Category: Middle Ages

The ages of Neoclassicism and Romanticism brought completely opposing aspects of life, ideas, and lifestyles to our world through the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century.

When trying to understand the two time periods, it is easier to acknowledge and comprehend the differences by thinking of Neoclassicism as a linear style, and Romanticism as a painterly style. Along with choosing these words to describe the lifestyle of the time periods, ironically, these are the art forms that these artists actually chose to paint in. First, let’s discuss the two words; linear and painterly. If you were to ask any paint artist about these two terms, they would explain linear as having the form of a line and made in a step-by-step logical manner. Next, they would tell you that painterly is the characteristic of the painting and seeing the “paint” for what its true color and structure is. When comparing this to society’s way of life, Neoclassicism followed a more linear and logical way of life. Just like the linear painting style, neoclassicism followed more of a direct line with step-by-step processes. The neoclassical age followed intellect, instead of senses. This time period was focused on reason, extroversion, and social issues. Poets in this time period paid their attention and skill to traditional procedures and formal rules. To make this even easier to understand, this age adhered to anything that could be verified, was familiar to most and was commonsensical. Now, similar to a painterly art style, the Romanticism age focused on the true nature and emotion of the person. Unlike Neoclassicism, romanticism had a great interest in senses and sensuality. In this time period, society found personal visions and imagination of high importance. Romantics indulged in the celebration of life as it was and natural passions.

As much as I wish I could choose one lifestyle over the other, my opinion on which of these time periods I see myself living in must stay neutral. To differentiate between the two, I thought to myself “Head vs. the Heart”. In my life, I actively live as both a neoclassic and romantic. I live as a neoclassic by following strict order in my life, resulting in productivity and meeting my priorities. Living as a neoclassic gives me assurance because everything stems from knowledge and concepts that can be proven. I personally do not like the feeling of doubt, so living this lifestyle of Neoclassicism eliminates the doubt factor in my life. An example of how I live a neoclassic lifestyle is how strict my diet and my workout regimen are. I created myself a “health plan” based on scientific reasoning that has been proven to give me results. On the other hand, I see myself as a romantic due to my beliefs, interests, and ways of life. Ironically, I am an artist and most of my pieces are done in a painterly style. This leaves room for creativity and imagination. I find feelings very important and listening to them when making decisions is imperative. Just like romantics, I believe that expressing feelings and one’s imagination through art, literature, and music is such a beautiful gift. An example in my life of romanticism is shown through my song lyrics and unique drawings and paintings. The only time I draw or paint is for the simple purpose of expressing my feelings in a beautiful and visual manner.

Living as either a romantic or neoclassic can bring you many benefits and insights. To decide which time period you would relate to most, think to yourself, “should I listen to what’s in my head? Or feel what is in my heart”. I personally can see myself in both time periods, living a life of discipline while wearing my heart on my sleeve.

Romanticism was an artistic movement that introduced expression of emotions and new ideas through music, literature, nature, love, rebellion and religion. It is typified by emphasizing individualism and emotion in addition to the glorification of nature and of all the past. It prefers the old as opposed to the classical. Some experts believe that Romanticism ideas are associated with the Industrial Revolution and ideas of the government from the Age of Enlightenment. Over time, Romanticism has changed in meaning. During the 17th century, the term ‘romantic’ was an indication of the fictitious or imaginative, and this was in acknowledgment of the new literary genre of writing fiction through novels. Novels were written in romance languages, mostly through vernacular. This aspect relegated most prose fiction to the lower classes, women, and children (Curran 196). The use of vernacular denoted a sharp contrast to the religious texts, which were written using the Latin language. Romanticism in the 18th century was largely associated with science. This was also the Age of Enlightenment, where many things were interpreted through the scientific prism. In the 19th century, the term “Romantic” was used to emphasize personal emotions and lyricism. Works produced during this period were considered sentimental. Although not as popular as some of his colleagues, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow demonstrates the literary aspect of Romanticism in most of his published works, which detail his escapades with the woman of her dreams, who inspires nearly all his writing both in life and in her death.

Background

The specific definition and characterization of Romanticism have been debated for a long time in the literary history and intellectual history all through the 20th century. Despite the ongoing debate, there has been no official agreement. Some experts believe that Romanticism was the outcome effect from of the Age of Enlightenment. Others also believed that Romanticism is also associated with the occurrence of the French Revolution, 1789 (Day 1). Most individuals referred to as Romantics as being progressive in their thinking, although many are said to adopt conservative approaches and views. Similarly, in some countries, nationalism was largely associated with the concept of Romanticism.

