The Romantic movement which began in the late 8th century reflected the irrational, illusory, exotic, naïve and untrained aspects of society. It presented human emotion with a complex natural grandeur that subtly transcends all human capacities and concerns. Dealing with the affairs of the upper classes. Its characteristics tend to borrow from Christianity with a secularised Christ-like hero that triumphs over industry, technology and civilisation. We see these themes staunchly presented in novels such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethes 774 The Sorrows of Young Werther where Werther is enamored with Charlotte and proceeds to have a passionate love affair with her despite her impending marriage to Albert, he also starkly rejects pressure from his family to join their stifling bourgeois life and ultimately, to release his sorrows and anger, Werther commits a tragic suicide due to an unobtainable pursuit of love. We sympathise with Werthers impassioned and unconventional attitude to love however the story seems to be subtly underpinned by a sense of melodrama and impracticality. Romantic poetry in particular showcased some of the periods most prominent works. One of Wordsworths most famous poems of his canon Daff
odils staunchly reinforces this notion. In the poem the speaker is presented as being wholly immersed in nature, the reverse personification exhibited as they wander lonely as a cloud is paralleled in the personification of the naturalistic imagery such as the daffodils fluttering and dancing in the breeze as the waves around them danced( footnote). The speaker goes on to describe the way nature counteracts the negativity and solidarity they feel, and that the speaker can think of the idyllic scene of the daffodils to restore balance to their life. The unification of man with nature epitomises the principles of romanticism, attempting to alter our sensibilities in a growing world of consumerism and technology. This sense of over idealisation of human capacity could perhaps create a strong sense of disillusionment for the reader. Romanticism creates an unobtainable reality in which the reader lives vicariously through feeling a sense of premature adolescence and excitement. However, there can also be a coldness and dogmatism towards all aspects of modernity that begin to override its illusion. Such criticisms of romanticism as well as a desire for change this illusory perception of life, gave birth to realism.