American Romanticism

By James Holan

American Romanticism is a poetry movement starting in roughly the turn of the 19th century and ending in about 1860. American Romanticism which ran from 1798 with the publication of Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge to 1832 when the first reform Bill of England was Passed. The American Romantic period focused on the individual over the whole with the use of symbols, myths, and fantastic elements. There are many poems, short stories and novels that are written in the this particular time period in American, which we studied this semester. Three of these poems exemplify these qualities more than the others. The first is written by James Fenimore Cooper who is considered the first American Romantic , "The Pioneers," the second is by Nathanial Hawthrone "Rappacinni's Daughter" and the last is "The May-Pole of Merry Mount," which is also by Natanial Hawthrone. James Cooper's "The Pioneers" is the first example of Romanticism in America. It processes many different qualities of Romanticism, although it is not as well exemplified as it was in Coopers greater work "The Last of the Mohekins." Both of these hold the same major element, however.

They both present the idea that nature is the most powerful aspect of society. Cooper stresses the fact that the life of one in the country side is fair superior to that of one that is in the city. We see this in the way that Hawthrone describes the nation before the Europeans came, he says it "was occupied by two great tribes, from whom had descended numberless tribes" (Hawthrone, 88). This shows that Hawthrone was preoccupied with the Romantic idea that the city was the worst possible place to be. In Nathanial Hawthrone's first work, "Rappancinni's Daughter" he shows his Romantic nature through his own supernatural elements. First he gives the reader a setting that is very fantastic. The element of the garden that Rappancinni cultivates are all very fantastic from the poisonous plants to the over grown vegetation.

The main character Beatrice is also an example of a Romantic character. Just as is typical of most Romantic works Beatrice, the main character, is a trapped individual, she is unable to gain any sense of freedom because of her over-controlling father. She is also given a very amazing quality and a somewhat fantastic element, much like the garden, " a rich and youthful voice from the window of the opposite house; a voice as rich as a tropical sunset, and which made Giovanni, though he knew not why, think of deep hues of purple or crimson, and of perfumes heavily delectable" (Hawthrone, 2).

This leaves enough evidence to show that it is a great example of an American Romantic short story. In Nathanial Hawthrone's second work "The May-Pole of Merry Mount," American romanticism is very predominant as well. "The May-Pole of Merry Mount," deals with extremely strong emotions, it is very imaginative, and it deals with a high amount of natural symbols such as flowers, trees, and animals. This imagery is apparent in the very opening of the story when the reader is introduced to the may pole where Edith and Edgar marry. The scene is described beautifully, "They who reared it, should their banner be triumphant, were to pour sunshine over New England's rugged hills, and scatter flower seeds throughout the soil" (Hawthrone, 1).

The extreme emotion that is felt is between the two young people who are marring, Edgar and Edith as well as the people who are celebrating dancing around the may pole at their wedding. All of these written works have the American Romantic movement in common. They process the ideas and the ideals of the Romantic authors. First they have a love of the country over that of the city. Second, these works seem to focus on the fantastic or at least display very fantastical elements. The third and the last is that they show the nature imagery that is popular in the Romantic movement. These three share the beauty of the Romantic movement, its ideals and philosophy.

Copyright (c) 2010 James Holan

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