Features of Black Romanticism

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Each epoch has its own features and characteristics. Romanticism has an undercurrent that bears the name "Black Romanticism" or also Schauerromantik. Even if it is rather unknown, Black Romanticism has many famous representatives and works.

The subjects of Black Romanticism covered were often grim.
The subjects of Black Romanticism covered were often grim.

Contents of the black romance

  • The Black Romanticism or also often called Schauerromantik, describes a countercurrent to the time of the Romanticism, which towards the end of the 18th century. Century both in the literature as also emerged in art.
  • A feature of this undercurrent is that it deals with the dark side of humans. Topics are fears, negative dreams, delusions and also death. In general, it is about the representation of the uncanny and often the irrational as well as the evil.
  • One of the main representatives of Black Romanticism in Germany is Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann. He was fascinated by the human downside described and experimented with things like hypnosis and telepathy. Furthermore, he is said to have often written his works while intoxicated with drugs and alcohol.
  • One of his most famous works is The Sandman, which the story told by Nathanael. Within the story, this character repeatedly gets lost in dark dreams and dies at the end of the story. Even its name "Nathanael" is an allusion to life and death. In Greek, Natal stands for birth and Thanatos for the god of death.
  • A representative from the visual arts is Caspar David Friedrich, who was born in Dresden. His pictures also have a typical melancholy character and often deal with being and passing away.
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  • Other famous international representatives of this period are Edgar Allan Poe, Charles Baudelaire and Lord Byron.

Characteristics of romance

  • As already described, Black Romanticism was the countercurrent to Romanticism. Therefore, the real romance has other characterizing features.
  • In literature, romanticism is further subdivided into early romanticism, high romanticism and late romanticism. The period of this epoch is fluid like any other epoch, but it can be extended to the late 18th and 19th centuries. Century to the middle of the 19th Century.
  • Romance deals with aspects and themes such as feelings and passion. The focus is on people's longings, such as the wanderlust dealt with in various works and wanderlust in general. The beauty of nature also has a special place. She also criticizes the age of the Enlightenment, which was shaped more by reason.
  • Romanticism had its origins in Germany and had an impact on the whole Europe. Not only has literature and the arts been influenced, but philosophy, society, science and the arts too politics.

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