The movement of Romanticism created a new outlook on life and heightened many new interests and ideas that were unknown before. This movement was applicable to different groups, such as individual movements, nations, and states. This movement is viewed as new creativity and expression of passion and knowledge through spirit and freedom. Occupations such the composer, the poet, the painter, has a common characteristic of being creative and inventing new material. They do not imitate but develop the objectives that they pursue. These objectives denote the self-expression of an artist in a vision, which is mostly unique and not a response to the demands of some judge of taste, family, friends, public opinion, state, or the church. Responding to certain demands would be considered a betrayal of the highest level of the one aspect that justifies their existence as creative geniuses that society so desperately needs.

Romantic Style in Literature

Romanticism is largely concerned with the individual as opposed to the whole society. The individual imagination and consciousness are highly regarded by Romantics. For romantic poets, melancholy was a buzzword, and altered perceptions were many times sought after for purposes of enhancing the creative potential of an individual. Coincidentally, there was a parallel downgrading of the power and significance of reason, which was a common characteristic reaction against the mode of thinking common during the Enlightenment era. Nonetheless, as the period moved forward, writers invested their time more and more in social causes. The Industrial Revolution also played a critical role in the development of the Romantic style. During this time, English society was experiencing a paradigm shift in nearly every aspect. The reaction of a majority of Romantics was to wish for a simpler and idealized past. More specifically, English poets during this time had a strong correlation with mythology and medievalism. In addition, romantic writing clearly sets itself apart, adopting a mystical quality that is uncommon in other literary periods.

Formally, Romanticism saw a continuous loosening of the traditional rules of artistic expression that guided the field of literature in the past. The 18th-century neoclassical era entailed the application of very strict expectations in regard to the content and structure of poetry. But at the start of the 19th century, artists started to experiment using new subjects and styles. Despite experiencing some level of resistance, the new Romantic style was largely accepted as the high-flown language used by poets from past generations was effectively replaced with more natural verbiage and cadences. In relation to the poetic structure, blank verses started to replace rhymed stanzas. The aim of blank verses was to enhance conversational speech and to uplift it to levels of ascetic beauty. Many people aligned to the classical style termed the new style as ordinary. Nevertheless, even with increasing criticism, the new romantic style became the preferred option. Romantic poets used fantastic and mythological settings to great effect. Country life was also a common theme in romantic poetry.

Application of Romantic Style in Longfellow’s Works

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is an American poet and one of the many artists who were active during the era of Romanticism. One of his renowned works, ‘A Psalm of Life,’ was originally published in ‘The Knickerbocker’ in 1838 (YuXia 551). This was a magazine based in New York City. ‘A Psalm of Life’ fell out of critical favor with literary analysts owing to its outdated mindset, straightforwardness, and simplicity that typified an ambitious and young American nation. The ‘Psalm’ is an emotional outpouring from the heart of a young individual seen to be experiencing a huge struggle following the demise of his wife in 1835. Whereas ordinarily psalms in the Old Testament are often laments or prayers to God, ‘A Psalm of Life’ appears to be addressed to another psalmist. In addition, the young individual referred to in the ‘Psalm’ is not requesting assistance from his interlocutor, but rather, he looks to himself. As such, ‘A Psalm of Life’ bears the hallmarks of a Romantic document where the hunt for salvation is executed within the realms of oneself.

‘A Psalm of Life’ also carries a Romantic theme that is seen in the manner through which the inner world of human nature has been explored in the poem. Longfellow contends that it is a common characteristic of human beings to develop and progress in life. He states this upon making a claim, ‘Life is real! Life is earnest! And the grave is not its goal; Dust thou art, to dust returnest, Was not spoken of the soul’ (Longfellow n.p). These lines contained in the second paragraph of the poem demonstrate the author’s idea that human life on earth is not meaningless, that people do not exist without purpose. Longfellow believed that every individual had a special purpose in the world, and the human soul lives eternally. This type of writing, where the author’s intuitions and thoughts are expressed freely, demonstrates the Romantic style of writing. Many Romantics have demonstrated freedom in the methods used to compose and express their work.

Longfellow’s ‘A Psalm of Life’ conveys his personal and introverted feelings after losing his wife, as well as the long trying relationship of his future second wife. In this poem, Longfellow demonstrates hope, fear, longing, love, sadness, and regret at the same time. The depression associated with his sorrows contributes to his somber and gloomy feeling. He regretfully states, ‘Life Is But an Empty Dream,’ given that his wish to be with his wife is not sustainable (Longfellow n.p). The loss of his wife impacts his perception, and he views life as something that has a purpose. Nonetheless, he acknowledges the fact that death is also part of life and part of being human, given that we are all mortals. He strongly believes that there is eternal life and sees death as only physical separation of the body, having strong beliefs in life after death, and in eternal sustenance of human souls. The approach used by the author is a common characteristic used by Romantic writers.

