What was romanticism a reaction against? Discuss the major features of the romantic movement.
Romanticism was a reaction against the materialism, rationalism as well as the empiricism. It was completely hostile to the materialistic and the scientific view of the life. Jean Rousseau was designated as the father of the romanticism. The central features of the romanticism are as follows:
According to the romanticism the logic and reasoning are of least importance against the feelings and the emotions. Romanticism has the great impact on the music, literature, poetry and art. Romanticism directs the people toward the spontaneity as well as subjectivity. Romanticism renewed the interest of the society towards the nativism.
Romanticism was more towards the truth of imagination, which was related to the feelings and emotions in comparison with the scientific truth. Romanticism emphasized on the imagination and called it as the positive force towards the life. In romanticism the nature is explored as the force of living.
A religious response was developed for the nature. It was assumed that the nature is created by the god. During the romantic period poor people, beggars, people with obsessive characters and the tramps were considered as the important part of the society.