|
(2015
midterm assignment) Model Student Midterm answers 2015 #1: Long Essays (Index) |
LITR 4328 |
 |
Karin Cooper
2/25/15
American Romantic Literature: Not The Lovey Dovey Mush You Might Expect
The term romantic generally is only thought of in one way, in reference to love.
This use of the word is limiting to say the least. American Renaissance
Literature, or American Romanticism encompasses so much more than love stories,
although those are included in the genre. Many of the books, and television
shows that are popular in today's society fall into the category of romantic.
These popular movies, and books do not fall into the romantic category because
there is a love story, but because being romantic is something so much more than
a love story. There are many terms, and ideas that are characteristic in
romantic literature, this essay will be much too short to cover them all so it
will cover just four ideas, the Gothic, the sublime, childhood innocence, and
the romantic period's connection with nature. Some of the literature in this
time period has only a couple of romantic terms, and some of the works seem to
be overflowing with every aspect that could possibly be thought of as romantic,
the terms, and focuses are not mutually exclusive by any means.
I argue that the romantic terms and focuses that started during the
American Romantic Period are still relevant, and alive in our culture today.
Literature that can be classified as Gothic was prolific during the romantic
period and still is today. A couple of books that fall into the Gothic category
that you might recognize from today are
Fifty Shades of Gray, and anything written by Stephen King. Movies and
television shows are full of Gothic elements today as well. Gothic simply put is
creepy. One of the other things that can be found in Gothic literature, is the
color code involving white, black, and red, the colors are used prolifically in
Gothic literature. Anything that is gross, or horrific would fall under this
category. An example of the kind of creepy feeling one gets when reading Gothic
literature can be found in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"
By Washington Irving. Ichabod's
ride after the party is incredibly creepy and therefore Gothic: "Suddenly he
heard a groan—his teeth chattered, and his knees smote against the saddle: it
was but the rubbing of one huge bough upon another, as they were swayed about by
the breeze." A groan from an unknown source is a great example of the Gothic.
Ichabod is scared, the reader is scared, and it does not get old even though
this was written almost two centuries ago. One of the reasons this story has
stayed relevant is the adrenaline you get while reading it. The Gothic is full
of charged language that makes you look over your shoulder even from the comfort
of your own home.
The sublime is a romantic term, examples of which are easily found in romantic
literature during the American Renaissance, and literature today. This is a term
I certainly did not know before this class and I do not think I am alone in
this. The sublime is something that is breath taking, something beautiful, and
majestic yet also on such a grand scale as to strike a little fear into the
observer. The sublime can be something that words fail because it is almost
indescribable. This is found in the Gothic, and very often in descriptions of
nature that are found in Romantic Literature. In literature today, and back then
words are used to paint grand landscapes and formidable personalities in a
story. In television the sublime can be seen in sweeping views of great
landscapes, battles, or cities. No words are needed, and even if they were there
would not be any applicable words because it is the feeling you get when you see
it, that is sublime. In
The Wide Wide World
by Susan B. Warner the reader gets an
excellent example of the sublime: "Both exclaimed at the beauty before
them...all was a golden haze; nearer, on the right and left the hills were lit
up singularly, and there was a most beautiful mingling of deep hazy shadow and
bright glowing mountain sides and ridges. A glory was upon the valley" (Chapter
15). That last sentence there is an acute example, because what exactly is a
"glory"? It is something indescribable, it is sublime. Sublime is timeless
because everyone still has those moments that take your breathe away, and leave
you in fear and awe. People still have moments that are filled with beauty that
even though they are feeling it they do not quite understand it. Gothic and
sublime can often go hand in hand.
Childhood innocence is viewpoint that is widely held in American Romantic
Literature, and is pretty common today as well. It is nice to think of children
as innocent, untainted by life's hardships and trials. To a point children are
innocent, but in Romantic Literature it is exaggerated. Walt Whitman in "A Child
Went Forth" shows us the lovely engrossment that children can enter into when
they focus on something: "The early lilacs became part of this child" (line 5).
This innocent engrossment, and carefree attitude of children is lovely to think
about, and washes over the tantrums, and negative qualities of children. This
idea of childhood innocence is so engrained in me even today I almost feel it is
wrong to say children have negative qualities. This is a cemented idea that
flourished in the romantic period and is still going strong in books, movies,
and advertisements today.
A huge theme in romantic American literature is the focus on nature. It can be
found relating to the sublime, the Gothic and childhood innocence. American
Romantic literature has a wealth of nature descriptions.
The Last of the Mohicans is full of
nature descriptions that cover both the Gothic, and the sublime. A good example
of a Gothic nature description is in chapter 5 of
The Last of the Mohicans, when
Heyward is walking through the forest,
"His awakened imagination, deluded
by the deceptive light, converted each waving bush, or the fragment of some
fallen tree, into human forms, and twenty times he fancied he could distinguish
the horrid visages of his lurking foes, peering from their hiding places"
(Cooper). This scene is using nature to create a Gothic atmosphere, much like
the previous example from "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". This is a literary tool
that is still very in use today for example in the popular
Harry Potter book series nature is
used often in the Gothic form.
The American Romantic period was really a time when American literature was coming into its own, and making a name for itself internationally. This essay barely touches upon a few terms that are relevant in American Romantic literature. However the hope is that the essay made it clear to the reader that literature from that time period is far from obsolete. The goal was to show that this literature written almost two centuries ago was the foundation of many of our stories that we all still enjoy today. So if you are in the mood for a love story do not just assume that romantic literature will do the trick because you might get a different genre than you had in mind.
 |
 |
|