Title: Romanticism in Literature: Definition & Examples | SuperSummary
Headings: What Is Romanticism? Definition, Usage, and Literary Examples
ROMANTICISM
What Is Romanticism? Definition, Usage, and Literary Examples
Romanticism Definition
The History of Romanticism
The Elements of Romanticism
The Common Man/Woman
The Idealization of Women
Individuality
Isolation
Nature
Pathetic Fallacy
The Function of Romanticism
Romanticism and Other Literary Movements
Romanticism vs. Naturalism
Romanticism vs. Realism
Romanticism vs. Transcendentalism
Writers Known for Romanticism
Examples of Romantic Literature
1. Edgar Allan Poe, “The Raven”
2. Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
3. Emily Dickinson “‘Hope’ Is the Thing with Feathers”
Further Resources on Romanticism

Content: Romantic literature challenged this new wave of ideas by telling stories rooted in emotion, nature, idealism, and the subjective experiences of common men and women. It’s important to note that romanticism, as a literary movement, is not the same thing as the literary genre of romance novels. Romanticism may be an influence on today’s romance novels, but romance novels do not typically possess all the elements central to Romantic-era literature. Also, the term Romantic does not refer directly to romantic love. It comes from the medieval French romaunt, the term for an epic, chivalrous quest told in verse. The History of Romanticism
Romantic literature emerged at a time when the world was undergoing a sea-change of thoughts and ideas. The Age of Enlightenment produced a new breed of philosophers and scientists who challenged long-held ideas about how humans thought, lived, and came to be. The Industrial Revolution, quite naturally, was hot on the heels of the Enlightenment. The ideas and theories formed in the latter now came to life in exciting new inventions that changed the way people lived and worked. There is always some degree of nostalgia for “the old days” when new ways of life come into fashion, and it’s this phenomenon that gave birth to romanticism.