Dark Romanticism

Dark Romanticism

1. A literary subgenre that emerged from the Transcendetal philosophical movement popular in 19th century America

   • Began as a movement against the general state of culture and society
   • among there core beliefs was an ideal spirtual state; only realizied through the individuals intuition, rather than through the doctrines of religions
   • Transcendentalisim influenced this period, but are not completely centered around it because they are darker about nature and mankind

2. Origin

   • The term comes from the pessimistic nature and the influence it derives from the earlier Romantic movement
   • Its birth was mid 19 century as a reaction to the transcendentalism movement
     • This movement originated in New England
       • Popular 1836-1840
         • Influenenced areas of American Literature; writers growing up in this error were effected
         • Some including Poe found these their beliefs too optimitic and modified them for their own liking.
           • The compromise was dark romanticism

3. Characterisitcs

   • These people are much less confident about the notion perfecttion is an innate quality of people, as believed by Transcendentalists
     • They present individuals more prone to sin and not inherently possessing divinty and wisdom
     • They adapted images of anthropomorphizied evil
       • Satan, Devil, Ghost, vampires
   • While both groups believe nature is a deeply spitual force, DR view it in a more sinister light
     • The world is dark decaying and mysterious
     • Lastly, while Transcendentalists advocate social reform when appropriate, works of DR shows that indiviudlas ususlly fail at their sttempts to make changes for the better

4. Relation to Gothic Fiction

   • Gothihc Fiction aims to inspire terror, through accounts of the macabre and the supernatural, haunted structures and the search for identity
     • Gothic Fiction is more abouut sheet terror

5. Edgar Allan Poe

   • poe disliked Transcendentalism
     • Frogponsiands
       • his most common theme includes death, including its physical signs, the effets of decomposition, concerns of premature burial, and the reanimation of the dead and mourning.

6. Herman Melville

   • travel books
     • evil mystery and madness
       • metaphysical and physchological questions

7. Nathaniel Hawthrone

   • closest ties to the T movement
     • became troubled by the movement