Reflective Essay On American Romanticism

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During the height of the Industrial Revolution, passionate authors and poets published many pieces of literature that emphasizes the importance of nature. This era's literature reveals the reality of the identity of America, its people and culture. By closely studying American Romanticism through its novels, short stories, and poems, I learned that American culture is extremely abstract. It is always changing due to the fact that nothing ever stays the same, whether it be one’s location, perspective, knowledge, etc. Two assignments in my portfolio that provides evidence of my understanding are the American Romanticism Progress Check Revision and the Against Nature Essay Revision. These two assignments are about two different philosophical attitudes:
With my understanding of American Romanticism, transcendentalism and dark romantics, I have been more aware of my surroundings, the people I surround myself with, and just every little detail in my life. In this unit, I have to say the class discussions that we had were my favorite because it was interesting to hear what my classmates believe and what they stand for.
The ideals of American Romanticism emerge during the Industrial Revolution. It serves as a philosophical movement against the increasing amount of man-made objects and encourages the population to reconnect themselves with the natural world. Ralph Waldo Emerson’s ideas of transcendentalism align with the ideals of romanticism through his essays Nature and Self Reliance because he claims that in order for one to succeed, one must learn to appreciate nature and be original thinkers. Through his use of imagery, which is the description of visually appealing language and metaphor, which is a connection is made with an object that is often an abstract idea, he
Hester’s unmoving personality is made obvious when she refuses to reveal the man she had an affair with. Despite the townspeople’s cries, she “will not speak!” (71). Her defiance illustrates her traits that make her a romantic hero because she does not fall to society’s demands. As a result of being isolated from society, Hester experiences loneliness. But these setbacks only make her strong for she does not have to live in accordance to the strict Puritan ideals. Her actions and characteristics support Emerson’s ideas because he believes that being your own person while appreciating nature is crucial to maintain “the integrity of the mind” Even in today’s world, Hester Prynne would be treated as an outcast because the artificial nature of society to fit into a mold that is strict in its own

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