1 romanticism as a literary movement. Romanticism in Russian literature

Romanticism - (from French romantism) - ideological and aesthetic and artistic direction, which took shape in European art at the turn of the 18th - 19th centuries and dominated music and literature for seven to eight decades *. The interpretation of the word "romanticism" itself is ambiguous, and the very appearance of the term "romanticism" in different sources interpreted in different ways.

So originally the word romance in Spain meant lyrical and heroic songs - romances... Subsequently, the word was transferred to epic poems about knights - novels. A little later, prose stories about the same knights began to be called novels *. In the 17th century, the epithet served to characterize adventurous and heroic plots and works written in Romance languages, in contrast to the languages ​​of classical antiquity.

For the first time, romanticism as a literary term appears in Novalis.

In the 18th century in England, the term "romanticism" came into widespread use after it was put forward by the Schlegel brothers and appeared in the journal Atoneum published by them. Romanticism began to denote the literature of the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

In the second half of the 18th century, the writer Germaine de Stael transferred the term to France, and then it spread to other countries.

German philosopher Friedrich Schlegel derived the name of a new direction in literature from the term "novel", believing that it is this genre, in contrast to English and classicistic tragedy, that expresses the spirit modern era... And, indeed, the novel flourished in the 19th century, which gave the world many masterpieces of this genre.

Already at the end of the 18th century, it was customary to call everything fantastic or, in general, extraordinary (what happens “as in novels”) romantic. Therefore, the new poetry, which rarely differs from the classicistic and educational poetry that preceded it, was also called romantic, and the novel was recognized as its main genre.

At the end of the 18th century, the word "romanticism" began to denote an artistic direction that opposed itself to classicism. Having inherited many of its progressive features from the Enlightenment, romanticism, at the same time, was associated with deep disappointment both in the Enlightenment itself and in the successes of the entire new civilization as a whole *.

Romantics, in contrast to the classicists (who made their support the culture of antiquity), relied on the culture of the Middle Ages and modern times.

In search of spiritual renewal, romantics often came to the idealization of the past, viewed, as romantic, Christian literature and religious myths.

It was the focus on the inner world of the individual in Christian literature that became the prerequisite for romantic art.

The master of minds at that time was the English poet George Gordon Byron. He creates " hero XIX centuries ”, - the image of a lonely person, a brilliant thinker who has no place for himself in life.

Deep disappointment in life, in history, pessimism is felt in many sensations of that time. An agitated, excited tone, a gloomy, thickened atmosphere - these are the characteristic signs of romantic art.

Romanticism was born under the sign of the denial of the cult of the omnipotent reason. And therefore, the true knowledge of life, as the romantics believe, is not provided by science, not philosophy, but art. Only an artist with the help of his ingenious intuition can understand reality.

Romantics elevate the artist to a pedestal, almost deify him, for he is endowed with a special sensitivity, a special intuition that allows him to penetrate into the essence of things. Society cannot forgive the artist for his genius, it cannot understand his insights, and therefore he is in sharp contradiction with society, rebelling against it, hence one of the main themes of romanticism - the theme of the artist's deep misunderstanding, his rebellion and defeat, his loneliness and death.

Romantics dreamed not of a partial improvement of life, but of a holistic solution of all its contradictions. Romantics were characterized by a thirst for perfection - one of the important features of the romantic outlook.

In this regard, VG Belinsky's term "romanticism" extends to the entire historical and spiritual life: "Romanticism is not only one art, not just poetry: its sources, in which the sources of both art and poetry - in life. "*

Despite the penetration of romanticism into all aspects of life, in the hierarchy of the arts of romanticism, music was given the most honorable place, since feeling reigns in it and therefore creativity finds the highest goal in it a romantic artist... For music, from the point of view of romantics, does not comprehend the world in abstract terms, but reveals its emotional essence. Schlegel, Hoffmann - the largest representatives romanticism - they argued that thinking in sounds is higher than thinking in concepts. For music embodies feelings so deep and elemental that they cannot be expressed in words.

In an effort to assert their ideals, romantics turn not only to religion and the past, but also take an interest in various arts and the natural world, exotic countries and folklore... They oppose material values ​​to spiritual ones; it is in the life of the spirit of romance that they see the highest value.

The main thing becomes inner world man - his microcosm, craving for the unconscious, the cult of the individual generates a genius that does not obey generally accepted rules.

