The Romantic Era“the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings”

-W. Wordsworth

Revolt against Neoclassicism

• Romantic writers rebelled against:– the neoclassic ideas of the 18th century. – reason, form, and order.– tightly controlled poetry in the classical mold– Maintained traditions– Controlled emotion– Focusing on adult concerns (ruling class)

Background

• Late 18th century to early 19th century

• Romantic movement influenced the social and political landscape of Europe and found its way to America.

• Romantics rejected science and reason

• Romantics embraced nature, emotion, mythology, and individual experience

• The Power of Imagination was a major strength of the Romantics

Isn’t Romanticism the same thing as Transcendentalism?

Isn’t Romanticism the same thing as Transcendentalism?

William Cullen Bryant1794-1878

• Politically radical as a youth.

• Father was a Federalist• Best known for writing,

“The Embargo.”-A savage attack on Thomas Jefferson

Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. 1809-1894

• Was an American physician professor, lecturer, and author.

• Regarded by his peers as one of the best writers of the 19th century, he is considered a member of the Fireside Poets.

• His son was an American jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1902 to 1932

Edgar Allan Poe1809-1849

• Best known for his tales of mystery.• Poe was one of the earliest

American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective-fiction genre.

• He was the first well-known American writer to try to earn a living through writing alone, resulting in a financially difficult life and career.

• Experiences death with several spouses in his live. Eventually married his 13 year old cousin in 1835

Key Terms to know

• Alliteration-The repetition of constant sounds at the beginning of words.

Angus Always ate Apples.

Go Give Glen Good Grapes.

Key Terms to know

• Hyperbole-A figure of speech which uses a deliberate exaggeration.

Ben was so hungry, he could eat a horse.

It was so loud at the concert that I couldn’t hear myself think.

Key Terms to know

• Onomatopoeia-Words whose sound imitates their suggested meaning.

BAM!! Todd hit a homerun.

Key Terms to know

• Stanza-One of the divisions of a poem, composed of two or more lines usually characterized by a common pattern of meter, rhyme, and number of lines.

Key Terms to know• Internal Rhyme-A rhyme

between words in the same line.

– Larry was very hairy

•Assonance-The close repetition of middle vowel sounds.

-Fleeting Feet Sweep by SleepingGeese.