Although “A Psalm of Life” is arguably his most renowned works, Longfellow had a seemingly protracted career that spanned many years of the use of Romanticism. As aforementioned, Romanticism encouraged the expression of emotions and appreciation of nature. Longfellow finished his first major work in 1839. It was titled “Hyperion, A Romance.” Longfellow displayed numerous aspects of Romanticism in this works. The main protagonist in the story is called Paul Fleming. The character demonstrates his disappointment bitterly when his advances and marital proposal to a woman he was deeply in love with is turned down. In Hyperion: a romance, Longfellow states, “…the bough had broken under the burden of the unripe fruit,” indicating his protracted struggle to marry the woman of his dreams (8).

It appears that ‘Hyperion’ would serve as the autobiography channel for Longfellow since the woman was later recognized as Frances Appleton, a woman he was courting at the time of the publication. Despite the fact that the publication of Hyperion seemingly worked against Longfellow, given that she was not amused, Longfellow would court her for a period of seven more years after which she consented to marrying him. In spite of their unhopeful courtship, the two enjoyed a happy marriage. As time progressed, Longfellow became more popular, and during their marriage, he produced another popular love poem titled ‘The Evening Star’ in 1845. In it, Longfellow uses the Romantic literary style, again correlating nature with his humanly passionate feelings of love, referring to his wife as ‘My morning and my evening star of love!’ (Longfellow ‘The Evening Star’ 560).

Works Cited

1. Curran, Stuart. The Cambridge Companion to British Romanticism, 1993. Print.
2. Day, Aidan. Romanticism. Routledge, 2011.
3. Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. A psalm of life. EP Dutton, 1891.
4. Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. Hyperion: a romance. Vol. 1. No. 1. JW Lovell Company, 1883.
5. Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. ‘The evening star.’ Bentley’s Miscellany, 1837-1868, 7, 1840.
6. YuXia, Fan. ‘On the Aesthetic Value of A Psalm of Life.’ 2015 International Conference on Social Science and Technology Education. Atlantis Press, 2015.

Introduction:

The Renaissance and the Middle Ages were distinct periods in history, each characterized by its unique worldview and cultural values. This essay aims to compare and contrast the Renaissance worldview with that of the Middle Ages, shedding light on the significant shifts in intellectual, artistic, and societal perspectives that occurred during this transformative period.

Intellectual Perspective:

During the Middle Ages, the dominant worldview was shaped by the teachings of the Catholic Church and its emphasis on faith and religious authority. Scholasticism, with its focus on reconciling faith and reason, prevailed. In contrast, the Renaissance marked a resurgence of humanism, where the individual and the exploration of human potential took center stage. Humanists sought knowledge from classical texts, embracing the importance of reason, empirical observation, and the revival of ancient Greek and Roman philosophies.

Artistic Expression:

In the Middle Ages, art primarily served religious purposes and was characterized by a symbolic and abstract style. The focus was on the divine, with religious figures depicted in a hierarchical manner. In contrast, the Renaissance witnessed a revolution in artistic expression. Artists embraced naturalism, using perspective, anatomy, and light to create realistic representations of the human form and the natural world. The newfound emphasis on human anatomy, proportion, and individuality reflected a shift toward celebrating human achievements and beauty.

Scientific Inquiry:

The Renaissance fostered a spirit of scientific inquiry that contrasted with the prevailing worldview of the Middle Ages. While the Middle Ages relied heavily on the authority of the Church and theological explanations for natural phenomena, the Renaissance witnessed a resurgence of scientific exploration. Renaissance scholars, such as Copernicus and Galileo, challenged the geocentric view of the universe and proposed heliocentrism based on empirical evidence and mathematical calculations. This shift marked the beginning of the Scientific Revolution, highlighting the growing importance of observation, experimentation, and empirical evidence.

Perspective on the Individual:

The Middle Ages emphasized the concept of the divine order, with individuals occupying predetermined roles within society. The focus was on the collective, and the hierarchical structure of feudalism reinforced social stratification. In contrast, the Renaissance placed greater importance on the individual and human potential. The concept of humanism celebrated the achievements of individuals, emphasizing their capacity for intellectual, artistic, and personal growth. This shift led to the rise of the “Renaissance man” or “universal man,” who sought excellence in various disciplines and pursued a well-rounded education.

