Emphasis on Emotion and Subjectivity: Romanticism celebrated individual feelings, intuition, and imagination over reason and logic. This led to a focus on personal experiences, emotional expression, and the exploration of the inner world.
Awe of Nature: Nature was seen as a source of inspiration, beauty, and spiritual power. Romantic writers and artists sought to capture the sublime and awe-inspiring aspects of the natural world.
Individualism and Rebellion: Romantics celebrated the individual and their unique qualities, often rebelling against societal norms and conventions. They championed self-expression, freedom, and the pursuit of personal fulfillment.
Idealism and Optimism: Despite their darker themes, Romantics often held an idealistic belief in human potential and the power of love, beauty, and imagination to overcome adversity.
Emphasis on the Past: Romantics looked to the past for inspiration, particularly the Middle Ages, which they saw as a time of chivalry, heroism, and spiritual fervor.
The Gothic and the Macabre: The Romantic period saw a fascination with the dark, mysterious, and supernatural, which gave rise to the Gothic literary movement.
Exoticism and the Orient: The Romantic period saw a growing interest in foreign cultures, particularly those of the East, which were seen as exotic and mysterious.
Emphasis on the "Common Man": Romantics celebrated the lives and struggles of ordinary people, often highlighting their virtues and resilience.
The Power of Language: Romantics saw language as a powerful tool for expressing emotions, shaping perceptions, and creating new realities.
The Importance of Art: Romantics believed that art had the power to transcend the limitations of the material world and connect us to a higher spiritual realm.
Key figures: Some key figures of the Romantic period include William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Lord Byron, Mary Shelley, Jane Austen, and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
Overall, the mood of the Romantic period can be described as intense, passionate, and emotionally charged, reflecting a shift from Enlightenment rationalism towards a celebration of the human spirit and the power of imagination.