Dark Romanticism (1800-1860)

Dark Romantics were inspired by

Gothic literature that was popular during the 18th and 19th centuries

Dark Romantic Plots are not always completely realistic,

but not always completely pessimistic either.

Dark Romantic themes focus principally upon

man's appetite for darkness and mystical encounters with the sublime (awe-inspiring, grand, excellent or impressive)

Dark Romantic writer Nathaniel Hawthorne worked to expose

the ironic evil of the Puritans along with the hypocrisy and darkness that is inherent within all of humankind

Dark Romanticism Literary Period

1800-1860

During the American Renaissance (time period between 1840-1860 when there was an explosion of unique American literary works), writers could usually be placed in one of two categories

Dark Romantics and Trancendentalists

The hopeful optimism of Romantics proved false in the minds of Dark Romantics who experienced deeper, darker emotions like

Edgar Allen Poe as he witnessed the slow and agonizing deaths of practically every woman he ever loved

The "anti-hero" in Dark Romanticism is often a misunderstood villain who turns to crime because he is lonely and rejected.

The heroine may fall in love with the villain or reject him, eventually leading to destructive and self-destructive behavior.

Dark Romantics viewed Romanticism as superficial idealism.

They did not agree with the Romantics idea that the world (and life) is a benign and happy place full of natural beauty.

Dark Romantics push back against the several preceding movements.

They seek to expose the hypocrisy of the Puritans - they don't agree with the Rationalists faith in reason over spirit

Dark Romantics were into mysticism

a way to bridge the gap between earth and the next world (which is not always heaven)

Dark Romantic Art

accentuates the sublime through mystical and often horrific images

Rationalists and mainstream Romantics think humans

are inherently good

In Dark Romantic literature, Gothic architecture and images

are widely used to create a haunting effect

Dark Romantics see humankind

as inherently imperfect

Dark Romantic writer Edgar Allen Poe (1809-1849)

best known for his tales of mystery - author of "The Raven" (1845), "The Cask of Amontillado" (1846)

Dark Romantics use mysticism to bridge the gap

between this world and whatever looms beyond

Dark Romantic Writer Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864)

born in Salem, Massachusetts - his great grandfather was John Hathorne (a judge involved in the Salem Witch Trials)

"The Raven"

considered Dark Romantic poet Edgar Allen Poe's greatest success

The Scarlet Letter

considered to be the "masterwork" of Nathaniel Hawthorne - an 1850 work of fiction set in 17th century Boston, then a Puritan settlement

Some scholars claim Dark Romantic writer Hawthorne harbored feelings of guilt and responsibility for his family's role in the Salem Witch Trials,

especially for the fact that John Hathorne never repented for condemning innocent women to death

Mainstream Romantics focused on appreciating the simplicity of man in his purest form (the poor, children, naives, etc.) and Dark Romantics

focused on the evil that looms just below the surface in all humankind

Dark Romantic literature demonstrates that stories do not always have

happy endings, as in life

Dark Romantic writer Edgar Allen Poe's works and life

he wrote over 66 short stories and battled alcoholism and drug abuse for his entire adult life

Dark Romantics believe that humans are not

ideal creatures; they are flawed and tend toward darkness

Mainstream Romantics sought universal truths that exposed the "good" in all men and Dark Romantics

identified revelations that were "soul crushing" and pessimistic

Gothic fiction aims to

inspire terror and awe with supernatural settings, hauntings, ghosts, demons, vampires, and other nefarious elements

Dark Romanticism can be represented in music by

intensely powerful classical compositions that excite the more sinister, disquieting bellicose and nefarious human emotions

In Dark Romanticism, the melancholy hero, also referred to as the "anti-hero"

is an unlikely character who battles his own demons

Dark Romantics believe humans are born in a wild variance of states, some with traits tending toward good but

most with flaws tending toward evil. Some humans overcome that imperfection, but doing so is quite rare

To Dark Romantics, humanity, nature and the universe are

neither innately good nor evil, but tip assuredly toward evil

Dark Romantic settings are

nightmarish, often at night with stormy weather, unpredictable animals, and shadowy creatures

Dark Romantics see the world as dynamic, but out of the control

of human characters who inevitably meet with failure when they attempt to affect change

Dark Romantics reject the optimistic superficiality

of mainstream Romantic idealism

Dark Romantic writer Nathaniel Hawthorne's characters

often portray outward piety that hides a streak of evil lurking within

Dark Romantic writer Herman Melville (1819-1891)

prolific novelist, essayist, short story write and poet - author of Moby Dick

Dark Romantics find literary art in the darkest, most portentous human emotions:

sadness, anxiety, depression, anger, revenge, monomania, fear, pain, loss, jealousy, hate, rage, envy

Dark Romantics believe that no character is unflawed, no situation is untouched by

the corruption of the human mind, body, or spirit

The Dark Romantics idea of Mysticism was for the curious and

those who are dissatisfied with the tenets of organized religion

Dark Romantic writers used creepy symbols and horrific themes

to look at the inner workings of the mind and to explore the psychological effects of guilt and sin