In addition to lyrics, in the world of musical romanticism, fantastic images were of great importance. Fantastic images gave a sharp contrast to reality, at the same time intertwining with it. Thanks to this, science fiction itself revealed different facets to the listener. Science fiction acted as freedom of imagination, a play of thought and feeling. The hero fell into a fairy tale, not real world, in which good and evil, beauty and ugliness collided.

Romantic artists sought salvation in flight from the brutal reality.

Another sign of romanticism is an interest in nature. For romantics, nature is the island of salvation from the troubles of civilization. Nature consoles and heals the restless soul of the romantic hero.

In an effort to show the most diverse people, to reflect all the diversity of life, composers - romantics chose the art of musical portraiture, which often led to parody and grotesque.

In music, the direct outpouring of feeling becomes philosophical, and the landscape and portrait are imbued with lyricism and draw to generalizations.

The romantic interest in life in all its manifestations is inextricably linked with the desire to recreate the lost harmony and integrity. Hence - the interest in history, folklore, interpreted as the most integral, undistorted by civilization.

It is the interest in folklore in the era of romanticism that contributes to the emergence of several national schools of composition, reflecting local musical traditions... Under the conditions of national schools, romanticism retained much in common and at the same time showed a noticeable originality in stylistics, plots, ideas, and favorite genres.

Since romanticism saw in all arts a single meaning and a single main goal - merging with the mysterious essence of life, the idea of ​​a synthesis of arts acquired a new meaning.

This is how the idea arises of bringing all types of art closer together, so that music can draw and tell about the sounds of the content of the novel and tragedy, poetry in its musicality would approach the art of sound, and painting would convey the images of literature.

Compound different types art made it possible to increase the impact of the impression, enhanced the greater integrity of perception. In the fusion of music, theater, painting, poetry, color effects, new opportunities have opened up for all types of arts.

In literature, the artistic handicap is being renewed, new genres are being created, such as historical novels, fantastic stories, lyric - epic poems. The main character of what is being created is the lyrics. Possibilities poetic word were expanded due to ambiguity, condensed metaphor and discoveries in the field of versification, rhythm.

It becomes possible not only the synthesis of arts, but also the penetration of one genre into another, there is a mixture of the tragic and the comic, high and low, a vivid demonstration of the conventions of forms begins.

So, the main aesthetic principle in romantic literature becomes an image of beauty. The criterion of the romantically beautiful is the new, the unknown. The mixture of the unknown and the unknown romance is considered a particularly valuable, especially expressive means.

In addition to new criteria for beauty, special theories of romantic humor or irony have appeared. They are often found in Byron, Hoffmann, they depict a limited outlook on life. It is from this irony that the sarcasm of the romantics will then grow. There will be a grotesque portrait of Hoffmann, Byron's impetuous passion and the antithesis of passion in Hugo.

CHAPTER I. ROMANCE AND SELF-EXPERIENCE

ROMANTIC HERO IN THE WORKS OF AS PUSHKIN.

Romanticism in Russia arose somewhat later than in the West. The soil for the emergence of Russian romanticism was not only the French bourgeois revolution, the war of 1812, but also the very Russian reality of the end of the 18th century. early XIX century.

As noted, V.A.Zhukovsky was the founder of Russian romanticism. His poetry impressed with its novelty and uniqueness.

But, undoubtedly, the true origin of romanticism in Russia is associated with the work of A.S. Pushkin.

Pushkin's "Prisoner of the Caucasus" is, perhaps, the first work of the romantic school, where a portrait of a romantic hero is given *. Despite the fact that the details of the portrait of the Prisoner are sparse, they are given very definitely in order to emphasize the special position of this character as best as possible: "high brow", "sarcastic grin", "burning eyes" and so on. The parallel between the emotional state of the Prisoner and the ensuing storm is also interesting:

And the prisoner, from the mountain height,

Alone, behind a thundercloud,

I waited for the return of the sun,

Unattainable by a thunderstorm

And storms to the feeble howl,

I listened with some joy. *

At the same time, the Prisoner, like many other romantic heroes, is shown as a lonely person, misunderstood by those around him and standing above others. His inner strength, his genius and fearlessness is shown through the opinions of other people, in particular his enemies:

His careless boldness

The terrible Circassians marveled,

Spared his young age

And in a whisper among themselves

They were proud of their booty.

