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.