Neoclassicism x Romanticism

Neoclassical and romantic features are connected. Firstly, neoclassical literature was dominant from the year 1660 until the French Revolution. One critic says it is not easy to make a clear-cut distinction between these two tendencies, but Abrams lists the common features shared by the artists in this period.

FEATURES OF NEOCLASSICISM BY ABRAMS

The first aspect is traditionalism. It is a keyword for neoclassic. Poets from neoclassic literature were influenced by ancient Greek and Roman writers. They have a lot of respect for ancient ones because they believe in perfection. They wanted to reach perfection. They did not like innovation like romantics. The idea of traditionalism, distrust of innovation, and imitating ancient writers are the very reasons why they are called neoclassical writers. The second one, Abrams, mentions that “literature is primarily an art, a set of skills that requires some talents to be perfected by long study and practice.” So, he is talking about the qualities of a poet. He is trying to show what these neoclassical writers thought about poets; they thought the poet must have some skills and innate abilities. But that is not enough; the poet must work and study a lot. This is an important point because there is a change in this notion when it comes to romanticism. After all, romanticism goes for inspiration, mostly being spontaneous emotions. The neoclassic rules of poetry were properties of different genres like epic and comedy. Again, there is something related to classical works. Each genre has its own rules. These rules were derived from classical works; if you want to write an epic, then imitate the ancients. So these people came to appreciate the classical works because they believed they were the example of excellence. The third feature of neoclassic tradition, Abrams says, “human beings are regarded as the primary subject matter of forms of literature. Poetry is an imitation of human life. A mirror held up to nature.” The first primary subject of poetry is humankind, so what are the true purposes of poetry? = inform and delight (instruction and pleasure). Abrams says the central idea of neoclassic humanism is art for humanity’s sake. The fourth one is representative characteristics and widely shared experiences, thoughts, and feelings. Neoclassic poetry emphasizes what defines humankind in common. So again, the imitation of human life because poetry is primarily interested in humankind, its fundamental aim is to find out the representative characteristics and to carry them to literature with new expressions. In neoclassicism, humankind is regarded as a “limited agent.” So, you cannot achieve everything that you have in mind. Humankind should not be prideful; “they should set themselves only accessible goals; you must not have inaccessible aims in life.” The great chain of being = this was the idea helped by the people in that century. In nature, there is a hierarchy, and humanity has a specific place in that chain. So, it has to be conscious of where it is located; too much pride will take you nowhere. 

FEATURES OF ROMANTICISM BY ABRAMS

The first one is innovation, opposite to traditionalism. During the neoclassical era, the subject was upper-class people, and there was poetic diction because they believed a poet must use clear language but not from everyday diction. In Romanticism, the material of a romantic poem is taken from common life, and the language is also taken from the real language used by men. Poems do not have a structure in terms of form; the writers do not follow the rules; they bring innovation to their works. They are free. About the second feature, Abrams says “the poet’s own feeling.” In Romanticism, there is no imitation, just personal feelings. It must be spontaneous. A neoclassic poem is never spontaneous; it requires hard work, but a romantic poem is spontaneous. The poet writes down his immediate feelings. The third one is external nature. It means talking about the environment, forests, and mountains. It became a popular subject for romantic poetry; they wrote about nature. It is about the interaction between nature and the city through the speaker. The speaker revisits an abbey and thinks about his time in the city. So, nature brings about the inspiration of the poet. The poet turns to himself and gets inspiration from nature. “The author’s scene (nature) is not presented for its own sake but as a stimulus for the poet to engage in the most characteristic human activity, a lot of thinking.” The fourth one is identified with the protagonist. Neoclassic poetry is about humankind in general, but in romantic poems, the poet turns to himself, which is why we generally associate the poet with the speaker or with the protagonist. Romantic poets are solitary figures, so we do not have a picture of society; we have the picture of an individual. Romantic characters are isolated. The poem Prometheus by Byron has an isolated character, but this isolation is glorified by the poet. Isolation is not something that bad for Byron. The fifth one is limitless aspiration toward an infinite good envisioned by the faculty of imagination. The French Revolution had a huge influence on romantic poets, and they believed they were going to achieve a lot. They believed humanity has the potential; that is why, according to them, a human being must have limitless aspirations, and this aspiration is reflected by imagination. Imagination is also a keyword for romantics. This idea is opposite to the neoclassic idea about being limited. Art is the way to limitless aspiration to achieve a lot. Imagination is the true power of humanity, of the poet.