Nature has always been a part of the Romantic ideal, as such the use of natural characteristics as a premonition would be a profound instance of a reflection of the changing values of society. As the population delves into superstition and nature, they tend to turn to the natural ‘apparition’ as a link to the future. This is exemplified in Castle of Otranto, in the scene of Manfred’s contemptible proposal to Isabella, where “the moon, which was now up, presented to (Manfred’s) sight the plumes of the fatal helmet, waving backwards and forwards in a tempestuous manner, and accompanied with a hollow and rustling sound”. Isabella proclaims “Look my lord! see heaven itself declares against your impious intentions!” In this, the writer uses synecdoche as he refers to heaven through aspects of the physical embodiment of such (nature), in this case, the moon and the wind. He also uses personification as he refers to heaven ‘declaring itself’ to further gentrify the (population’s) new understanding of heaven as (heaven on earth) a physical, natural entity which can be used as foreshadowing or can be interpreted to predict the future. This reflects the changing persuasion of the contextual society as they began to turn the supernatural and religious persuasions of lifestyle. This reflects the changing persuasion of the contextual society as they began to turn the natural sciences and religious persuasions of lifestyle.
In terms of Dracula, nature as a premonition is highlighted in the scene of Johnathon’s arrival in Transylvania. In this he is
Romanticism The Romantic Era was a discontinuity from the ideas that fueled the Enlightenment Era. The alliance with reason and empiricism is questioned and replaced with natural and emotional ideals. Romanticism demanded that nature be respected and ruled that the relationship between oneself and nature was essential for a beneficial existence. The goal of the Era was to discover the individual and revolt against authority. Transcendentalism is compatible with Romanticism in that nature is the answer…
Romanticism Characteristics of the American Romantic The Romantics valued feeling and intuition over reason Shuns cities in favor of nature Prefers youthful innocence to educated sophistication Champions individual freedom and the worth of the individual (think Hester) Looks back to the wisdom of the past and distrust progress (think of The Scarlet Letter) Finds beauty and truth in exotic locales, the supernatural realm, and the inner world of imagination Journeys to the City Rationalists…
and nature through the Romantic context and by challenging historical and social paradigms of the late 18th century in Western Europe and Russia. Even though Keats’ writing is illuminated by exaltation of the imagination and abounds with sensuous descriptions of nature’s beauty, it also explores profound philosophical questions. These values have been developed through “Ode to a Nightingale” and “La Belle Dame Sans Merci.” John Keats’ poetry is one of an alienated and isolated poet who has endured…
while also remaining as an individual and retaining personal ideals which may ultimately result in a connection. This is explored in Emily Dickinson’s selected poetry I died for beauty, but was scarce and I had been hungry all the years , as well as Scott Westerfeld’s novel Uglies. These texts all depict a struggle between being recognised and accepted in society and the desire to remain true to one’s self, exploring the paradoxical nature of belonging which, on one hand, provides fulfilment, but also…
A Triangular Theory of Love This article presents a triangular theory of love. According to the theory, love has three components: (a) intimacy, which encompasses the feelings of closeness, connectedness, and bondedness one experiences in loving relationships; (b) passion, which encompasses the drives that lead to romance, physical attraction, and sexual consummation; and (c) decision/commitment, which encompasses, in the short term, the decision that one loves another, and in the long term, the…
Carraway, Characteristics, and the Confides of Dreams Narrators are a medium through which ideas held by characters in the book are intertwined with interpretations of the reader. The reader is guided by the perspective each narrator takes and has to consider this point of view when analyzing the content of the novel. The story is told through the eyes of a character who drifts between the background and foreground of conflict: many narrators are men of thought, not of action. Each narrator’s…
The Great Gatsby has become such a classic of American fiction that its avowed literary merits easily obscure those qualities that also made it (and continue to make it) a cult favorite. In a way, the early history of the book is a counterpoint to the history of J. D. Salinger the Catcher in the Rye, with both books ending up as perennial favorites. The difference is that Catcher was a cult favorite first and then a critical success, whereas The Great Gatsby was praised by the critics long before…
Mogens appears at first naïve in his manner of approaching romantic relationships. Homeschooled, Mogens learned of life from his mother as the two “indulged each other in everyway” (19). An insight into his relationship with his mother is provided when Mogens speaks fondly of her “tiny, tiny” (19) stature and how in her last years he would lift her frail little body around the park and garden, also a possible explanation for his love for nature as a reminder of his beloved mother. Nomadic and still reeling…
Humankind’s cultural legacy is everything in our world that man has learned and created, in order for man to live collectively and communally. It is the tangible expressions used in art, literature, architecture and all other forms of emotional expression. Advances and innovations in technology have transformed art, music, performing arts, and the human society. (Fiero) The birds in the tree, the sound of traffic, car radios humming, these are sounds of the hustle and bustle of a city. These…
WALLS Society has undergone a massive change in the last few decades, with respect to both economic and social environment. And this change has affected people of all age groups, starting from children and adolescents to the young, middle aged and old. The pressures to perform either at school/college level or at jobs are enormously high. Tinged with competition, technological advancement as well as the increasing materialism, and hence with changing norms for social status and respect has set people…