In addition, Pushkin does not stop there. The story of the life of a romantic hero is given as a hint. Through the lines we guess that the Prisoner was fond of literature, led a stormy high life, did not appreciate her, constantly participating in duels.

All this colorful life of the Prisoner led him not only to displeasure, but also resulted in a break with those around him, in flight to foreign lands. It was by being a wanderer:

Apostate of light, friend of nature,

He left his native limit

And flew to a distant land

With a cheerful ghost of freedom.

It was the thirst for freedom and the experience of love that made the Prisoner leave motherland, and he goes for the "ghost of freedom" in foreign lands.

Another important impetus for flight was the former love, which, like many others romantic heroes, was non-reciprocal:

No, I did not know mutual love,

Loved alone, suffered alone;

And I go out like a smoky flame,

Forgotten among empty valleys.

In many romantic works, a distant exotic land and the people inhabiting it were the goal of the escape of the romantic hero. It was in foreign countries that the romantic hero wanted to find the long-awaited freedom, harmony between man and nature *. This new world, which attracted a romantic hero from afar, becomes alien to the Prisoner, in this world the Prisoner becomes a slave *

And again the romantic hero strives for freedom, now freedom for him is personified with the Cossacks, with the help of whom he wants to get it. He needs freedom from captivity in order to obtain the highest freedom, to which he aspired both at home and in captivity.

The return of the Prisoner to his homeland is not shown in the poem. The author allows the readers to determine for themselves: whether the Prisoner will achieve freedom, or become a "traveler", "exile."

As in many romantic works, the poem depicts an alien people - the Circassians *. Pushkin introduces into the poem genuine information about the people, taken from the publication "Northern Bee".

This ambiguity of mountain freedom fully corresponded to the character of romantic thought. This development of the concept of freedom was associated not with morally low, but with cruel one. Despite this, the curiosity of the Prisoner, like any other romantic hero, makes him sympathize with one side of the life of the Circassians and be indifferent to others.

"The Fountain of Bakhchisarai" is one of the few works of Alexander Pushkin, which begins not with a descriptive headpiece, but with a portrait of a romantic hero. In this portrait, everyone meets typical features the hero-romantic: "Girey sat with downcast eyes", "the old brow expresses the excitement of the heart", "what moves a proud soul?" ".

As in " Prisoner of the Caucasus", In the" Bakhchisarai Fountain "there is a force that pushed the Prisoner to embark on a long journey. What burdens Khan Giray? Only after three times asked questions, the author replies that the death of Mary took away the last hope from the khan.

The khan experiences the bitterness of the loss of his beloved woman with the super emotional tension of a romantic hero:

He is often fatal

Raise the saber, and with a swing

Suddenly remains motionless,

Looks around with madness

Turns pale as if full of fear

And something whispers and sometimes

Burning tears pouring in a river.

The image of Giray is given against the background of two female images, which are no less interesting from the point of view of romantic ideas. Two female destinies reveal two types of love: one sublime, "above the world and passions", and the other - earthly, passionate.

Maria is portrayed as a favorite image of romantics - an image of purity and spirituality. At the same time, love is not alien to Mary, she just has not yet woken up in her. Mary is distinguished by severity, harmony of the soul.

Maria, like many romantic heroines, faced with a choice between liberation and slavery. She finds a way out of this situation in humility, which only emphasizes her spiritual principle, faith in a higher power. Starting her confession, Zarema opens before Maria the world of passions inaccessible to her. Maria understands that all ties with life are cut off, and like many romantic heroes, she is disappointed in life, not finding a way out of this situation.

The prehistory of Zarema takes place against the backdrop of an exotic country, which is her homeland. Description of distant countries, typical for romantics, merges in the "Bakhchisarai Fountain" with the fate of the heroine. Life in a harem for her is not a prison, but a dream that has become a reality. The harem is the world into which Zarema runs to hide from everything that came before.

In addition to internal psychological states, the romantic nature of Zarema is portrayed purely externally. For the first time in the poem, Zarema appears in the pose of Girey. She is portrayed as indifferent to everything. Both Zarema and Girey lost their love, which was the meaning of their lives. Like many romantic heroes, they received only disappointment from love.

Thus, all three main characters of the poem are depicted at critical moments in life. The current situation seems to be the worst that could only happen in the life of each of them. Death for them becomes inevitable or desirable. In all three cases main reason suffering is a love feeling that has been rejected or non-reciprocal.

