Module 6: The Power of the Mind in the Romantic Era

The Age of Reason inspired by the American Revolution and plain-style rhetoric had prevailed in American literature as the nation established its roots as a young country. After the Revolutionary War ended, America had the freedom to stretch its wings and explore new territories. With newfound freedoms came an influx of literary ideas, philosophies, and genres known as Romanticism. Though the movement had swept through Europe some years earlier, its absorption into the American literary scene gave birth to new forms of literature that would gain American authors international acclaim. Suddenly, Americans had the time and inspiration to begin creating unique literature. In this module, you will explore the abundance of literature created by a variety of authors in one of the most important eras of American literature. It was a time of growth and expansion, a time when the powers of the mind shaped thought and creativity, and a time when the American Dream had never been more apparent.

In this module, you will explore American literature from 1800 to 1860. This time frame saw America change drastically: the nation tripled in size, technology greatly improved life, and calls for social change rippled through society. Although it was the dawn of the Civil War, the world of literature remained as vibrant as ever. Many new influential authors began to emerge: Washington Irving, James Fenimore Cooper, William Cullen Bryant, Edgar Allan Poe, Walt Whitman, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and Ralph Waldo Emerson to name a few.

The four groups of writers you will be studying in this module are the Romantic Fiction Writers, the Fireside Poets, the Transcendentalists, and the Dark Romantics. The authors in these movements composed different forms of literature, but they all rejected rational thought in favor of using intuition. They also held strong beliefs in regard to mankind, society, and the individual and respected both the light and dark sides of nature.

In addition to studying authors and their ideas from this time period, you will also work on expanding your vocabulary and honing grammar and writing skills. You will practice the use of new words, work on correcting usage errors, look at creative forms of writing, and learn to write a literary analysis.

Getting Started

Every day you use reason and logic to make decisions. Usually, these decisions are linear. For example, if you want to purchase a new car, it is logical to first consider only those you can afford. Also, when selecting a college or university, you would use logic and reason to aid the decision-making process, taking into account the educational program, location, affordability, scholarship opportunities, and sports programs before making your final decision. Sometimes though, there are limits to reason and logic.

Imagine James Madison University has offered you enrollment and a scholarship, but all your life you have desired to go to Virginia Tech. While Virginia Tech does not offer the program you want or any scholarship money, it is still your first choice. Although it is logical for you to accept JMU's offer, for an inexplicable reason, you are drawn to Virginia Tech. What would you do in this situation? Would you attend JMU or Virginia Tech?

Post your responses to this question in the discussions area: What are the limitations of always thinking rationally? Offer a hypothetical example or share something from your own life. You can discuss a time you followed reason and logic, or you can discuss a time you followed your gut feeling or intuition. Then, return to the topic several times over the next few days to read your coursemates' posts. Reply to at least two of them, making sure to ask questions and encourage further conversation.

 

Key Vocabulary

To view the definitions for these key vocabulary terms, visit the course glossary.

 

alacrity	magnanimity	sagacious
aversion	ominous	sublime
blithe	oppressed	suffrage
connate	ostentatious	surmised
efface	pensive	Transcendentalism
expedient	querulous	tremulous
impertinent	Romanticism	venerable
indecorous