Secularism and Worldly Pleasures:

The Middle Ages revolved around religious devotion and the pursuit of spiritual salvation. Life on earth was considered a preparation for the afterlife. In contrast, the Renaissance embraced a more secular outlook, valuing worldly pleasures and the enjoyment of life. The pursuit of knowledge, beauty, and aesthetic pleasures became significant aspects of Renaissance culture. This shift marked a departure from the strict asceticism of the Middle Ages.

Conclusion:

The Renaissance and Middle Ages represent two distinct epochs with contrasting worldviews. The Renaissance brought about a paradigm shift, emphasizing humanism, intellectual curiosity, artistic realism, scientific inquiry, and the celebration of individual potential. The Middle Ages, on the other hand, were characterized by a strong influence of the Church, a focus on religious faith, and the subordination of the individual to the divine order. The Renaissance marked a transformative period in history, laying the foundation for the modern world with its emphasis on reason, human potential, and the pursuit of knowledge.

Romanticism, a literary theory or a movement or whatever name it can be called with very much familiar to a student of literature. Even before delving into the deep ocean of the Romantic realm of poetry he or she feels at one with this very word as soon as he or she hears it. In this regard, this book has elements that give insight into the idea or theory, or movement of Romanticism both for the beginners and professors/experts alike. Though Romanticism as a movement or literary trend emerged as something totally different which revolutionized western literature especially English poetry, this book does not deal with the Romantic trend in English poetry, rather it explores Romanticism in the realm of art, music, and philosophy, etc.

Michael Ferber divides the book into six chapters namely The meaning of the word, Sensibility, The poet, Religion, philosophy, and science, The social vision of Romanticism, and The arts.

To begin with, Michael Ferber asks what romanticism is, a question which he terms as a “difficult question” and feels tempted to answer “who are the Romantics” and he names the most prominent English & French Romantic poets. He also names other continental poets & philosophers. And then again Ferber asserts with confidence that merely knowing the names of the Romantics is not enough. The readers need to know the answer of the “harder question” i.e. what Romanticism is and what commonalities like ideas, beliefs, and commitments all these great men had inside them. As we know Romanticism is the celebration of individuality, so all the Romantics were unique in their beliefs, and tastes. So, before proceeding to investigate into these matters Ferber warns about generalization. And rightly throughout the book, he strives to show Romanticism from various angles, as Romanticism is, while striving to find commonalities.

Though Ferber writes the book for the undergrad students and general readers in mind In the first chapter, The meaning of the word, he tries to make the readers understand the underlying meaning of the word by navigating the works of intellectual historian A.O. Lovejoy, Emile Deschamps & Alfred de Musset. Though he seems very much studious in presenting the meaning of the word from works of the above-mentioned intellectuals, Ferber seems drifting away/unaware that this presentation of intellectual history/navigation might sway the readers from engaging more into the book. Ferber then hovers on the etymology of the word and tries to find its origin in different European languages. Then before attempting his own “effort at a definition” of Romanticism Ferber incorporates the ideas of Rene Wellek and Harold Bloom. As soon as he attempts at his own definition he opines that this “will join the long list of deflated definitional balloons someday”. Finally, at the end of the chapter, it seems that the readers are struck to find a meaning or definition of the word Romanticism as Ferber himself advises to keep in mind just “two referents of the term”.

He with his minute observation depicts how Romanticism took its flight by a kind of rebellion against both classicism and Enlightenment in the late 18th century and spread throughout Europe and the Americas. And then with a precise argument, Ferber proves how simplistic, too generalized and misleading it is to say that Romanticism was a direct reaction against Enlightenment. At this point, he successfully takes home the idea that “Romanticism was an episode within the larger movement of Sensibility” by dwelling on Wordsworth’s Lyrical Ballads and Blake’s Songs of Innocence. Ferber also informs the reader that though romanticism might be an episode of Enlightenment in a larger sense, it did not emerge from Enlightenment alone.

