Characteristics of Literary Romanticism

Literary romanticism was a current that emerged at the end of the 18th century, having its greatest peak in the 19th century; It was inspired by the ideas of the illustration, but focused more on individual feelings.

This literary trend emerged in Germany and spread throughout Europe and spread to the American colonies. The term was coined by August Schlegel in 1801, a term with which he described this new trend that was beginning to emerge in literature and other fields.

The literature of romanticism arises as an opposition to baroque and classicism literature, in clear opposition to the ideas of rationalism and progressivism in where stereotypical, inflexible and cold ideas abounded, contrasting with them ideas such as the expression of feelings, such as love, patriotism, wild nature, as well as the irrational forces of the spirit, defended imagination and fantasy, having a rebellion that was reflected in their plays.

The most important and influential authors of this movement in literature and thought were: Wolfgang Von Goethe, Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock, Lord Byron, Victor Hugo, Friedrich Schiller and Edgar Allan Poe.

Literary romanticism and its characteristics:

Beginning of literary romanticism.- Romantic literature begins within the historical context, consequent on the changes made socially by the Enlightenment and the revolution. industrial, and within the "romantic" movement that was also developing in other fields of art, such as painting, sculpture and architecture, in addition to philosophy, the philosophical writings of Friedrich Schiller being some of the most notable literary and philosophical works of the world. movement.

Opposition to literary classicism.- Romantic literature was opposed to values ​​and norms that had been established in previous literary trends; as the prevailing belief in the illustration that only reason and science would suffice to provide human beings with happiness, regardless of feelings, This being the reason why romanticism was opposed, putting feelings before fantasy and imagination over reason and static and cold science of the illustration. They did this through works in which the characters let their feelings be seen, and by exposing conceptions, such as that being The human being was an unhappy being in life and that society and his norms prevented him from fulfilling his desires and the impulses of his life. heart.

Protest against the prevailing morality. To a certain extent, romantic literature protests against the morals of its time; putting as protagonists and heroes of his stories characters who were morally frowned upon, such as prostitutes, tramps, pirates, thieves and bandits, exalting those characters, putting them as champions of freedom opposing the established powers, such as the church and the monarchy, as well as the generalization that the characters lived on the fringes of the law.

Inspiration sources.- This current tends to inspire his works in medieval customs and legends, as well as folklore and popular traditions. In addition to being inspired by medieval works, texts from that period began to be edited, especially epic themes, sometimes even inventing texts as if they were ancient.

Theme.- Much of the theme developed by this current, in addition to philosophical issues (Schiller), deals with feelings, such as love, hatred, resentment, abandonment and desolation, embodying them in their characters, causing those same characters to suffer hardships, heartbreak, breakup, envy, joys, rejoicing, anger or spiritual calm, in addition to skills such as daring, audacity, recklessness or the value. Also in romanticism appears frequently in several novels, suicide as the only escape and relief to their hardships and heartbreak.

Expression of personal feelings. Romantic literature had the peculiarity that the authors expressed their personal feelings by implanting them in their works. This is more evident in poetic works, in which the different feelings of the author can be observed, be they of euphoria, joy, sadness, melancholy, etc.

Yearning for freedom. This current reflected in his literary works, a longing for freedom;

This can be observed in a large number of novels of this current, where it is exalt the values ​​of freedom, before absolute monarchies, as well as against oppression religious. They promote the libertarian feelings of oppressed peoples, extolling the folklore and traditions of populations that had lived in oppression because of absolutism or for more peoples. strong, who dominated small nations for a long time, reaching the extreme case that some writers carried out actions of another nature in addition to literature, in support of peoples oppressed. That was the case with Lord Byron and his entry into the war for the liberation of Greece oppressed by the Turks. Political causes like this were a source of inspiration for several novels by authors belonging to this current, and in the same way supported the nascent German, Italian and Polish nationalisms, against the oppressive empires of those nations, or in favor of their unification politics.

Fascination for the exotic. A good part of the literary works of this trend, especially novels, chronicles and stories, have a high degree of exoticism; This fascination for the exotic has its origin in the desire to know the world, which is a consequence of the illustration, when the existence and details are made known of places hitherto unknown to the general public, becoming in the literature of this current, a recurring theme, with which they called the attention of his audience, for example locating the plots of his stories in settings such as eastern countries, (China, India, Japan, Egypt ...), as well as in jungle settings, desert, mountains, cemeteries, distant or stormy seas, ancient ruins, or locating their stories in times and places past or in fantastic countries.

Several of the authors who wrote during the heyday of this movement are among the most influential literati in world literature.

Writers such as: Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, Friedrich Schiller, Victor Hugo, Edgar Allan Poe, George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron of Byron (Lord Byron) and Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer.