Romanticism
The romanticism movement was different from the ways of neoclassicism which focused on facts and facts alone. Romantics placed strong emphasis on the mysteries of nature and the supernatural, imagination, and the history or tradition of the new nation. This style of writing appealed to emotion more than reason. When romantic writers looked for truth, they found it through nature. "Romanticism resulting in part from the libertarian and egalitarian ideals of the French Revolution, had in common only a revolt against the prescribed rules of classicism. The basic aims of romanticism were a return to nature and to belief in the goodness of humanity; the rediscovery of the artist as a supremely individual creator; the development of nationalistic pride; and the exaltation of the senses and emotions over reason and intellect. In addition, romanticism was a philosophical revolt against rationalism"(Encyclopedia). "In literary works romanticism emphasizes on the imagination and the emotions and their freely individualized expression, especially in English literature by sensibility and the use of autobiographical material or an introspective cast, an exaltation of the primitive, the common man, an appreciation and often a worship of exter
He died of a heart attack in 1859 on the eve of the American Civil War. Rip Van Winkle, symbolic of what the English thought of Americans, was highly thought of throughout the village by everyone except his wife. The Revolutionary War that gave it birth and the Civil War that tore it in two. This book gave him the title of "Father of American Literature. The people of the village were symbolic of American society before and after the Revolutionary War, before being when Rip Van Winkle was young and after being when he returned as an old man. "Irving was disgusted by the monarchical governments of Europe and loved being knowledgeable of behind-the-scenes political maneuvering"(Bowden). The mysterious man leads Rip to an amphitheater like place where a group of men are playing a game similar to bowling. Literature started to focus on more serious things like religion and politics. Dame Van Winkle, symbolic of the Englishmen, was always after Rip Van Winkle about doing things around the homestead. These men have been thought of by some as pixies or fairies of some sort but others agree that they are the ghosts of captain Hendrick Hudson and crew. "Americans identified with Rip as counterhero, an anti-Franklinian who made a success of failure, and successive generations have responded profoundly to Irving's pervasive theme of mutability, especially as localized in his portrayal of the bewildering and destructive rapidity of change in American life"(American Literature, 448). "During the war of 1812 Irving was editor of the "Analectic Magazine", which he filled mainly with essays from British periodicals but in which he printed his own timely series of patriotic biographical sketches of American naval heroes"(American Literature, 446). These men are undoubtingly supernatural beings who are used by Irving to further alienate Rip from the rigors of life. In the story "Rip Van Winkle," Irving uses every aspect of the romantic movement.
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Acceptance Essays