As Romanticism as a literary movement stormed especially in the realm of poetry, it is the third chapter namely The Poet where Ferber is at his best when he describes that the most prominent characteristic of Romanticism is that it glorifies a poet. Here, with his punching but easy-going wordsFerber asserts Romanticism’s image or self-image of the poet. In Romanticism’s view the poem composed by a poet expresses ideas through the punching words that are chimeric, and fantastic but are awe-inspiring which tantalizes the readers. And then the poet who is in communion with some higher spirit, with the transcendent illuminates the soul like Moses. Ferber goes on to say that Romanticism confers upon the poet the status of the prophet and while the poet is in communion with the transcendent the poet is illuminated or elevated to a state where his metamorphosis as a prophet takes place. Moreover, Ferber here, depicts an exact portrayal of a poet infused with the spirit of Romanticism. This is such a spirit that has made poets like Lamartine believe in the sublimity of language that makes a poet larger than he is in his spirit, arms the poet with spirituality in his communion with the ultimate superpower i.e. God and interprets both God and Nature to the common people. Besides, Ferber shows the readers how poets like Milton, Wordsworth, Keats in England, Lamartine in France, and Pushkin in Russia have attained the grandeur of being bards while celebrating the songs of the Nightingale or of the Lark or of the Cuckoo and at the same time depicts how these poets, in their flight to transcendent, draws the image of the eagle. Here, the eagle is, as Ferber says, genius whose “prey is the readers”. Then Ferber perfectly moves on to present the readers with a very common trait of the Romantic poets that most of them die quite young. And someone very easily comprehends how true Ferber is in his depiction of the sufferings of poets like Torquato Tasso. And then with his poignant choice of words Ferber portrays the form of banishment, exile or self-exile of the poets. He describes how poets like Pushkin, Lermontov, Adam Mickiewicz & Ugo Foscolo had to face banishment for political reasons & for believing in the Other.

It is considered that the beginning of romanticism was in 1798 by publishing the lyric ballads and it ended in 1832 after the death of Walter Scott. England is still the leading power in Europe. The whole first half of the 19th century it was characterized by the war of England against Napoleon until 1815 and later on. All different kinds of blockades appear, and massive revolt inside the country, and new form of reactionary parties. Landed gentry has two parties in the Hanoverian dynasty: Workers (the working class) and Gentlemen (higher layers) decent members of society, possessed money and therefore the education was available to them, hence merchants, officials and intellectuals.

Characteristics of romanticism in literature reflects through literature genres, from which the most developed one was poetry – epic poetry is being reckoned and romanticism later on evolves in post romanticism. Everyone in the age of romanticism believed that poetry is the language of imagination and passion and literature novels were the product of the moment, or more specifically the moment of some special emotional condition of imagination (inspiration).

Wordsworth says that imagination is the source of inspiration and spontaneous overflow of feelings. Love towards the nature and naturalness is different from the leading of them. They are being thrilled by the wild, untouched nature that is some kind of religion, the big source of knowledge about the human and the world, or as Shelly says “the teacher of life”.

Romanticism is also characterized by the so called escape from reality, and revolutionary ideas are starting. Folklore was a very common element in romanticism poetry, it became literary pattern and affected the waking of national consciousness, especially to Irish people. Afterwards, love for children, childhood that was considered as the humans most nature condition; feelings are the purest and the most intensive element in poetry. Romanticism in literature exposes insurgence and indignation, escape from reality, melancholy, and the division of these feelings is distinctly showed in Byron’s irony and cynicism. The period of English romanticism has to generations of romanticists: older one (Wordsworth, Coleridge) and younger one (Byron, Shelley, Keats).

William Wordsworth (1770 – 1832) the oldest one, but outlived all the romanticist. His father was a lawyer, but he lost his parents in his early childhood, and was left with his sister to live in the so called Lake part and had his tutors. He studied at Cambridge, but he didn’t finish it. He started traveling (Alps, Italy, France). Because of love affair he had he goes back to England. By that time he already started writing poems, two little collections, with not much of artistic value “An evening walk” and “Descriptive lines”.

His most important work was written together with Coleridge “Lyrical Ballads”. They contained “Poems and Excursion”. His poem Prelude was published after the romanticism ended, in 1850. In the second edition of the “Lyrical Ballads” in 1800 it is Wordsworth’s very important preface about theoretical attitudes, from which the most important ones are: That poetry is a spontaneous expression of strong feelings; that one good poem can only be written by above average sentimental human, who has to think long and deep; that the poem is yield of emotions that a person remembers in the moment of calmness. Explanation of these elements is adequate to rustic element, and so their language purely expresses human’s feelings, especially in the moment of inspiration. Most of the poems in “Lyrical Ballads” are his, but he and Coleridge had tasks according to their ability; Wordsworth wrote about unusual topics in usual way and Coleridge wrote about usual topics in unusual way.

Wordsworth’s poems are divided in two parts, the ones in which he wrote about people and everyday things in his village; lyric poems about nature, and so called Lucy poems dedicated to the girl called Lucy.

