Romanticism in French Literature 

In the 19th century, France was in a period of political and sociological changes. People who lived long enough had seen the First Republic, reign of Napoléon, July Monarchy, Second Empire, and the French Commune in their lifetime. Therefore, French Romantics used the term “mal du siècle” to define the melancholy, loneliness, and disillusionment experienced by the people of that time period. It was a time of change, with urbanization, industrialization, and globalization, which drew stricter borders between social classes. It is safe to say that the French lower class didn’t benefit from any of that in a meaningful way, and villagers became factory workers with horrible wages and grew lonely in huge, polluted cities surrounded by factories. It was impossible for French artists to keep the classical traditions when the world around them is so dynamic. Therefore, a new genre of art called Romanticism appeared.

Pre-Romanticism 

With the huge influence of “Confessions” by Rousseau, authors started to utilize “me” instead of third-person narration, which helped them to write about the inner world of us and deep connections with the soul and nature. The importance of nature can be seen from the beginning, most notably in the works of pre-romantic authors like Chateaubriand, Senancour, and Lamartine. Romanticism was an individualist movement from the beginning, as a consequence of the solitude of urban life. Most of these pre-romantics rejected traditional rules of classical literature and sometimes mixed the genres to create unusual works of art; for example, writing poems in the form of prose can be seen in Romantic poetry. The most notable works from the pre-romantic period are “René” by Chateaubriand, “Méditations poétiques” by Lamartine, and “De l’Allemagne” by Madame de Staël.

Key Features 

Romantic authors had various different political views and stances against life. However, almost all of them have the same nuances in their world of ideas. And these are individualism, freedom of thought, and liberty. That concept of liberty applies to every aspect of life, most importantly, art itself. Even the royalist authors like Chateaubriand supported these ideas. Despite the general opinion, Romanticism was not an apolitical movement. It was a revolt against society and the corrupt system. This is why almost all of them saw nature as a refuge. Nature is pure, and it is where we truly belong: far away from society and its corruption. 

We come into another key feature of Romanticism here. Contrasts. There are contrasts and fights between opposite feelings and concepts in Romantic literature. For example, the notion of death is common; however, the personalities keep on hoping and fighting for what they deserve with the constant desire for death. Another example of this is the notion of solitude. It is both terrible and desirable for romantics. Being alone in nature is a dream for romantics; however, they often complain about solitude at the same time.

Victor Hugo 

When we talk about Romanticism, Victor Hugo deserves his own place. The poems of Victor Hugo touch every single aspect of humanity, like paternal love, human fragility, and exploration of God; they contrast between moral greatness and evil, with many different themes like nature, orientalism, and philosophy. Hugo wrote many collections of poems with many different art styles, themes, and concepts, often utilizing symbolism. “La Légende des siècles” is an epic collection of poems narrating the history of humanity from ancient times to the future. It is possible to see his intellectual personality and his unattainable poetic skills. Another one, “Les Feuilles d'automne,” is about nostalgia, love, and the passage of time. It is possible for everyone to find a relatable feeling in his writings. This is why he is counted as one of the greatest authors of human history. His novels also have very complex philosophical and political ideas, like social injustice, revolution against tyranny, and moral dilemmas. Most notably, “Les Misérables” and "Quatrevingt-treize.”. 

Conclusion 

French romanticism has left an important mark on the history of literature with its courage to explore the emotional depths of the individual and its desire for social transformation. This movement, which glorifies the complexity of nature with a very beautiful and relatable language, is not only a literary movement but also a manifesto of freedom, an ideology. Victor Hugo's free spirit, Lamartine's melancholic verses, and Vigny's heroic tragedies shaped the works of this period that shed light on universal human issues. When we read these works today, we witness the emotions that transcend the boundaries of time and space. Perhaps the most important lesson that French romanticism teaches us is this: A person's greatest struggle ends there, just as it begins in his inner world.