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Essay / The Development of Individualism and Romanticism
IndividualismRomanticism is the worship of the individual – the cultural and psychological nativity of the self, the inner spark of divinity that connects one human being to another and all humans to the larger Truth. The artist was concerned with articulating his personal experiences which, in turn, become representative. The artist assumes a quasi-religious status not only as a prophet and moral leader, but also as a vehicle of divine inspiration through which nature and the common man find their voice. The idea of man's natural goodness and emphasis on emotion also contributed to the development of romantic individualism; they believed that what is special in a man should be valued over what is representative (the latter often being linked to the conventions imposed on man by civilized society). If a man can correctly express his unique emotional self because his essence is good, he is also likely to assume that its conflicts and corruptions are a matter of great importance and a source of fascination for himself and others. The romantics delighted in introspection. The “savage” is noble, childhood is good, and the emotions inspired by both beliefs make the heart soar. Urban life and the commitment to “receive and send” generate fear and distrust of the world. Concern for the common man stems not only from the democratic ideologies of the revolution era, but also from a renewed interest in popular culture. The folk movement became the way forward for an international language of human community, at the center of which were images of the home and the heart. This individuality resulted in a revolution of feeling versus form – the rejection of classical balance in favor of romantic asymmetry. Embracing the unknown in the middle of paper......possible. It would not be wrong to say that the idea of intrinsic value dates from the Enlightenment. »• “The theme of unrequited love was introduced in 1774 by Goethe in his novel The Sorrows of Young Werther. The book ends with young Werther committing suicide…The suicide rate increased after the novel was published, and for a time the book was banned in Denmark and Norway…”• “Strong emotions were involved” Colderidge • “Examine nature accurately, but write from memory, and trust imagination more than memory.” » Rousseau: • Nature never deceives us; we are the ones who are wrong. Byron: • There is pleasure in the pathless woods, There is rapture on the lonely shore, There is society, where no one intrudes, By the deep sea, and music in its roar : • I'll walk where my own nature would lead me: it annoys me to choose another guide..