The Origins of Romanticism

Romanticism, which was influential in Europe until the mid-1800s, was born as a reaction to the Neoclassical period. This is a movement that influenced art, music, philosophy and literature, and inspired artists to escape the negativity caused by the Industrial Revolution. This movement, which emphasized individuality, nature and emotions, aimed to leave behind the rules of the Neoclassical period. As in every movement, there are pioneering subjects in the emergence of Romanticism and these subjects became the origin of the Romanticism movement. So what are these subjects?

Folklore: Folklore reflects the culture, literature and traditions of the people living in a region. Myths and legends from the countryside passed down orally from generation to generation, have influenced romanticism. Grimm Brothers collects these oral narratives and fairytales in Germany.

Nationalism: Working on Folklore also created Nationalist ideas. The importance of customs and traditions lead people to Nationalism. Romanticism and Nationalism share similar things like pride and identity. Both movements are based on belonging.

Shakespeare: He uses many folkloric elements and he is a protest figure of his age. Shakespeare's usage of these elements always attracts the audience and the artists. His clear, simple lines related to human nature and nature interested poets and authors.

Medievalism: Medievalism evokes a sense of nostalgia. Authors attract the reader's attention with middle ages, chivalry, adventure and mystery. Nature and imagination play a big role in medievalism. That's why this movement became the origin of Romanticism.

Individualism: Authors want to express themselves freely as an individual. They want to process the individual alone. Writers who focused on the complex nature of human beings and their emotions made individualism the most important origin of romanticism. 

Nature: The Industrial Revolution caused harm to nature. With this harm, people forget what nature is all about in the heat of the moment. Also, the destruction of nature had a negative impact on human nature and psychology. Migration has made people forget their identities and caused unhappiness. Therefore, the authors wanted to focus more on nature in this movement. They tried to help people return to their inner self and rediscover their identity.