Cemetery In The Snow Romanticism

Romanticism was a huge movement in the late nineteenth century. It had effects on both art and literature. It also took a toll on the way buildings were structured and designed. Romanticism is defined as “a cultural ideology during the first half of the nineteenth century stressing feeling over reason” (Sherman and Salisbury, G-10). Lord Byron wrote a poem called “On This Day I Complete My Thirty-sixth Year.” Caspar David Friedrich produced a painting called “Cemetery in the Snow.” Both of these works demonstrate Romanticism. They also relate to Nationalism and Conservatism and the role it played in Romanticism. One theme that the two of these works have in common is the fact that they are both primarily focused on death. Byron is talking about ending his life. He states “If thou regrett’st thy youth, why live? The land of honourable death is here: - up to the field, and give away thy breath!” (Brophy 534). He is literally trying to convince people to end their lives. He does this because he is trying to motivate the Greeks to fight for their country. Byron is saying if the people of Greece don’t rise up and awaken their beloved country, then why should they continue to waste their breath.

The death is all around the painting. For example, he painted dead trees and multiple graves. It looks as though he portrayed a funeral, which can be seen by the people walking into the church. Architecture was influenced heavily by Romanticism. Architects tended to drift back to using gothic styles in their buildings. This style is often referred to as neo-gothic. This is evident in Friedrich’s painting. The church in the background has the qualities of gothic architecture. One characteristic is the pointed arches. In the back of the church, there are pointed arches. Since it looks as if the church has been neglected, the people are also using one of the pointed arches as a doorway to the