America Isnt Romantic

By: William Phillips

History 2010
Section HIST-2010-014

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Art is not emotion. Rather, art was not emotion. The present perception of art as a medium of autonomous emotive expression is a consequence of new artistic ideals. Classic western artist, such as Beethoven and Mozart, were not dependent upon empathic emotion. Instead, they were manipulators of consciousness. They presented a designed experience as opposed to a means of absolute self-expression. The modern reality of American art and its relationship with emotional transparency is a direct culmination of the 19th century European movement of Romanticism. However, the concept of Romanticism is very abstract. In order to accurately draw conclusions on its influence, we must define its parameters as well as understand its context in time. Romanticism is not easily defined. A prevalent generalization within the music community is that Romantic composers tend to focus less on form than their predecessors. However, that description is more contingent on what it is not than what it is. Deniz Tekiner Ph.D. expresses a similar dissatisfaction with this definition. He states such a sociological generality pays little or no attention to the ideas of individual artist1. He goes on to say that in order to define Romanticism one must examine its, spiritual existential concerns2. What Tekiner fails to realize is that it is the existence of these concerns that truly separates Romanticism from its predecessors. The concept of spiritual existentialism is the only commonality shared amongst emissaries of the style. This distinction is much more obvious when put into historical context. The era of Romanticism was a direct response to the previous Age of Enlightenment in Europe. The Enlightenment brought forth notions of logical totalitarianism. Emotion and

1 2

Deniz Tekiner, Modern Art and the Romantic Vision (New York: University Press of America, 2000), vii Tekiner, Modern Art, 5

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spirituality were deliberately slandered as irrational and insignificant. This would create an environment hostile toward emotional suppression. It would also encourage the exploration of self; this is Romanticism. Romanticism favors an optimistic mindset, but only in reaction to the apathy and disenfranchisement brought on by the Enlightenment3. It was this embrace of the inexplicable that made Romanticism so heavily applicable in America4. The American frontier was a new land, free from the shackles of cultural, political, and social precedents. Tekiner stressed that the ideas of artist arise in response to general social conditions1. If we accept that, then it is quite obvious that Romanticisms liberal nature would attract the artists of historys most free society. These ideals of freedom and self-analysis would not be emboldened by any selection better than Americas writers. American literature had the most discernible application of Romanticism. Writer William Andrews says the Romantic attitude is, essentially American and the birthright of the American writer5. The first selection within Andrews book of essays on American Romanticism is authored by Clarence Gohdes. Gohdes proclaims that Americas deep understanding of Romantic philosophy stems from its experiments in democracy5. He goes on further, stating that great American author Ralph Waldo Emersons idealism undergird the American faith in government5. Indeed, Emersons romantic idealism would serve as democratic propaganda. A contemporary of Emersons, Nathaniel Hawthorne, would approach Romanticism through a much different perspective.

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Tekiner, Modern Art, 6 Richard Moody, America Takes the Stage (New York: Indiana University Press, 1969), 1 5 William Andrews, Literary Romanticism in America (Baton Rouge: Louisana State University Press, 1981), ix

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In place of Emersons starry-eyed idealism, Nathaniel Hawthorne would discover in the nations past the seeds of mounting irrepressible conflicts, not a glorious manifest destiny 6. These two authors demonstrate an important quality of Romanticism. The optimism it emblazons is not always positive. Instead, it is optimism for the search rather than the outcome. This concept of the search is applied most efficaciously in the work of Henry Thoreau. Thoreau is quoted as saying, the farthest west is but the farthest east, and that a traveler must expect to be born again on the road7. This idea of romantic rebirth as a pilgrimage would be mirrored on the American Stage. American theatre was full of romantic details such as the the real life adventures in the birth and growth of the new democracy8. Moody defines the early American theatres romantic idealism as directly stemming from the adventurous dream of unexplored frontiers9. Moody states that since America had never been subjected to the rigid classical system of art, Romanticism was applied to life, not art10 . This meant it was embraced as the only form of expression, instead of a rejection of any previous establishment. In this light, we can better evaluate the often crude yet expressive works of American Romantic theatre. One of the main contributors to American theatre was William Dunlap11. Dunlap was an absolute Romantic, and he saw the previously misunderstood liberty in Americas blank scrapbook. He stated that America was an art utopia due to it being unhampered by caste, or the dead hand of prestige11. However, Romantic theatre would not

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Andrews, Literary Romanticism, ix Joel Porte, In Respect To Egotism: Studies in American Romantic Writing (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1991), 164 8 Moody, America Takes the Stage, vii 9 Moody, America Takes the Stage, 1 10 Moody, America Takes the Stage, 24-25 11 Moody, America Takes the Stage, 27-28

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truly become a significant part of American culture until the 1820s11. During this period, a number of important works would be released including: Metamora, Mount Savage, The Patriot, and The Gladiator. All these works celebrated distinctly American ideals such as heroes of the Revolution, Native Americans, and the newly crowned republic. Indeed, the main application of Romantic Idealism would be through the praise of liberty in our new democracy. Americas devotion to liberty and democracy cultivated the most fertile habitat for the Romantic archetype. Its vast open landscape, promised fulfilled aspirations and unconditional freedom. These sentiments animated Americas artistic movements in Literature and Theatre throughout the 1800s. However, Romanticisms effect on American culture would not end there. In the early 1900s, Abstract Expressionism became Americas first art movement. The movement had spiritual inspiration and solid foundations in Romanticism12. Americas fascination and admiration of the Romantic ideal will never die because Romanticism is the innate basis of our culture. Many argue that the founding of this country was due to the Romantic revolutions happening in Europe9. Its ideologies are laced within the core of American literature, theatre, art, and philosophy. America isnt Romantic, Romanticism is America.

12

Tekiner, Modern Art, 47

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Bibliography Andrews, William. Literary Romanticism in America. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1981. Moody, Richard. America Takes the Stage; Romanticism in American Drama and Theatre, 17501900. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1955. Porte, Joel. In Respect to Egotism: Studies in American Romantic Writing. New York: Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge, 1991. Tekiner, Denise. Modern Art and the Romantic Vision. Lanham: University Press of America, 1999.