Despite the fact that all three main characters can be called romantics, only Khan Girey is shown in the most psychological way, it is with him that the conflict of the entire poem is associated. His character is shown in the development from a barbarian with passions to a medieval knight with delicate feelings. The feeling that flared up in Girey for Mary turned his soul and mind upside down. Without understanding why, he guards Mary and bows down to her.

In AS Pushkin's poem "The Gypsies", in comparison with the previous poems, the central character - the romantic hero Alekodan is not only descriptive, but also effective. (Aleko thinks, he freely expresses his thoughts and feelings, he is against generally accepted rules, against the power of money, he is against cities with their civilization. Aleko stands for freedom, for a return to nature, its harmony.)

Aleko not only argues, but also confirms his theory in practice. The hero leaves to live free nomadic people- to the gypsies. For Aleko, life with gypsies is as much a departure from civilization as the flight of other romantic heroes to distant countries or fabulous, mystical worlds.

The craving for the mystical (especially among Western romantics) finds a way out in Pushkin's dreams of Aleko. Dreams predict and prophesy future events in Aleko's life.

Aleko himself not only “takes” from the gypsies the freedom they desire, but also brings social harmony into their lives. For him, love is not only a strong feeling, but also that on which his whole spiritual world, his whole life stands. The loss of his beloved for him is the collapse of the entire surrounding world.

Aleko's conflict is built not only on disappointment in love, but goes deeper. On the one hand, the society in which he lived earlier cannot give him freedom and will, on the other hand, gypsy freedom cannot give harmony, constancy and happiness in love. Aleko does not need freedom in love, which does not impose any obligations on each other.

The conflict gives rise to the murder committed by Aleko. His act is not limited to jealousy, his act is a protest against life, which cannot give him the existence he wants.

Thus, Pushkin's romantic hero is disappointed in his dream, a free gypsy life, he rejects what he had been striving for until recently.

Aleko's fate looks tragic not only because of his disappointment in the love of freedom, but also because Pushkin provides a possible outlet for Aleko, which sounds in the story of an old gypsy.

In the life of the old man there was a similar case, but he did not become a "disappointed romantic hero", he was reconciled with fate. The old man, unlike Aleko, considers freedom to be a right for everyone, he does not forget his beloved, but resigns himself to her will, refraining from revenge and resentment.

CHAPTER II. THE PERSONALITY OF A ROMANTIC HERO IN POEM

M. Yu. LERMONTOVA “MTSYRI” AND “DEMON”.

The life and fate of M. Yu. Lermontov are like a bright comet that for a moment illuminated the sky of Russian spiritual life in the thirties. Wherever this amazing person, exclamations of admiration and curse were heard. The jewelery perfection of his poems amazed with both the grandeur of the plan and the invincible skepticism, the power of denial.

One of the most romantic poems in all Russian literature is the poem "Mtsyri" (1839). This poem harmoniously combines the patriotic idea with the theme of freedom. Lermontov does not share these concepts: into one, but “ fiery passion»Love for the motherland and thirst for will merge. The monastery becomes a prison for Mtsyri, he himself seems to be a slave and a prisoner. His desire "to find out - for the will or prison, we were born into this world" is due to a passionate impulse for freedom. Short days escapes become for him a temporarily acquired will: he lived only outside the monastery, and did not vegetate.

Already at the beginning of the poem "Mtsyri" we feel the romantic mood that the central character of the poem brings. Perhaps the appearance, the portrait of the hero does not betray a romantic hero in him, but his exclusivity, exclusivity, and mystery are emphasized by the dynamics of his actions.

As is usually the case in other romantic works, the decisive crucial moment takes place against the backdrop of the elements. Mtsyri's departure from the monastery takes place in a storm: *

At the hour of the night, a terrible hour,

When the thunderstorm frightened you

When, bowing down at the altar,

You were lying on the ground,

I ran. Oh i'm like a brother

A hug with a storm would be glad. *

The romantic character of the hero is also emphasized by the parallelism between the storm and the feelings of the romantic hero. Against the background of the elements, the loneliness of the protagonist will stand out even more sharply. The storm, as it were, protects Mtsyri from all other people, but he is not afraid and does not suffer from this. Nature and as part of it the storm penetrates into Mtsyri, they merge with him; the romantic hero is looking for will and freedom in the playing out of the elements, which was lacking in the monastery walls. And as Yu. V. Mann wrote: “In the illumination of lightning, the puny figure of the boy grows almost to the gigantic size of Galiath. "* Regarding this scene, VG Belinsky also writes:" You see what a fiery soul, what a mighty spirit, what a gigantic nature this Mtsyri has. "*

