These characteristic thus tied back to the theme of the unknown. Other characteristics included the power of the universe, exploring how it worked in mysterious, incomprehensible ways. Venturing into this unknown brought forth a newfound spirit of optimism, a well-known American ideal that any person can achieve anything they set their mind to. The aesthetic of nature is something that was extremely importance to American Romantic writers, and is reflected in works such as the Leatherstocking Tales, The Last of the Mohicans, and even holds in Moby-Dick, a work that epitomizes what Romanticism is all about.įurthermore, American Romanticism was composed of a couple different themes, including the theme of nature and the great unknown was told through stories of the frontier – a land unexplored, that promised opportunity for expansion, growth, and freedom. In an effort to move away from Puritanism and Calvinism, Romanticism, as explained by Ann Woodlief, “was a Renaissance in the sense of a flowering, excitement over human possibilities, and a high regard for individual ego.” In other words, American Romanticism celebrated the unknown – as Americans began to venture westward into newly acquired territories, authors began to write about the beauty of the natural landscape, untouched by man. Much like the Italian Renaissance of the 15 th century, the emergence of American Romanticism saw the celebration of the common man. In short, American Romanticism emerged in response to the nationalist values beginning to develop a distinct American literary style. The American Renaissance period saw the publishing of timeless masterpieces, by authors including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, and Emily Dickinson. This movement saw the emergence of writers celebrating American beauty and identity. This literary movement holds unique importance to American history because it is known to be the first, full-fledged literary movement of America. In the mid-1850s, as the United States was beginning to shape its own identity within the realm of literature, American Romanticism emerged.
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