Concetti Chiave
- Pre-Romantic poets favored subjective, autobiographical themes, focusing on emotion over intellect, contrasting with the Augustan era.
- There was a renewed appreciation for rural origins and pastoral simplicity, opposing the perceived corruption of urban life.
- Nature was depicted as dynamic and wild, with poets like Thomson emphasizing its motion and contrast with civilization.
- The Gothic novel emerged with themes of terror, mystery, and the supernatural, set in ancient, isolated environments.
- Gothic literature often featured complex plots, supernatural beings, and exaggerated characters, reflecting societal anxieties of industrialization.
New trends in poetry (pre-Romanticism)
In the second half of the 18th century poets established new trends in poetry which managed to pave the way for the Romantic age.Later poets showed a tendency to use subjective, autobiographical material. They were less intellectual and more emotional than the Augustan poets. The poetry was traditionally reflective for the sake of generalized reflections, flowing from a balanced presentation of a variety of emotional states. There is also a re-evaluation of rural origins and a sense of melancholy and sadness.
Pastoral poetry expressed the idyllic pleasure shown by Cowper in its simplicity, free from the corruption of urban life which is seen as an aberration of true nature.
Many pre-Romantic poets dealt with a detailed description of nature (Goldsmith, Thomson). Thomson saw nature as not static but in motion, he sought wild sceneries in contrast with civilized man. These poets were appealed by the melancholy and suffering produced by war or by unrequited love and especially by the description of a wild, gloomy nature.The Gothic novel
The adjective gothic was not invented in this period but it can have various meanings:- Medieval, because it was related to a model of architectonic art.
- Irregular and barbarous, as opposed to Classicism
- Wild and supernatural
The concept of Sublime influenced the gothic novels linked to the celebration of terror shown by Burke.
The main Gothic features were:
- Terrifying descriptions.
- Ancient settings, like old and isolated castles.
- A sense of mystery pervading everything.
- Supernatural beings like bats, monsters and ghosts.
- Heroines persecuted or stricken by unreal terrors.
- Terrifying male characters.
- Exaggerated reactions of main characters.
- Very complicated plots.
In gothic novels the motive of the frequent insertions of gloomy creatures like vampires was that of seeking forbidden knowledge, going beyond God, Nature and human limits. These creatures stood for the individualist man who was not satisfied with society.
Domande da interrogazione
- What were the key characteristics of pre-Romantic poetry in the 18th century?
- How did the Gothic novel reflect societal issues during the Romantic period?
- What role did the concept of the Sublime play in Gothic novels?
Pre-Romantic poetry in the 18th century was characterized by a shift towards subjective and autobiographical material, with a focus on emotional expression rather than intellectualism. Poets re-evaluated rural origins, often expressing melancholy and sadness, and depicted nature as dynamic and wild, contrasting with urban life.
The Gothic novel during the Romantic period used its themes to highlight societal issues, particularly the impact of industrialization on individual significance. Gothic elements like terrifying descriptions, supernatural beings, and complex plots were employed to critique the loss of human control and the rise of social problems.
The concept of the Sublime in Gothic novels was linked to the celebration of terror, as described by Burke. It influenced the genre by emphasizing terrifying and mysterious elements, which were used to explore themes of forbidden knowledge and the individual's dissatisfaction with societal constraints.
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