From the Romantic poems we've read so far, I've noticed that the afterlife has definitely been an important topic. In "Thanatopsis," Bryant discusses how after death, one "shalt lie down with patriarchs of the infant world." Thus, after death every person becomes equal, regardless of their economic or social class in life. Again, in Longfellow's "A Psalm of Life," the idea of the afterlife is introduced. In this poem, Longfellow urges the reader to recognize that death is not bad, but merely a transition into another life.
My question is, why were the Romantics so obsessed with the afterlife? Was there obsession with it simply a rejection of neoclassical rationalism? Or were they trying to embrace religion?
-Bryce C.
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While the Neoclassics enjoyed discussing rational and reasonable things that they could control, the Romantics were attempting to move discussion topics in the opposite direction. The idea of the afterlife is one that remains shrouded in mystery and cannot be, for the most part, logically explained. It seems only natural that the Romantics would embrace the discussion of the afterlife as a way of rejecting the neoclassic tendencies of the previous generation.
ReplyDelete-Tara
I agree with Tara. Many of the work we read in class discussed about death and the afterlife and many of the authors had their own interpretation of the afterlife. The Romantics approached a different topic than neoclassicists in their writing They focused on more of the obscure topics like death instead of logical topics.
ReplyDelete-Joanne
Agreed. The unknown is romantic. What do we know less about than the afterlife?
ReplyDelete-Colin
I don't think they were trying to embrace religion. From the readings I didn't get the idea that they were very religious. Everyone at that time believed, but the romantics didn't seem to believe more, at least not in the traditional religion. They talked about God in his relationship to nature, and not to the Church or any type of organized religion.
ReplyDeleteI think Colin put it well. The afterlife is unknown and thus it is romantic. There is no concrete rational proof for an afterlife or one type over the other. Belief is a matter of faith. Becasue of this, it is more a romantic topic and something the neoclassists did not discuss.
~Becca