Comparing Light and Dark Romantics

Name:
Course:
Instructor:
Date:
Comparing Light and Dark Romantics
Dark and light romantics depict many differences on the way different authors present their writings and materials on diverse concepts. The light Romantics believed in a greater good that implied that man is good and alleged that God is everywhere. On the other hand, the dark romantics were created in response to the light romantics as they believed that man is not good. They alleged that everyone is lonely and misunderstood and that God is something that everyone must seek and reach since not all are part of God. Edgar Allan Poe is one of the authors who developed books on dark romanticism that focused on the negative meaning of things. Therefore, this paper shall establish a comparison of dark and light romantics based on the thoughts of Edgar Allan Poe to Thoreau and Emerson on spiritual and supernatural occurrences.
Dark romanticism rejected rational and intellectual actions for intuitive and the emotional movements. Edgar Allan Poe accentuated that moralistic and cerebral rudiments have no domicile in the art industry. He claimed that the theme of writings should depict unswerving upshot on emotions. Poe said that cerebral and moralistic was destined for homilies and elucidations while moods were the solitary province of romanticism since man needs to feel and sense things before thinking about them. Therefore, throughout his work, his characters are subjugated with feelings, and this elucidates the intermittent comportment of the guises in all of his works.

In the different parts of Poe’s writings, his characters are commonly subjugated by their emotions. The discernment infers much of the ostensibly intermittent comportment of the personas in all of his works. Roderick Usher’s feelings are distraught while Ligeia and the chronicler of that story both live in the domain of emotions. In Poe’s “The Fall of the House,” he says “If ever mortal painted an idea, that mortal was Roderick Usher. For me at least — in the circumstances then surrounding me — there arose out of the pure abstractions which the hypochondriac contrived to throw upon his canvas, an intensity of intolerable awe, no shadow of which felt I ever yet in the contemplation of the certainly glowing yet too concrete reveries of Fuseli” (Schweninger, 120). Thus, this shows how Usher’s feelings were distraught making Poe fulfill his ideas on black romanticism. Similarly, the behaviors of the chroniclers of “The Tell-Tale Heart” are not rational.
In the other hand, Thoreau’s writings were based on the belief that knowledge and wisdom are born from the self and experience of humankind. He expressed his romanticism towards the beauty of life and attributed nature as the work of art that is being painted by people. Therefore, this shows that he viewed nature and the ecosphere as the canvas that forms the foundation of romanticism. The writings of Thoreau are based on light romanticism as he believed on intellectual actions for him to understand life and the “self” among human beings. In Henry’s “Where I Lived and What I Lived For,” he says, “We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aids, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn, which does not forsake us in our soundest sleep. I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor” (Schweninger, 189). Therefore, this shows that he wanted his life to show a romantic meaning through experiencing the ecosphere and finding the “self” through nature. Light romanticism had a belief in the natural blimey of man and buoyed the notion that man would be in harmony in a state of nature. Thoreau believed that authenticity, naturalness, devotion and feelings are all indicators of an authentic person. On the same note, he viewed that imagination and nature are vital cornerstones of romanticism. Therefore, in the approach of light romanticism, there is fictional and imagery that gives the mind a discharge from the dreariness of the daily life.
Similarly, Emerson’s writings were based on religious conformism that pre-dates romanticism and the faith of a person’s soul to determine its route. He founded his basis of the argument on light romanticism as most of his writings depicted many of its elements. In Emerson’s “Nature,” he says, “One might think the atmosphere was made transparent with this design, to give a man, in the heavenly bodies, the perpetual presence of the sublime. Seen in the streets of cities, how great they are! If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore; and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God which had been shown! But every night come out these envoys of beauty, and light the universe with their admonishing smile” (Schweninger, 168). Thus, this depicts that his writings were based on light romanticism since he viewed the act of faith in God as a necessary factor in the life of any individual. On the same note, he differs in the belief from nonconformist religious groups who resided in New England. The teams originated from high religious formalities but yet depend on group perspicacity so as to determine the will of God. Therefore, Emerson tries to claim that individuals should never trust oneself in consultation with one’s group but simply trust thyself. On the same note, he asserts that only the integrity of one’s mind is sacred as compared to all other beliefs that are held in the ecosphere.
Emerson believed that God is everywhere and man should adore a unique relation to the cosmos. In his writing, he says, “Within these plantations of God, decorum and sanctity reign, a perennial festival is dressed, and the guest sees not how he should tire of them in a thousand years. In the woods, we return to reason and faith. There I feel that nothing can befall me in life, — no disgrace, no calamity, (leaving me my eyes,) which nature cannot repair” (Schweninger, 169). Therefore, this shows that light romantics had faith in God and believed that he was in control of all happenings in the ecosphere.
Unlike light romantics, dark romantic authors are defined by a pessimist view of the natural world as a place that is dark, decaying and mysterious. The truth revealed to man by these authors contains an evil and hellish revelation and they describe dark fantasy worlds with cynical characters. Therefore, this implies that the darker side of human psychology is explored by these authors as they describe the effects of guilt and sin, the conflict between good and evil, and people plagued with madness. On the same note, the dark romantic authors are perceived to be realistic as they do not believe in Utopia but a struggle for it. Poe says, “For God is but a great will pervading all things by nature of its intentness. Man doth not yield himself to the angels, nor unto death utterly, will save only through the weakness of his feeble” (Schweninger, 130) Thus, this shows that Poe believed that man has to seek God since not everyone is part of God. Unlike the light romantics, they distaste the past and apply the usage of strong images and symbols in their works.
In dark idealists, supernatural elements may be employed by the authors as they try to communicate their message. Poe uses paranormal elements when Madeline goes into a coma-like state and gets buried alive. The narrator does an unbelievable thing when he visits her in the locked casket, and this helps Poe in making the story to be a dark romantic. Another element of dark romanticism happens during the destruction of the house and the death of Roderick that takes place at the same time. The Usher bloodline is destroyed forever with the house damage, and this coincidence seems unbelievable for a realistic story. “The Fall of the House” features Poe’s interests in exploring the psychology of human beings and the perseverance nature of the conscious and subconscious mind. In Legeia, Poe says, “There was a mad disorder in my thoughts –a tumult unappeasable. Could it, indeed, be the living Rowena who confronted me? Could it indeed be Rowena at all, the fair-haired, the blue-eyed Lady Rowena Trevanion of Tremaine? Why, why should I doubt it?” (Schweninger, 135). Thus, this shows the supernatural event on the transformation of Rowena. Therefore, dark romantic playwrights like Poe alleged that people were born evil and they must tussle in their entire lives so as to keep their wicked nature from surpassing them. In his writings, Roderick is depicted to be in a battle against evil powers. On the same note, a dark emotional tone, feelings of doom, fear and guilt pervades throughout Usher’s life who suffers from a mental illness.
In conclusion, the above discussion depicts that romanticism seeks to find its actual reality through intuition. The analysis shows that Allan Poe represented dark nostalgia whereas Thoreau and Emerson majored in light romanticism. The light utopians are seen to be optimist since they had the solutions to their problems and believed in the existence of God as compared to the dark fantasists who are both pessimist and optimist making them be seen as realistic idealists. Similarly, it is depicted that the dark romantics are not happy with their past while the light romantics seek solutions for their societal problems by searching in the past.
Work Cited
Schweninger, Lee. Course Packet For ENG 223-002: American Literature To 1870 Fall 2016. 1st ed. 2016. Print.