How Does Dark Romanticism Affect Society

From the light of Transcendentalism, which preached the beauty of nature and learning from its example, came about a genre of literature that seemed to twist all preconceptions of its predecessors; that is, Dark Romanticism (Ray, “Dark Romanticism: Nathaniel Hawthorne”). Authors like Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne thrived in this subgenre, exposing and exploring morality and a perverse hypocrisy rooted in Puritan influences in America (Ray, “Dark Romanticism: Nathaniel Hawthorne”). With this in mind, it is safe to say that Dark Romanticism was akin to a counter-movement for Transcendentalism, making strides to shock the public with harsh, unflattering truths about the reality of themselves and the world they inhabited. Whether they

In order to explore that with the same scrutiny as Dark Romanticism did to society, a look into the life and works of its two most prolific writers such as Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and how their contributions affected society is necessary. An auspicious start would be Edgar Allan Poe, whose writings and person being as much gothic as they are misunderstood There is a certain romantic quality to loss such as Poe experienced. By the time Poe was twenty-six, he had lost both parents, was estranged from his foster father, and without a career until his employment at The Southern Literary Messenger (Paddock et al., “Poe, Edgar Allan”; Kennedy 68). However, despite these circumstances, Poe was very much a product of his time. Andrew Jackson’s presidency provided the basis on how to “appeal to the masses”, and the “communication revolution” saw the rise of the publishing industry and a hunger for information (Kennedy 65-66). Poe’s awareness of this exists in a letter to Thomas W. White, proprietor of The Southern Literary Messenger, after complaints were made about Poe’s Berenice (Kennedy 68-69). In the letter, Poe dismissed complaints about the gruesome nature of