Romanticism Free Response

Romanticism came as a result of the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution. Romantic thinkers rebelled against the neo-classic mindset and the way that scientists and philosophers wanted an answer to everything. The Enlightenment thinkers wanted an explanation as to how everything goes on, while Romantics explored all that cannot be measured or scientifically figured out. Romantic views challenged Enlightenment views of human beings and the natural world by not wanting to seek an answer, rather exploring the unexplainable in the world, and this illustrated changes from Enlightenment to Romantic views of the relationship between God and individuals because poets such a Byron, Shelley, and Keats were able to express their disbelief in God and their personal feelings towards nature and passion.

The Enlightenment thinkers were very much set on fact and the literal meaning and explanations of science and mathematics. Romantic thinkers rebelled against Enlightenment thoughts in order to express individual feelings and opinions and break away from doing things specifically for the Church or state. Enlightenment thinkers were not worried about ideas or abstract things. If they were looking at nature, they wanted to know why and how things were happening. Romantics were not like that. In Literature, one of the first Romantic works was produced by Coleridge and Wordsworth. They set the tone for the writing that could now be done in the Romantic period. Writers, poets, and musicians were able to focus on personal feelings rather than science and mathematics. Poets such as Lord Byron, Percy Shelley, and Keats were able to become in tune with their lonely and deep side, which made them very popular. One of their most revered attributes was the fact that they talked about the unexplainable: nature, personal feelings, relationships, and love. One poem that displays the ability of poets to honor nature is The Tintern Abbey by William Wordsworth. This poem expressed the way that Wordsworth viewed an old abbey, and it did not need to have any explanation or format; he could write it because it was what he was feeling at the moment. This was one of the highlights of the Romantic period, being able to express thoughts and feelings.

The Romantic period was a time when Romantics broke away from the Church and state in the sense that they were writing and producing music for themselves and not for the approval of the Church or state. In this way, some Romantics abandoned God. They were able to become in tune with their dark side, and they were able to question whether or not God existed. Music changed from the Enlightenment to the Romantic period by becoming less strategically planned and instead appealing to one’s emotions. Composers such as Beethoven and Liszt began composing music that expressed emotion and feeling. These pieces did not have to be created a certain way because these composers were only writing these pieces in result of how they personally felt. Because nothing had to be made for the Church, Romantics were able to free themselves from including God in their work. Byron, Keets, and Shelley expressed dark views on life, leading one to believe that they did not find God to be present in their lives. Romantic literature, music, and poetry allowed Romantics to express deeper views on the world, nature, and feelings than they ever could before, and if they were reaching into these deep and dark places, they were leaving God behind.

A dark side of poetry came about during the Romantic period. Gothic views were taken on by writers such as Percy Shelley’s second wife in Frankenstein. Another work where gothic views are seen is The Hunchback of Notre Dame. These books expressed supernatural creatures that would have been unexplainable and unheard of by Enlightenment thinkers. The gothic period during Romanticism suggest that these writers were not focusing on God and his powers, but rather supernatural powers and far-off ideas. These works, Franestein and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, demonstrated the fact that explained ideas were not being utilized during the Romantic age, but rather imagination and abstract thoughts.

The main difference between the Enlightenment and the Romantic age is that Romantics were able to express their own personal feelings and thoughts without having to conform to Church or state standards. They could choose to stay with God or leave God in their writings, and as explained before, many seemed to become dark and serious into a depressing state where faith was not found. Romantics were focused on exploring the unexplainable and personalizing all of the music, art, literature, and poetry they did.