Romanticism and its Evolution Today

Romanticism and philosophical orientation were prevalent attitudes in literature, art, music, and architecture from the late eighteenth century to the mid-nineteenth century, as well as in literary criticism and historical historiography of the time. “The classical elements that represent order, serenity, congruence, equilibrium, idealism, and reasonableness are in direct contrast of Romanticism” (Fussell). A key component of Romanticism was the importance placed on the individual, as well as the subjective, irrational, and creative aspects of human experience (Fussell). Overall, romanticism could be termed as a fantasy world, one that was so different from real life, yet was able to create admiration and allow people to imagine a world beyond the realms of what was available, albeit with different meaning and interpretations to different people, artists, literature, and other areas of life. Artists, poets, heroes, sculptors, protagonists in film, and other realms of life applied romanticism to create a parallel world. This essay argues that Romanticism has not changed from the 19th century emphasis on inspiration, individuality, primacy of the relationship between humans and their world, and subjectivity.

Romanticism has a number of distinct features, including the following: higher regard for the beauties of nature (Eliot); a preference for feelings over reason and the emotions over intellect (Lewis); a concentration on the inner life of people, including their emotions and mental capacities; a fascination with the genius, the hero, and the extraordinary character in general; a more in-depth look into the moods and personalities of people (Lawrence). Another key feature of romanticism, as noted by Fussell and Lawrence is the attitude regarding death and dying, a concept depicted as of no consequence to the protagonists and hero. “The hero and those he confronts are adept at antithetical reasonings” (Fussell). One notable issue is that romantic mortal attitude created a fantasy world where death was a force sealing social inequalities. Mortality and the process of death, from a protagonist point of view, in literature, film, poetry, and architecture, forced the individual to consider beyond the self and to think of the greater good.

Romanticism, from an English point of view in the 20th century depicted the intricate balance between life and loss. For example, in The Waste Land, Eliot discusses loss and the human concept of brokenness. Romanticism, in this case emerges where Eliot, in a number of occasions, alludes to World War I suggesting that the global conflict had a significant role to play in establishing emotional, social, and psychological collapse. The individuals that Eliot mentions, including Lil, a mother of five whose miserable marital life is a point of gossip in a London bar, all lead unsatisfying lives, and whose connections are devoid of intimacy and deeper significance. In another example of romanticism, Lawrence’s “The Rocking Horse Winner” creates a hero through the tale of a little child who aspires to alleviate his family’s money woes by properly forecasting the result of horseracing. He accomplishes this accomplishment by riding his miniature rocking horse for long till he attains clairvoyance. The hero, in this aspect, has special and unusual qualities that are beyond reason and logic, with a role to save a financial situation.

Currently, Romanticism is present in a wide range of movies, TV shows, literary works, entertainment, and various forms of art. Whether it is an emphasis on the everlasting forces of nature or how people feel when they see a certain medium, modern society is full of Romanticism in the literary sense. In the art world, Romanticism gave artists an innovative ability to engage with artwork. They could not only encapsulate the intensity of human consciousness, but they could also seize this humanity with the strength of multiple senses including form and color, which was a new perspective. Personal opinion dictates that Romanticism continues to be a movement that began and literature that stresses originality, individuality, and the centrality and importance of the person, even in the modern period.

In summary, the discussion shows that Romanticism still harbors the same aspects and features it did in the 19th century. The focus of artists in literature, film, short stories, poetry, and other artworks still have elements of Romanticism that focus on showing the world and the people from their interconnection, differences, balance, harmony, and the overall symmetry that these relationships create. Various authors discussed share this point of view, discussing the beauty of nature, death, mortality, human life, and how there is an intricate balance between these issues. overall, Romanticism is still alive and today focuses on emotions, intuition, and feelings.

Work Cited

Eliot, Thomas Stearns. The Waste Land 1922. Grolier Club, 1964.

Fussell, Paul. The Great War and modern memory. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc., 2000.

Lawrence, David Herbert. The rocking-horse winner. Dramatic Publishing, 1966.

Lewis, Wyndham. The Ideal Giant: The Code of a Herdsman; Cantelman’s Spring-mate. Shield and Spring, 1917.