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Historical context american romanticism
Historical context american romanticism
Historical context american romanticism
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Leonora Lillie
Mrs. Carman
AP Lang
2 December 2016
William Cullen Bryant’s Beliefs Edgar Allan Poe once wrote, “Mr. Bryant’s poetical reputation, both at home and abroad, is greater, we presume, than that of any other American”(“Bryant” 161). As a child, the beautiful scenery of Massachusetts surrounded William Cullen Bryant, fueling his fascination of nature. Living through the transition between the Puritan era and the Romantic era, Bryant developed beliefs from both ends of the spectrum. Praying to become a poet who would withstand the test of time as a child, Bryant’s poetry center around one passion: his “intense love of natural beauty”(“William Cullen Bryant” 2). Bryant’s poems explore the realms of nature to establish his Romantic,
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Because Bryant deeply relates to nature, not all his beliefs needs to match the popular opinion because “the ground of the moral sentiment lay not in man but in Nature—Nature apart from man. In the end, poems about Nature are lessons learned, not experiences lived through,”(Pearce, “American Renaissance (2): The Poet and the People” 189). Bryant remains loyal to nature, giving him the ability to detach himself from the accepted belief and produce his own. Although anti-slavery, where the war leads to abolition, and pro-Lincoln, who strongly supported the war, Bryant’s pro-unity instinct exceeded both, As a result, he became anti-abolitionist, believing they were worsening the tear between the North and the South. Through the build-up of differences, mainly slavery, and “soon [the peace] will tire thy childish eye; / Fair as it is, thou wilst throw it away,” so the United States plunged head-first into war(Bryant, “Innocent Child And Snow White Flower” 12-13). The North and the South grew weary of disagreeing and willingly exchanged peace for winning. Bryant’s beliefs, unwavered, stood proud as both sides grew weary of their losses: “Alas! they all are in their graves, the gentle race of flowers / Are lying in their lowly beds, with the fair and good of ours,”(Bryant, “The Death of the Flowers” 9-10). Although Bryant opposed the Civil War, …show more content…
Bryant is anti-Civil War and pro-unity but pro-Lincoln. Bryant sent many opinionated letters to Lincoln, which were greatly appreciated by the President, but Bryant spoke out against the Civil War, which Lincoln supported. Although Bryant is anti-slavery, the abolitionists were tearing the United States apart, so he is anti-abolitionist. However, he is also anti-abolitionist persecution because freedom of speech is very important to him. His father is a physician, and Bryant started out as a lawyer but decided to pursue his literary desires. His mother is a Puritan, but Bryant is a Calvinist. Although Calvinist, Bryant has opposing view regarding death. Instead of believing in condemnation to hell, he believes in “[mixing] forever with the elements” and with no trace of humanity: achieving perfection(Bryant, Thanatopsis” 27). His strong individualism causes isolation at times and while he is “lone wandering, but not lost,” trying to solidify his opinions: While flow the heavens with the last steps of day, / Far, through rosy depths, dost thou pursue / Thy solitary way?”(Bryant, “To a Waterfowl” 2-4). Bryant’s sturdy, individualistic beliefs determines why he was separated from other Romantic
When thinking about nature, Hans Christian Andersen wrote, “Just living is not enough... one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.” John Muir and William Wordsworth both expressed through their writings that nature brought them great joy and satisfaction, as it did Andersen. Each author’s text conveyed very similar messages and represented similar experiences but, the writing style and wording used were significantly different. Wordsworth and Muir express their positive and emotional relationships with nature using diction and imagery.
The fight against slavery was not one without struggles and one that was easily won. American abolitionists used various political tools available to them to combat the issues associated with. From religion to the Constitution and Declaration of Independence those fighting against slavery, fought hard to show the injustices and immorality of slavery. This essay will take a look at various writings from abolitionists to determine their way of thinking and the tactics they used to oppose and fight to end slavery.
Benjamin Banneker, Frederick Douglass and David Walker each had different styles and methods in ways of abolishing slavery; which further encouraged others to join in and fight for freedom and the abolishment of slavery. For instance, Benjamin Banneker, a freeborn child who was an intelligent and gifted mathematician and scientist wrote a letter to Thomas Jefferson, with parts of his manuscript from his almanac which states how he feels about the meaning of slavery and how he believes his brethren’s should be set free. Banneker speaks of religion in his manuscript and how there is only one Father of the entire universe. How this universal Father
The poem “Thanatopsis” by William Cullen Bryant reveals a very unusual aspect of nature. While most people think of nature as beauty and full of life, Bryant takes a more interesting approach to nature. He exposes a correlation between nature, life, death, and re-birth. Using nature as a foothold, Bryant exercises methods such as tone, setting, and imagery in a very intriguing way while writing “Thanatopsis.”
