Invention by experience

ROMANTICISM (1800-1855)

I. Historical context

            A. Expansion of book publishing, magazines, newspapers

            B. Industrial Revolution

            C. Abolitionist movement

II. Genre/Style

            A. Short stories, novels, poetry,

            B.  Imagination over reason; intuition over fact

            C. Focused on the fantastic of human experience

            D. Writing that can be interpreted 2 ways: surface and in depth

E.Focus on inner feelings

F. Gothic literature (sub-genre of Romanticism)

                        1. Use of the supernatural

                        2. Characters with both evil and good characteristics

                        3. Dark landscapes; depressed characters

III. Major writeres

            C.  Edgar Allen Poe (1809-1849)

                        1. Lousy childhood; substance abuse problems; reviled in his day

                        2. Created the modern short story and detective story

3.Poems: "The Raven", "Bells", "Annabel Lee", "Dream"

4.Attacked 2 long-standing conventions: a poem has to be long; it must teach a lesson

5. Short stories: Black Cat

                       6. Inspired future detective/horror stories: Sherlock Holmes,  Norman Bates, Freddy Kruger, etc.

            D. Herman Melville (1819-1891)1. Ranked as one of America's top novelists, but recognized by few in his own time

     2. Moby Dick a. Didn't sell: only his friend NH liked it; not reprinted for 60 yrss b. Now considered America's greatest prose epic