Romantic Characteristics of “Old Ironsides”
Romanticism was the shift from the incorporation of logic and deductive reasoning to placing faith in personal experiences, imagination, and feelings. Romanticism was the transformation of societal conformity to individualism and freedom. Romantic writers expressed their curiosities and interests in supernatural themes rather than concerning themselves with mundane and scientific elements. Poetry was especially revered during the Romantic period for its expression of a writer’s powerful feelings and individuality. One Romantic poet, who appealed to the characteristics of Romanticism, was Oliver Wendell Holmes. He demonstrated characteristics of American Romanticism in his poem “Old Ironsides.”
One characteristic that was displayed in the poem was the inclusion of nature. Nature was often used during the Romantic period as a way to fully express oneself. Nature, as being an aspect of natural occurrence without any influence of control, helped Holmes describe and portray the power of the American ship, Old Ironsides. The ship, which was most likely engaged in warfare, exemplified dominance and power in the poem when “her thunders shook the mighty deep” (19). This ship was also described as a “meteor of the ocean air” for its incredible speed
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and ability to annihilate anything that stood in its way. Not only did Holmes use nature, but also integrated emotion to evoke the significance of Old Ironsides.
Holmes used vivid descriptions and imagery to symbolize the vessel’s strength: “Beneath it rung the battle shout,/ And burst the cannon’s roar” (5-6). Despite the glory of Old Ironsides after having overthrown “the vanquished foe” (10), it was left to “sink beneath the wave” (18) and had to prepare for its obliteration by its demolishers. After enduring through all hardships, Old Ironsides was, unfortunately, torn away from its “tattered ensign” (1). Holmes appealed to emotion in order for the readers to understand the sadness and grief after the event of the wrecked American
ship. Furthermore, the elements of individual freedom, nationalism, and the supernatural were also revealed in Holmes’s poem. These characteristics served as the purpose of portraying the destroyer and the victim in relation to Old Ironsides. To begin with, the ship was a representation of America’s freedom, which was seen in “[that] banner in the sky” (4). The flag not only symbolized independence, but nationalism as well, which was a portrayal of a Romantic writer’s expression of their devotion to their country. Holmes’s use of phrases, such as “[the] eagle of the sea” (16), revealed the ship’s representation of America and liberty. However, its independence was soon shattered at the expense of the destroyers. These men were responsible for tearing down the sacred flag that has long been sailing high above. Holmes described those men as “[the] harpies of the shore” (15) that removed the ship’s freedom at sea. Harpies are mythological creatures of the Greek religion that are described to be evil monsters. Holmes used an exotic creature to depict to wickedness of the men, who deprived Old Ironsides of its independence.
The speaker characterizes the Titanic as a “creature of cleaving wing” (17) in reference to its supposed inability to be sunken. The diction of “cleaving” (17) suggests that the speaker, at the time of the Titanic’s building, believes the Titanic to be able to sever through all obstacles. However, she immediately juxtaposes it with that “Immanent Will that stirs and urges everything” which “prepared a sinister mate” (18-19). By enjambing the two lines, the speaker foreshadows the surprise of the disaster. The “sinister mate” (19) alludes to the iceberg, while the “Immanent Will” (18) alludes to nature. The diction of calling nature the “Immanent Will” implies the speaker’s reverence and nature’s power. The speaker capitalizes the W and I since the “Immanent Will” is a specific entity, and also because the speaker realizes the power of nature. An immanent will suggests nature to be like an inherent testament, which cannot be overpowered or controlled. While the speaker will characterize the ship as “smart” (22) and growing in “stature, grace, and hue” (23), the speaker never capitalizes the word “ship” or any of the references to the ship. The speaker respects the Titanic by using words with positive connotations; ironically, she shows her greater reverence towards the “Iceberg” (24)
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The Beauty of the Nautilus as chronicled by Holmes is what makes this work one of the best nature poems of the 19th century, but only through deeper analysis of
The Dream of American Romanticism The Romantic Movement seized America from 1800 to 1860. A romantic is the name given to those who value feeling and intuition over reason (Arpin 162). During this time period, Americans were migrating westward to explore the land of America. Moving towards the countryside, they pursued beauty and tried evading their daily troubles. Romantics argued that art rather than science could best express universal truth (The Romantic Period, 1820-1860: Essayists and Poets). The romantics took a less rational approach with their beliefs. Rationalists and romantics had a very different look on cities. Rationalists looked at them as a place for success. Romantics ran from these cities viewing them as a place of poverty and death. During this time Americans felt a sense of freedom from English rule. Frontier promised opportunity for expansion, growth, freedom; Europe lacked this element (American Romanticism Overview). Americans felt the need to explore science and the land of North America. This movement brought literature of fireside poetry to the American Hero. Over the course of the American Romantic Period, focusing on emotions, changed the way Americans comprehended upward mobility in the American dream, which in turn changed the way authors wrote and lived their lives. The numerous characteristics of the romantic period helped shape the era. Romantics obsessed over the idea of individuality. They felt the need to have self-expression. They felt that they could do anything with self-reliance. “One could live without fear not because it was possible to control events but because it was possible to achieve self-control” (Cullen 71). Henry David Thoreau expressed himself by getting away from everybody and ...
The Romantic period has many beginnings and takes different forms; so that in a celebrated essay, On the Discrimination of Romanticism (1924), A.O. Lovejoy argued that the word “Romantic” should no longer be used, since it has come to mean so many things that by itself, it means nothing. On the derivation of the word “Romanticism” we have definite and commonly accepted information which helps us to understand its meaning. Critics and literary historians differ widely and sometimes as violently, about the answer then have differed about love truth and other concepts. Romanticism is concerned with all these concepts and with others with equal importance. It is an attitude toward life and experience older than religion, as permanent as love, and as many-sided as truth. (Watson, J.R. English Poetry of the Romantic Period, Longman Inc. New York)
Romantics believed in freedom and spontaneous creativity rather than order and imitation, they believed people should think for themselves instead of being bound to the fixed set of beliefs of the Enlightenment. Romanticism and Love Of all the emotions celebrated by the Romantics, the most popular was love. However, Romanticism should not be confused with romantic love in the sense of candle lit dinners and receiving love notes, flowers and boxes of candy. Instead, it was about a love for nature and beauty, and a sense of all human beings having a connection, empathy was heightened for others in which they brought on feeling the pains of other people in the world. To the Romantics love, which invokes compassion, was a natural God-given right.