Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Classicism and Romanticism :: Literature Literary
Classicism and Romanticism  Toward the end of the eiteenth-century, Romanticism emerged as a response to Classicism. Even though this change was gradual, it transformed everything from art and philosophy to education and science. While the Classicsts thought of the world as having a rigid and stern structure, the romanticists thought of the world as a place to express their ideas and believes. The Romaniticists and Classicsts differed in their views of the relationship between an individual and society, their views of nature and the relationship between reason and imagination.         Classicists and Romanticists differed in their views of nature. Classicism was based on the idea that nature and human nature could be understood by reason and thought. Classicist believed that â€Å"nature was, a self-contained machine, like a watch, whose laws of operation could be rationally understood.†(text,199) On the other hand, Romanticists viewed nature as mysterious and ever changing. As William Cullen Bryant states that nature â€Å";speaks a various language.†(text, 123) Romantic writes believed that nature is an ever changing living organism, whose laws we will never fully understand.         Classicist and Romanticists also differed on their approches towards reason and imagination. Classicism attached much more importance to reason than imagination because imagination could not be explained by their laws. To them, â€Å";the imagination, though essential to literature, had to be restrained by reason and common sense.†; (text, 119) The Romanticists, however, emphasized that reason was not the only path to truth. â€Å";Instead, Romantic writers emphasized intuition, that inner perception of truth which is independent of reason.†; (text, 122) To the Romantic writers, imagination was ultimately superior to reason.         Yet another area of difference between Classicits and Romanticsts whether they placed greater importance on tradition or whether they chose to innovate. Classicists thought that it was literature’s function to show the everyday values of humanity and the laws of human existence. Classicism and Romanticism :: Literature Literary Classicism and Romanticism  Toward the end of the eiteenth-century, Romanticism emerged as a response to Classicism. Even though this change was gradual, it transformed everything from art and philosophy to education and science. While the Classicsts thought of the world as having a rigid and stern structure, the romanticists thought of the world as a place to express their ideas and believes. The Romaniticists and Classicsts differed in their views of the relationship between an individual and society, their views of nature and the relationship between reason and imagination.         Classicists and Romanticists differed in their views of nature. Classicism was based on the idea that nature and human nature could be understood by reason and thought. Classicist believed that â€Å"nature was, a self-contained machine, like a watch, whose laws of operation could be rationally understood.†(text,199) On the other hand, Romanticists viewed nature as mysterious and ever changing. As William Cullen Bryant states that nature â€Å";speaks a various language.†(text, 123) Romantic writes believed that nature is an ever changing living organism, whose laws we will never fully understand.         Classicist and Romanticists also differed on their approches towards reason and imagination. Classicism attached much more importance to reason than imagination because imagination could not be explained by their laws. To them, â€Å";the imagination, though essential to literature, had to be restrained by reason and common sense.†; (text, 119) The Romanticists, however, emphasized that reason was not the only path to truth. â€Å";Instead, Romantic writers emphasized intuition, that inner perception of truth which is independent of reason.†; (text, 122) To the Romantic writers, imagination was ultimately superior to reason.         Yet another area of difference between Classicits and Romanticsts whether they placed greater importance on tradition or whether they chose to innovate. Classicists thought that it was literature’s function to show the everyday values of humanity and the laws of human existence.
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