Preromanticism Criticism
Preromanticism, spanning from the mid-eighteenth century to the early 1790s, marks a transitional era in European literature that bridges the Augustan age and the Romantic period. During this time, there was a noticeable shift away from the rigid adherence to religious and scientific doctrines, leading to a greater focus on personal introspection and emotional expression. As noted in Some Phases of Development of Thought in the World of Letters in the Eighteenth Century, this period emphasized individuality and a subjective interpretation of the world.
While defining Preromanticism remains contentious, certain thematic elements are widely acknowledged. Bertrand H. Bronson highlights themes like "Country Pleasures" and "Abstractions" such as solitude and death, showcasing the era's penchant for invoking feelings through poetry. The period's focus on originality and authenticity was a reaction against the "burden of the past," as poets sought novel ways to express themselves, a struggle detailed by W. J. Bate.
Central to this era was the development of a new consciousness, where personal identity and the self were explored more deeply. Christopher Fox discusses this shift in Some Problems of Perspective, highlighting how literary works began to emphasize the inner workings of the mind and emotional responses to nature. This period also saw a proliferation of "novels of sensibility," characterized by heightened emotional content and themes of virtue and distress, as seen in Sensibility by Howard Mumford Jones.
Preromanticism also fostered a renewed interest in folk culture, with figures like Robert Burns dedicating efforts to preserve cultural heritage through folk songs. Despite the contested nature of the term "Preromanticism," it is often used interchangeably with "post-Augustan," reflecting the era's dual identity as both a continuation of and departure from its predecessors. As Northrop Frye observes, although these poets did not see themselves as precursors to Romanticism, their emphasis on emotional depth and personal experience laid the groundwork for the subsequent literary movement.
The debate over the designation "Preromanticism" continues, underscoring the period's complexity and its significant impact on the evolution of literary expression. Scholars like Bertrand H. Bronson and Roland Mortier highlight the nuanced perspectives that define this rich and varied literary era.
Contents
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Overviews
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Some Phases of Development of Thought in the World of Letters in the Eighteenth Century
(summary)
In the following excerpt from a work originally published in 1934, Sherwood describes how eighteenth-century authors reacted against prevailing religious and scientific notions through a new emphasis on subjectivism.
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The Retreat from Reason
(summary)
In the following essay, originally delivered as a lecture in 1971, Bronson examines the eighteenth-century attack on reason as it led up to Preromanticism.
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'Sensibility,' 'Neoclassicism,' or 'Preromanticism'?
(summary)
In the following essay Mortier examines some key aspects of Preromanticism in France.
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Some Phases of Development of Thought in the World of Letters in the Eighteenth Century
(summary)
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Defining The Period
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The Pre-Romantic or Post-Augustan Mode
(summary)
In the following excerpt Bronson details why no individual post-Augustan poet adequately exemplifies the Preromantic period.
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Towards Defining an Age of Sensibility
(summary)
In the following excerpt from a lecture delivered in 1955, Frye asserts that in the age of sensibility poets emphasized their work as process, not product.
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The Pre-Romantic or Post-Augustan Mode
(summary)
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New Directions In Poetry And Prose
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The Growth of Individualism: The Premise of the Association of Ideas
(summary)
In the following excerpt from his highly influential work From Classic to Romantic, Bate describes how a new emphasis on feelings led poets to experiment with sympathy, synaesthesia, suggestiveness, and sublimity.
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The English Poet and the Burden of the Past, 1660-1820
(summary)
In the following excerpt Bate discusses ways in which eighteenth-century English poets dealt with the "burden of the past"—the intimidation of obviously superior earlier poetry—by following the new Preromantic ideals of originality and sincerity.
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Sensibility
(summary)
In the following excerpt Jones explores some of the characteristics of the novel of sensibility and its relation to Preromanticism.
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The Growth of Individualism: The Premise of the Association of Ideas
(summary)
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The Focus On The Self
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Some Problems of Perspective
(summary)
In the following excerpt Fox examines changing views regarding personal identity and consciousness during the late eighteenth century.
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Some Problems of Perspective
(summary)
- Further Reading
