Romanticism in art and literature

Romanticism in Art and Literature

Romanticism was a cultural movement in Europe that encompassed literature, art, music and philosophical beliefs.  It was in part a reaction to the Enlightenment and its neoclassical approach, as well as a rejection of the changes in society as a result of the Industrial Revolution.

This assignment requires that you pair two works from the Romantic period – art and literature – to gain a deeper understanding of way which different forms express similar ideas, and in which art and literature were both part of a larger cultural movement.

Identify a painting and a short work of fiction (if it is a longer piece, choose an excerpt) that expresses at least one clear and key characteristic of Romanticism.  You may choose a text from class or from outside class.

Discuss their thematic connection in a coherent and MLA-formatted essay of 4-5 pages (typed, double spaced). 

This essay is worth 15% of your course grade. 

This is not a research essay.  I am not interested in what Wikipedia or an article you found on JSTOR has to say about this topic.  Base your analysis of the texts on class discussions/materials.  Grades of essays that use outside sources (even if amazingly academic) in a substantial way (beyond a simple quote for example) will be lowered.

I suggest using Wordsworth as his poems are short and perhaps a romantic piece of art… this shouldn’t be difficult if you google it.