Concetti Chiave
- Romanticism originated in Germany with the Sturm und Drang movement, challenging the rationalism of the Age of Reason.
- Key figures in the Sturm und Drang movement included Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Friedrich Schiller, and Johann Gottfried Herder.
- The movement emphasized freedom, individualism, creativity, and the sacred influence of nature.
- Jean-Jacques Rousseau's theories on the noble savage and divine nature significantly influenced Romanticism.
- The Lyrical Ballads marked a revolutionary shift in English poetry towards everyday language and natural themes.
Origins of Romanticism
The cultural trends which characterised The word “romantic” comes from the French “Romanticism originated in Germany. Without ignoring the influence of the philosophers of German Idealism, it must be acknoledged that the first challenge to the exasperated rationalism of the Age of Reason came from the poets of the Sturm und Drang, a literary movement of the 1770s. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805) and Johann Gottfried Herder (1744-1803) are some of the most famous exponents, but it must be noted that both Goethe and Schiller later detached from the movement. The Sturm und Drang poets exalted freedom, the individual, creativity, and saw nature as a sacred and influencing force, thus paving the wayfor the famous “Sehnsucht nach der blauen Blume der Romantik” (longing for the blue flower of romanticism) as the Romantics defined their desire to escape from everyday reality and find refuge in nature.
Influence of Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Their concept of nature as the expression of a divine plan was based on the theories of Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778). This famous French philosopher stated that man is born free, but he is in chains, and these chains have been forged by an artificial civilization that vaues the reason above the impulse of the heart. Hence the concept of the “noble savage”, innocent and idea that the child, not yet corrupted by civilisation, is closer to God than the adult.
Revolution of the Lyrical Ballads
In English history the The Lyrical Ballads were revolutionary when compared to the classical schools of the Augustan Age, and the perface to the 1800 edition, commonly regarded the manifesto of English Romanticism. Presented the canons of the new poetry: both the sublect-matter and form of poetry changed radically; the poets advocated creative originality and aimed to move poetry towards the language of everday speech, and the natural world provided the dominant subject matter.
Domande da interrogazione
- What was the role of the Sturm und Drang movement in the origins of Romanticism?
- How did Jean-Jacques Rousseau influence Romanticism's view of nature and civilization?
- What was the significance of the Lyrical Ballads in English Romanticism?
The Sturm und Drang movement, originating in Germany in the 1770s, was pivotal in challenging the rationalism of the Age of Reason. Poets like Goethe, Schiller, and Herder emphasized freedom, individuality, and creativity, viewing nature as a sacred force, which laid the groundwork for Romanticism's themes of longing and escape into nature.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau's theories greatly influenced Romanticism by proposing that civilization's artificial values chain humanity, contrasting with the purity of nature. His idea of the "noble savage" suggested that uncorrupted individuals, like children, are closer to divine truth, aligning with Romanticism's idealization of nature and innate human goodness.
The Lyrical Ballads, particularly the 1800 edition's preface, marked a revolutionary shift in English poetry, serving as the manifesto of English Romanticism. It introduced new poetic canons, emphasizing creative originality, everyday language, and nature as central themes, moving away from the classical styles of the Augustan Age.
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