to shelter the quiet little Dutch inn of yore (time long past), there now was reared a tall naked pole, with something on the top that looked like a red night-cap, and from it was fluttering a flag, on which was a singular assemblage (a collection of people or things) of stars and stripes all this was strange and incomprehensible.l The flag American National Flag He recognized on the sign, however, the ruby face of King George, under which he had smoked so many a peaceful pipe; but even this was singularly metamorphosed (totally changed). The red coat was changed for one of blue and buff (light yellow), a sword was held in the hand instead of a sceptre (a staff held by a king as an emblem of authority), the head was decorated with a cocked hat (a three-cornered hat)and underneath was painted in large characters, GENERAL Washington. l King George III - George Washingtonl What happened during Rips sleep?l The War of Independence Symbolic Meanings: * The village- ? * Rip Van Winkle- ? * His wife- ? The village-a symbol of the changing America at that timeRip Van Winkle-a symbol of several aspects of the American people:immature, imaginative, jolly, self-centeredHis wife- a symbol of the puritan tradition of Americal Puritanisms importan