As a writer, Bryant is an example of an early American poet who focused on understanding oneself through nature. Bryant’s poem “Thanatopsis” is an example of how nature is viewed during the early nineteenth century. The poem speaks about how once we die we mix back into the earth, because we are all interconnected. The speaker argues that if the individual is aware everyone is connected through nature, then there is no reason to fear death. In lines 81-83 of “Thanatopsis”, the speaker says, “By an unfaltering trust, approach the grave, / Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch / About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams” (Bryant). The role of oneself in nature was a main theme and like Bryant, many writers were inspired by nature and found a sense of identity in
William C. Bryant unable to support himself as a poet, opened a law partnership in 1816 into the the 1820s as a lawyer. In 1821, he was wedded to Frances Fairchild and fathered two daughters. Within the same year, the reading of his poem, “The Ages,” on the progress of liberty at Harvard College, stimulated him to publish his “Poems” later that year. In addition to being a lawyer, he was also the editor of the New York Review and Atheneum Magazine in New York City. In the peak of his success, Bryant traveled within the country and abroad, writing essays on his experience traveling and also published a number of volumes of poetry between 1832 and 1876. The publication of his collected of his poems in 1876 placed a crown on his career. In 1878, Bryant died after giving...
William Cullen Bryant can very easily be linked to the Transcendentalists. Most of his themes in his writings are concerning the nature of life and the nature of nature. "The Yellow Violet" is an example of a poem about the nature of life. "The Prairies," on the other hand, is an example of the nature of nature. Though these two poems of Bryant's are both about the beautiful world of trees, flowers, and fields, they take on a different perspective of nature itself.
Poets such as Bryant have forever been trying to write their thoughts and feelings down on paper. They write their words like a painter lays their brush to a canvas. They express ideas that not only exemplify the beauty of life and nature, but also the darkest side of one’s life; death. This notion of death is what most people see as a sad ending to a life filled with beauty, though William Cullen Bryant does not see death in that way. In his poem “Thanatopsis” he offers an optimistic outlook on death. He views it as nothing more than the moment you become one with nature and venture through its beauty for all eternity. It is truly a work of art. This is shown by the use of his effective writing skills he uses skills such as, alliteration, similes and personification that make the poem come alive, just as a painter strives to make his art come alive. Also, this poem is art due to the deep thinking required to grasp its concept of death, you cannot read it just once you must read in between the lines and analyze what the poet is saying.
Romantics often emphasized the beauty, strangeness, and mystery of nature. Romantic writers expressed their intuition of nature that came from within. The key to this inner world was the imagination of the writer; this frequently reflected their expressions of their inner essence and their attitude towards various aspects of nature. It was these attitudes that marked each writer of the Romantic period as a unique being. These attitudes are greatly reflected in the poem “When I Heard the Learned Astronomer” by Walt Whitman.
Reisman, Rosemary M. C, and Robert L. Snyder. Romantic Poets. 4th ed. Ipswich, Mass: Salem
The Romantic period was an entirely unique era in American history that produced new life philosophies through the focus of nature and exploration resulting in the evolution of the American Dream. Consequently, some of the world’s greatest advancements in arts and literature were accomplished during this time period. Authors such as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, James Fennimore Cooper, and Oliver Wendell Holmes sparked the imagination of American audiences through newfound literature such as lyrical poetry, myths, legends, folklore, and the new American novel. Romantic age writers emphasized nature, especially in poetry, as an inspiration for imagination and emotion. The American Dream during the Romantic era was to lead a life of emotion and intuition over reasoning through exploration of the countryside and the recognition of natural beauty displayed by imaginative literature that reflected this American Dream.
The political, ideological, and economic climate of the late 18th and early 19th centuries was ideal for allowing the Romantic Revolution to take hold and flourish. It began primarily in England and France, but soon spread to much of Europe and to the United States. This essay will focus on the Romantic’s relationship with the natural world, their distaste for the Industrial Revolution, and how the Romantic poets valued imagination and emotional connections. The Romantics had a lasting impact on European and American society, political ideals, and the regard we hold for ideals and values such as nature and childhood. The Romantic’s ideas ran counter to much of the thinking of the intellectual community and to the values of industry and government of the time. By changing and challenging the minds of the masses to think differently they created a revolution in literature.
Bryant, when writing this poem, was only 17 years old, but that did not stop his amazing ability to shine through his work. Bryant’s similes are dynamic and powerful, not only because of the images that he uses, but also the simplicity in which he words them. Anyone can understand his flow from one image to another, making the figurative language commanding to the readers attention. Lines 77-81 demonstrates Bryant’s considerable range in depth, because he keeps his language simple and easy to understand. This allows more people to read and comprehend his poem, spending his purposes. “Thou go not, like the quarry-slave at night,/ scourged to his dungeon, but sustained and soothed/ by an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave,/ like one who wraps
In Charlotte Smith’s Elegiac Sonnets, Smith uses nature as a vehicle to express her complex emotions and yearning for a renewal of her spirit. Utilizing the immortal characteristics of spring and the tempestuous nature of the ocean, Smith creates a poetic world that is both a comfort and a hindrance to her tortured soul. Even while spring can provide her with temporary solace and the ocean is a friend in her sorrow, both parts of nature constantly remind her of something that she will never be able to accomplish: the renewal of her anguished spirit and complete happiness in life once more. Through three of her sonnets in this collection, Smith connects with the different parts of nature and displays her sensible temperament with her envy over nature’s ability to easily renew its beauty and vitality.
Many romanticists focused on the contemplation of the natural world, but few dared to journey down the road of the unexplainable into the supernatural realms. Only one man, Edgar Allen Poe, crossed the threshold between the real world and the dark and dreary habitat of his mind.