Dark Romanticism

Dark Romanticism

1. Transcendentalism was the protest against the state of culture and society. The Transcendental philosophical movement did not only begin the shift towards individual intuition, but also gave lead to the establishment of the subgenre- dark romanticism.

   • Writers of the Transcendental period focused on the optimistic aspects of life, such as the concept of perfection as an innate quality.
     • Where Transcendentalism advocates social reform, dark romanticism emphasizes the failed attempts of individuals attempting to change.

2. Contrary to Transcendental writing, dark romanticism highlights the faults of human life, pessimistically illustrating the natural sin and suffering of individuals.

   • Dark romanticism also led to the creation of symbols for evil, such as devils, ghosts, vampires, and ghouls.

3. Dark romanticism was heavily influenced by gothic fiction, in which terror, the supernatural, and overall macabre but was unfortunately "melodramatic" and predictable. Dark writing took the terror and implemented more complex plots.

   • Notable authors: Edgar Allen Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Herman Melville.
     • Edgar Allen Poe focuses on the perverseness of humans, Melville emphasized triumph of evil over good, and Hawthorne wrote anti-transcendental works.

4. Legacy: Dark romanticism led to the creations of the evil characters we've come to love in the film industry, such as vampires, and also led to the creation of graphic novels.