American Romanticism Flashcards
background and context, "Leaves of Grass", "When I Heard the learn'd Astronomer", "Some Keep the Sabbath"
How does Transcendentalism differ from Puritanism? What are its priorities?
- importance of God AND individual
–> connection to others
–> nature also important (understand God and yourself through nature)
IN DETAIL:
Puritans believed in individualism by reading the bible for themselves, American Transcendentalism believe in the importance of its individual aspect, but also in non-conformity (you have to re-read/read with fresh eyes and come up with your own writing, writing style -> and not simply conform to what has come before).
Puritans gave a lot of emphasis on reading the bible in particular -> Bible was the key to understanding God and his message. Transcendentalists still think that they are connected to a higher being/God, but also that a good way of being in touch with God and finding out about yourself, who you are and the world itself at the same time rather is: venturing into the woods, going away from society, reading and writing your own things as well as reading the book of nature
(how they called this illuminated connection to nature).
-> Puritans had their emphasis on the bible, transcendentalists on nature and their own preferred texts
Puritans believed in God in the biblical sense, transcendentalists rather think of a higher being in general.
Transcendentalists emphasized the connection between themselves, other people, nature and God.
Romanticists/Transcendentalists denied the Puritan‘s idea that there is one absolute truth. -> Instead: Many truths. If you go to nature and thereby connect with God, you can find your own truth. -> Reality is a subjective Projection (subjective truth/your truth derives from your emotions, your heart).
What did Walt Whitman embrace in his writing?
A few qualities of Romanticism:
* glorification of nature
* elevation of the common man
* the supernatural
* Nationalism
Leaves of Grass is Whitman‘s seminal work, how does the title convey Transcendentalist ideas?
- leaves of grass: interconnection between singularity and commonality -> number of leaves in their simplicity, yet they ended up together -> individuality in connection with other parts (= other human beings)
- theme of nature (as Transcendentalists focus on nature)
- grass is simple, not symbolic with a fancy meaning (like flowers for example)-> Simplicity
Whitman is considered the father of free verse, why do you think he chose to write in such a style?
- aligned with philosophical beliefs, artistic vision and democratic ideals
AI:
Free verse allowed him to mimic natural speech, break from European traditions, and create a uniquely American poetic voice. It suited his themes of boundlessness and interconnectedness
What argument can you make about the structural units of the poem “When I Heard the Learn‘d Astronomer”?
Anaphoras in the first stanza (“When I heard”, “When the proofs”, “When I was shown”, “When I sitting heard”) -> Shows the continuous, boring repetition of everything.
Also: Lines of the first stanza are longer than of the second -> Tiredness: Keeps going on, doesn‘t come to an end.
-> first stanza represents the boredom and lacking variety of thought in the establishment‘s form of learning about the world -> The second stanza doesn‘t have anaphoras or long lines anymore: It stops being boring, cause the lyrical I gets to go out into nature to learn about the world in his own, subjective way
What is the binary opposition in the poem “When I Heard the Learn‘d Astronomer”? To what schools of thought can you relate them to?
Science vs. nature / confinement vs freedom
Non-conformity: Puritans’ objective truth and way of learning and simply repeating what came before vs Transcendentalist/Romanticist concept of subjective truth and doing new things.
Also: Self-reliance: The lyrical I is on his own when he ventures into nature.
What Transcendentalist ideas can you identify in “When I Heard the Learn‘d Astronomer”?
- Individualism: Choice to leave lecture hall and go into nature
- Rejection of materialism: Spiritual and metaphysical more important
Into how many parts can the poem “When I Heard the Learn‘d Astronomer” be broken up? How do the parts differ from each other?
- Into two Stanzas: One is about the objective truth of the establishment that is being taught in their own, boring way, and the other one is about the lyrical I venturing into nature to thereby find his own, subjective truth and understanding of the world.
What oppositions are found in the poem “Some keep the Sabbath” by Emily Dickinson?
- individual vs. institutional
- nature vs. organised religion
- personal spirituality vs. societal expectations
IN DETAIL
The poem‘s first two stanzas talk about a manmade dome the people are going into, whereas the lyrical I is in a “natural dome”, consisting of a Bobolink as the chorister and an orchard as a dome. And instead of the tolling of the manmade dome‘s bell, the Sexton sings.
What do the oppositions in “Some keep the Sabbath” reflect?
- she has heaven on Earth
- nature is her church
IN DETAIL
Transcendentalist idea: the lyrical I has her very own, personal connection to god by venturing into nature and “reading the book of nature” (this is her version of church, her way of connection to God)
How do you read the last two lines of the poem “Some keep the Sabbath”?
- she has found spiritual fulfillment in nature
–> her heaven is here already - she finds divinity in her everyday life
IN DETAIL
“So instead of getting to Heaven, at last - I‘m going, all along” -> “At last” + shift in the tense: Something continuous/ongoing is happening -> the ones going to church have the goal of going to heaven in the future through what they‘re doing, the lyrical I already is in heaven as we speak (her own/self-made heaven on earth)
What Transcendentalist/Romantic values can you find in the poem “Some keep the Sabbath”?
- nature as source of spirituality
- individualism and self-reliance
- rejection of organised religion/church
-Non-conformity
-Self-reliance
-Importance of the individual
-Importance/celebration of Nature
AI:
Nature as Sacred: The poem equates nature with a place of worship, aligning with Romantic reverence for the natural world.
Individual Spirituality: Dickinson values personal, direct connection with the divine over organised religion, a key Transcendentalist ideal.
Simplicity: The focus on simple, natural rituals reflects Romantic ideals of rejecting societal constructs for authentic experiences.
Is nature presented as an alternative or a replacement for church in the poem “Some keep the Sabbath”?
as replacement -> provides all necessary elements in a more immediate, authentic, fulfilling way