The very content, the actions of the hero - flight to a distant land, beckoning with happiness and freedom, can occur only in a romantic work with a romantic hero. But at the same time, the hero from "Mtsyri" is somewhat unusual, since the author does not give a clue, the impetus that was the reason for the escape. The hero himself does not want to leave for an unknown, mysterious, fairy-tale world, but only tries to return to the place from which he was recently pulled out. Rather, this can be regarded not as an escape to an exotic country, but as a return to nature, to its harmonious life... Therefore, in the poem there are frequent references to the birds, trees, clouds of his homeland.

The hero of "Mtsyri" is going to return to his native land, as he sees his homeland in an idealized form: "a wonderful land of worries and battles." The natural environment for the hero takes place in violence and cruelty: "the shine of the poisoned sheath of long daggers." This environment seems to him beautiful, free. Despite the friendly disposition of the monks who warmed the orphan, the image of evil is personified in the monastery, which will then affect the actions of Mtsyri. Will attracts Mtsyri more than a matter pleasing to God; instead of a vow, he flees the monastery. He does not condemn the monastic laws, does not put his own order above the monastic ones. So Mtsyri, in spite of all this, is ready to exchange “paradise and eternity” for a moment of life at home.

Although the romantic hero of the poem did no harm to anyone, unlike other romantic heroes *, he still remains alone. Loneliness is further emphasized because of Mtsyri's desire to be with people, to share joys and troubles with them.

The forest, as a part of nature, becomes for Mtsyri either friend or foe. The forest simultaneously gives the hero strength, freedom and harmony, and also at the same time takes away his strength, tramples on his desire to find happiness in his homeland.

But not only the forest and wild animals become an obstacle on his path and goal achievement. His irritation and annoyance with people and nature grows onto himself. Mtsyri understands that not only external obstacles hinder him, but he cannot overcome the feeling of his own hunger, physical fatigue. Irritation and pain increase in his soul, not because there is no specific person to blame for his misfortune, but because he cannot find the harmony of life only because of some circumstances and the state of his soul.

B. Eheybaum concluded that last words young men - "And I will not curse anyone" - do not at all express the idea of ​​"reconciliation", but serve as an expression of a sublime, albeit tragic, state of consciousness. “He does not curse anyone, because no one is individually guilty of his tragic outcome of his struggle with fate. "*

Like many romantic heroes, Mtsyri's fate does not develop happily. Hero-romantic does not achieve his dream, he dies. Death comes as a deliverance from suffering and crosses out his dream. From the very first lines of the poem, the ending of the poem "Mtsyri" becomes clear. We perceive all subsequent confession as a description of Mtsyri's failures. And as Yu. V. Mann thinks: “Three days” Mtsyri is a dramatic analogue of his whole life, if it had passed in freedom, sad and sad by its distance from it. and the inevitability of defeat. "*

In Lermontov's poem "The Demon", the romantic hero is none other than an evil spirit personifying evil. What could be in common between a demon and other romantic heroes?

The demon, like other romantic heroes, was expelled, he is a “exile of paradise”, like other heroes are exiles or fugitives. The demon also brings new features to the portrait of the heroes of romanticism. So the Demon, unlike other romantic heroes, begins to take revenge, he is not free from evil feelings. Instead of seeking to expel, he cannot feel and see.

Like other romantic heroes, the Demon seeks to his native element ("I want to be reconciled with the sky"), from where he was expelled *. His moral revival is full of hope, but he wishes to return unrepentant. He does not admit his guilt before God. And he accuses people created by God of lies and betrayal.

And as Yu. V. Mann writes: “But it has never happened before that, making a“ vow ”of reconciliation, a hero in the same speech, at the same time, continued his rebellion and, returning to his god, at the same the very moment called for a new flight. "*

The Demon's originality as a romantic hero is associated with the Demon's ambiguous attitude towards good and evil. Because of this, in the fate of the Demon, these two opposite concepts are closely intertwined. So, the death of Tamara's fiancé stems from goodness - a feeling of love for Tamara. The very death of Tamara also grows from the Demon's love:

Alas! Evil spirit triumphed!

