American Romanticism As Portrayed By Walt Whitman s Song...

Jesha C. Lor Callis Modern Civ-LIT 3/21/16 Song of myself (1855) Narrative (1845) American Romanticism as portrayed by Walt Whitman’s â€Å"Song of Myself† and Fredrick Douglass’s Narrative American Romanticism focuses on the imagination, emotions and idealized perspectives of the world. Romanticism is in opposition to the forms and conventions of Neoclassical Literature and is a reaction to the Age of reason which preceded Romanticism. Reason was ruled out in this era in place of imagination, individuality, and emotions, which are all three roots that defines Romanticism. Although, Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself and Frederick Douglass’ Narrative were written ten years apart, many persons that wrote in this era represented the major ideas and themes of the Romanticism era. As an Abolitionist Romance Narrative, Frederick Douglass’s Narrative consists of a journey from repression to transcendence. The Romantic elements in his Narrative, created the highest possible effect for abolitionism by not only being highly realistic bu t, also romantic in nature. Prior to the Narrative, was the abolitionist movement in which the unique role of African Americans allowed for moral superiority, as the audience could voice one of authority, moral understanding, and experience. Douglass was the perfect person who had profound intelligence and oratory abilities who could command the kind of respect capable of energizing that movement. Not only did Douglass’s work excite the passions of theShow MoreRelatedAmerican Romanticism : An Important Time For Poetry And Its Development974 Words   |  4 PagesAmerican romanticism was an important time for poetry and its development. There were many themes throughout the romanticism that most poets touched on in their work. There was nature, breaking free, individualism, democracy, radicalism and the figure of the outcast. Ralph Waldo Emerson touched on a few of the themes in many of his poems, but touched on individualism especially in â€Å"Hamatreya†. Another poet that touched on themes of the American romanticism was Walt Whitman, in his poem â€Å"Song of Myself†Read MoreAnalysis Of Walt Whitman s What Came First The Chicken Or The Egg? 1739 Words   |  7 PagesTaylor Fink Professor Jonathan Cook English 231 10 July 2015 Emerson Vs. Whitman and Their Influence on Each Other When talking about Ralph Waldo Emerson and Walt Whitman a similar question of â€Å"What came first the chicken or the egg?† comes to mind. Scholars may argue that without Emerson and his influential sermons and speeches that Walt Whitman would have never found his voice, but how can someone who so many consider one of the greatest poets of all time cease to exist? Ralph Waldo EmersonRead MoreWhat Came First The Chicken Or The Egg?2116 Words   |  9 Pagestalking about Ralph Waldo Emerson and Walt Whitman a similar question of â€Å"What came first the chicken or the egg?† comes to mind. Scholars may argue that without Emerson and his influential sermons and speeches that Walt Whitman would have never found his voice, but how can someone who so many consider one of the greatest poets of all time cease to exist? Ralph Waldo Emerson knew what he was doing when he published The Poet. It was an outcry for the American people to speak a truthful narrative