In the nineteenth century, the foundation of American literature had a profound change. This was called from Reason to Romance or Romanticism. With many contributions of famous writers such as Irving, Cooper, Bryant, and Poe composed the stories and poems which all of them had a great value in the American literature. What is the Romanticism and how does it affect the American literature? By taking some compositions from these writers, there will be good answers for those questions. .
According to some information in English books, the critics said the name Romantic can be misleading because the Romantics do not necessarily write about the love. The Romanticism can be viewed as an artistic movement, or state of mind, or both. This movement seemed to be reaction against the dominant attitudes and approaches of the eighteenth century. Unlike the eighteenth century, writers who interest in reaction, logic, and scientific observation, the Romantics stressed the examination of inner feelings, emotions and the use of imagination. This seemed to be the first element in Romanticism. It appeals to emotion rather than reason. Also, the Romanticism explores the mysteries of nature and supernatural. It reflects interest in nature because the Romantics describe in their stories and poems about the America wilderness and countryside or they actually depicted nature. This element is clearly recognizable in the compositions of the aforementioned writers. Romantic authors were greatly interested in elements of unusualness and things that were out of the ordinary. The Romantics also possessed a strong belief in democracy, a deep awareness in the past. Some writers explore the mysteries of nature, the inner self, and the relationship between the nature and human imagination. Also, it delved into a history of young nation or tradition of the United States. This element will explain the spirit of Nationalism.