In his “Ode: Intimations of Immortality” contains about 200 verses of unequal length, that are divided in 11 stanzas of also unequal length, and in them the rhymes are differently placed. This ode marks the poets’ state of unhappiness because of the loss of his vision from the world of childhood and he thinks about what caused it. Questions about humans’ soul are also being asked, and the poet as an explanation uses platonic theory of the soul’s existence before the birth, which is the ability to see the world through visions. Every person while growing up loses that ability.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge was Wordsworth’s close friend. His first poems were published in 1793 and he meets Wordsworth two years later and dedicates to writing in 1795. They even lived together, but after his problem with opiates Wordsworth in 1810 ends their friendship. Coleridge was since then under doctors’ surveillance in London, but he continued writing prose in which he talks about his theoretical and philosophical ideas that weren’t very significant. He wrote two poems and a long narrative ballad Christabel.

His first novel “Kubla Khan” contains 54 verses. Many big books of comments and critics about that poem were written. Coleridge left his notes on the origin of that poem, it appeared in one of his opium dreams. He dreamt of falling asleep in a garden, the place where the Kubla Khan, Mongolian emperor had a castle in 15th century. In that dream he made a long poem. After waking up he writes it all down, but after having a conversation with someone he forgets more than a half of the poem.

“The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” is his best poem. It has seven stanzas, and was published in “Lyric Ballads”. In the beginning, transcendental element, the old sailor meets three people who headed to a wedding. He hypnotizes one of them and listens to his story. In this poem we have the motive of vision, and fantastic elements that are something normal and natural for Coleridge. This is a story of fantastically creepy adventured, symbolic confession of the sailors’ sin (killing the albatross), atonement (pestilence of sailors), repentance and redemption (the compassion for the sea snakes) as phases till the final salvation of his soul.

George Gordon Byron (1788-1824) comes from Scottish noble family, his father passed away very young. He was born in London, but spent his childhood in Aberdeen, he had a halting leg, but still gallant man. In 1812 he published his two poems. During the time he spent in Italy he worked an editor of the magazine “The Liberal” with Lee Hunt. Byron’s work is divided in two parts: romantic Byron and humoristic-satirical.

Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage is Byron’s extensive epic poem that contains 1500 verses. At first he is very objective, but in the last part he speaks for himself. It has four parts. It describes the fight between Turkish and Greek people. His message in this poem is that the war itself is a nonsense. In the beginning of the 4th part Byron shows his sadness because he had to leave his daughter.

The Prisoner of Chillon is the best story in verses and was written regarding Byron’s visit of the Chillon castle. It is the description of captivity of the Swiss fighter for freedom in 15th century. He is captured with his brothers, watched them die and when he is released in the end he shows no will of getting into the world again. The topic of this work are fight and suffering for freedom.

Manfred is in some way the imitation of Faustus. It has 3 parts. The place where it all happens is in the Alps. Manfred is the superior character, loner, exceptional knowledge, the master of ghosts. In his youth he made a sin by killing Astarte, the woman he loved and tried to kill himself too but was saved by the local chamois hunter. He tries to reach Astarte from the dead and ask for forgiveness but she announces him death.

Cain is serious poem and Byron considered it a mystery. It has three parts. According to the poet himself, Cain was a hero, revolt against the evilness and autocracy of the biblical God, and ask a question “Why is there in life much more sadness than happiness, when the God is almighty?” He asks the same question Lucifer who convinces him in his doubts and encourages him for revolt. Lucifer here is the carrier of knowledge, mindset and critics. He leads Cain to a travel through space, which carries another message, human is nothing and his only good is the mind that can rise him above nothingness.

Byron said “This day I am 36 years old” three months before his death, it sounds like a spontaneous and honest, like a confession of a man before his death.

Percy Bysshe Shelley was born in the province of Sussex in rich large estate family. Since he was a boy he took the role of protecting his sisters from his father’s tyranny and that helps him later on. He studied at Oxford. In 1811 he falls in love with a sixteen year old girl, and won her with his revolutionary ideas, and they leave together to Scotland where they got married.

In 1813 he illegally publishes his poem called Queen Mab. He tried to get divorced from Harriet but she didn’t accept it, son since 1814 he lives unmarried with Mary Godwin in Switzerland. In December 1816 Harriet commits a suicide. Mary lived till 1851 and wrote the science fiction novel “Frankenstein”.

Shelley till the end of his life remains consistent to his beliefs, enemy of the English reactionary power and aliens in Europe, enemy of Christianity and every religion, fake moral and tyranny; he obliged for liberation moves and believed in social progress. He was familiar with natural sciences and believed in their power. In his work idealistic elements can be found, statements in letters. In his poetry definite honesty can be found. He was also called “Mad Shelley”.

In his work “Queen Mab” he speaks about a girl that fell asleep and in her dreams she sees the fairy Queen Mab, who leads her soul on a space trip and shows her the occurrence of the world and the history of the mankind that is full of bad and evil, and all that bad was made by priests, kings, religions and human moneygrubbing. In the end, little girl’s soul gets back to her body.

He starts The Revolt of Islam by reminding people of the French defeat of the revolution. Islam is the imaginary country in which that revolution happens, heroes of it are Laon and Cythna who, who in the beginning of the story, are in heaven and talk about their earth history, born in tyranny, Laon with his poems brings the spirit to the poor people and Cythna is his student. Tyrant king ends with no army, but Laon doesn’t allow him to be killed. In the end they both end dead, burnt on the bonfire. This shows us that Shelley was peaceful man.

Romanticism is an artistic, literary, musical and intellectual movement that changes the way people think about certain things in society. The idea of romanticism has been around for centuries but was it’s peak from 1800 to 1850 during the industrial revolution. We see themes of romanticism in all kinds of literature. Even today, some of those themes are hidden in your favorite tv shows, movies, books, art, and other forms of entertainment. Furthermore, the netflix original show Lucifer is a prime example of a piece that is not in the romanticism era, but contains themes of romanticism. Lucifer is about a man named Lucifer Morningstar who is literally the devil. He abandoned hell to live in Los Angeles where he runs his own nightclub called Lux. He goes about his life partying carelessly until he meets a detective named Chloe Decker who he falls heavily for. He starts to work as her partner in the LAPD because of his special gift. The whole time he is honest with the detective about is true identity, but the detective thinks lucifer is just using it as a metaphor. The more time they spend together, the more intense their emotions get. Lucifer portrayed many prominent themes of romanticism. It includes, desire, emotionalism, and sense and sensibility. Some of these themes also appear in Mathilda by Mary Shelly. In Mathilda we also see desire, emotionalism, and sense and sensenalism. All of these themes overlap each other, but some are more exaggerated than others.

Lucifer works with the LAPD because he has a special talent. He has the ability to bring out what someone most desires. He simply gazes into a person’s eyes and soul and asks what it is they most desire. No one knows how he does it but the LAPD lets him be partners with Detective Decker because he is helpful. The entire time that Lucifer is exposing other people’s desires, he is fighting his own. He is deeply in love with Detective Decker and desires nothing more than to be with her. This feels impossible to him because he thinks because he is the devil she will never love him. This only makes him crave her love more. The power of Lucifer’s desire to be with Detective Decker drove him to blindly jeopardize multiple cases and his partnership with the detective. He is so focused on winning her over that he takes advantage of cases by asking suspects personal questions in which he is trying to get answers for his own problems such as his relationship with detective Decker. This is similar to how Mathilda desired her father in Mathilda. Mathilda spent 16 years waiting for her dad which only made her long for him even more. She expresses her emotions about finally hearing from her dad. “It was on my sixteenth birthday that my aunt received a letter from my father. I cannot describe the tumult of emotions that arose within me as I read it. It was dated from London; he had returned! I could only relieve my transports by tears, tears of unmingled joy.” (Shelly, shapter 3) It seemed as if Mathilda’s father wanted nothing to do with her when he left, and like Lucifer, this only made Mathilda’s desire increase. Unlike in Mathilda, in Lucifer, desire is used only to dramatize Lucifers character. It adds a contrasting characteristic to Lucifer that makes him distinct from the other characters. Desire can alter the victim’s judgement and make it cloudy with intense emotions. Which leads to the next theme of romanticism, emotionalism.

Emotionalism is the tender feelings of affection and deep longing. It was a lage theme within all kinds of artforms during the romanticism era. It emphasized sorrow and longing and isolated characters in alienated settings. This sentimental aspect is a romantic trait that is foreign to most modern literature. In Lucifer we see many characters express these types of intense emotions. For example, before Lucifer finally builds the courage to confess his love to Detective Decker, she gets back together with her ex husband. After he sees Detective Decker with her husband he flees to his Lux Night Club. At Lux he has a personal bar in the loft upstairs. This is the type of isolated setting that characters were placed in during the romantic era. In episode 6 of season 4 Lucifer tells himself, “ I find it impossible to drown out the cacophony of voices telling me I’m evil. I’m drowning! Why do I hate myself so much!?!” He practically falls apart while spending hours wallowing and drinking the heaviest liquor he can get his hands on. We also see this type of isolation in Mathilda. Mathilda says, “My chamber was in a retired part of the house, and looked upon the garden so that no sound of the other inhabitants could reach it; and here in perfect solitude I wept for several hours. When a servant came to ask me if I would take food I learnt from him that my father had returned, and was apparently well and this relieved me from a load of anxiety, yet I did not cease to weep bitterly. As [At] first, as the memory of former happiness contrasted to my present despair came across me, I gave relief to the oppression of heart that I felt by words, and groans, and heart rending sighs: but nature became wearied, and this more violent grief gave place to a passionate but mute flood of tears: my whole soul seemed to dissolve [in] them. I did not wring my hands, or tear my hair, or utter wild exclamations, but as Boccacio describes the intense and quiet grief [of] Sigismunda over the heart of Guiscardo, I sat with my hands folded, silently letting fall a perpetual stream from my eyes. Such was the depth of my emotion that I had no feeling of what caused my distress, my thoughts even wandered to many indifferent objects; but still neither moving limb or feature my tears fell until, as if the fountains were exhausted, they gradually subsided, and I awoke to life as from a dream.” (Shelly, chapter 6) After Mathilda’s father raped her, she spiraled into a pit of misery. She couldn’t bear to see her father so she secluded herself in her “chamber”. She then goes on to narrate her depthful emotions with passionate phrases like “violent grief” and “mute flood of tears”. Occasionally, fervent emotions like the ones seen in Mathilda and Lucifer lead character to experience another theme of romanticism. This time it’s sense and sensibility.

Sense refers to how a person perceives the physical world meaning the five senses. Sensibility is the ability to perceive and feel. The notion of love can overpower a person’s sensibility. Which is what happens in both Lucifer and Mathilda. Lucifer was so in love with Detective Decker that he was willing to reveal his darkest secret. Reminder that humans were not supposed to know about

higher powers. This shows just how much love can contradict a person’s senses and make them vulnerable to making risky decisions. This happens in Mathilda. Mathilda’s father is so blinded by his love and urge for Mathilda that he rapes her. Mathilda confronts her father for distancing himself from her to which he replied ‘He snatched his hand from me, and rose in violent disorder: ‘but your words I cannot bear; soon they will make me mad, quite mad, and then I shall utter strange words, and you will believe them, and we shall be both lost forever. I tell you I am on the very verge of insanity; why, cruel girl, do you drive me on: you will repent and I shall die.” (Shelly, chapter 7). After this he rapes Mathilda and follows with ‘The danger is over; she is alive! Oh, Mathilda, lift up those dear eyes in the light of which I live. Let me hear the sweet tones of your beloved voice in peace and calm. Monster as I am, you are still, as you ever were, lovely, beautiful beyond expression. What I have become since this last moment I know not; perhaps I am changed in mien as the fallen archangel. I do believe I am for I have surely a new soul within me, and my blood riots through my veins: I am burnt up with fever. But these are precious moments; devil as I am become, yet that is my Mathilda before me whom I love as one was never before loved: and she knows it now.” (Shelly, chapter 7). Mathilda’s Father is not the only one who’s sensibility is affected by love. She herself experiences odd feelings due to the tragic event. Despite the fact that her father raped her, she never ceases to love him. She devotes the rest of her life to mourning for his loss. Once he died she lost sense of the world around her. She felt as if her only purpose in life was to mourn. Eventually so much constant pain drove Mathilda to suicidal thoughts. Mathilda says to Woodville “I wept and said, ‘Oh, pardon me! You are good and kind but I am not fit for life. Why am I obliged to live? To drag hour after hour, to see the trees wave their branches restlessly, to feel the air, & to suffer in all I feel keenest agony. My frame is strong, but my soul sinks beneath this endurance of living anguish. Death is the goal that I would attain.” (Shelly, chapter 10)This is an example of how love overpowered Mathilda’s sensibility.

Although Mathilda and Lucifer share similar romanticism ideals, Lucifer was not written during the romantic era. Therefore it is not considered a romantic artifact. Unlike in Mathilda where romantic themes are intentionally included, the themes of romanticism in Lucifer are simply used to dramatize Lucifer’s character. For example, Lucifer’s power of desire is used as dramatic irony. The audience knows that Lucifer is literally the devil while characters around him believe he is using his true identity as a metaphor for his life. Lucifer and Mathilda have many similar themes that can be classified as themes of romanticism, but ultimately only Mathilda can be considered a romantic novel. This is because the themes in Lucifer are not meant to be romantic. They are simply included to add an element of depth to the series.