The deadly poison of his kiss

Instantly penetrated her chest.

An agonizing, terrible cry

The night was outraged by the silence.

The same kind feeling - love breaks the calm coldness of the Demon's soul. Evil, of which he himself is personified, melts from the feeling of love. It is love that makes the Demon suffer and feel, like other romantic heroes.

All this gives the right to rank the Demon not among the creatures of hell, but to put him in an intermediate position between good and evil. The demon himself personifies the close connection between good and evil, their mutual transition from one state to another.

Perhaps this is where the poem's double-digit ending comes from. The Demon's defeat can be considered both conciliatory and irreconcilable, since the conflict of the poem itself remained unresolved.

CONCLUSION.

Romanticism is one of the most unexplored creative methods, they talked and argued a lot about romanticism. At the same time, many pointed to the lack of clarity of the very concept of "romanticism".

Romanticism was debated when it first appeared and even when the method reached its peak. Discussions about romanticism flared up even when the method tended to decline, arguing to this day about its origin and development. this work set herself the goal of tracing the main features of the romantic style, characteristic of music and literature.

In this work, the most famous poets of the Russian era of romanticism were taken.

You will find out who was the representative of romanticism in literature by reading this article.

Representatives of romanticism in literature

Romanticism is an ideological and artistic direction that arose in American and European culture of the late 18th century - early 19th century, as a reaction to the aesthetics of classicism. At first, romanticism developed in the 1790s in German poetry and philosophy, and later spread to France, England and other countries.

Basic ideas of romanticism- recognition of the values ​​of spiritual and creative life, the right to freedom and independence. In literature, the heroes have a rebellious strong disposition, and the plots were distinguished by the intensity of passions.

The main representatives of romanticism in the literature of Russia in the XIX century

Russian romanticism combined a human personality, enclosed in a beautiful and mysterious world harmony, high feelings and beauty. Representatives of this romanticism in their works depicted not the real world and the main character, filled with experiences and thoughts.

• Representatives of romanticism in England

The works are distinguished by gloomy Gothic, religious content, elements of the culture of the workers, national folklore and the peasant class. The peculiarity of English romanticism is that the authors describe in detail travels, wanderings to distant lands, as well as their research. The most famous authors and works: "Childe Harold's Travel", "Manfred" and "Oriental Poems", "Ivanhoe".

• Representatives of romanticism in Germany

For development German romanticism in literature was influenced by philosophy, which promoted freedom and individualism of the individual. The works are filled with reflections on the existence of a person, his soul. They are also distinguished by mythological and fairy-tale motives. The most famous authors and works: fairy tales, short stories and novels, fairy tales, works.

• Representatives of the romanticism of America

Romanticism developed much later in American literature than in Europe. Literary works are divided into 2 types - oriental (supporters of plantation) and abolitionist (those who support the rights of slaves, their emancipation). They are filled with keen feelings of struggle for independence, equality and freedom. Representatives of American Romanticism - ("The Fall of the House of Usher", ("Ligeia"), Washigton Irving ("The Ghost Groom", "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"), Nathaniel Hawthorne ("The House of Seven Gables", "The Scarlet Letter"), Fenimore Cooper (The Last of the Mohicans), Harriet Beecher Stowe (Uncle Tom's Cabin), (The Legend of Hiawatha), Herman Melville (Typee, Moby Dick) and (Leaves of Grass poetry) ...

We hope that from this article you have learned all about the most prominent representatives trends of romanticism in literature.

The era of romanticism occupies an important place in world art. This direction has existed enough a small amount of time in the history of literature, painting and music, but left a big mark in the formation of trends, the creation of images and plots. We suggest that you familiarize yourself with this phenomenon in more detail.

Romanticism is an artistic trend in culture, characterized by the depiction of strong passions, an ideal world and the struggle of an individual with society.

The very word "romanticism" at first had the meaning of "mystical", "unusual", but later acquired a slightly different meaning: "different", "new", "progressive".

History of origin

The period of romanticism falls on the end of the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century. The crisis of classicism and the excessive publicism of the Enlightenment led to the transition from the cult of reason to the cult of feeling. The connecting link between classicism and romanticism was sentimentalism, in which feeling became rational and natural. He became a kind of source of a new direction. The romantics went further and completely immersed themselves in irrational reflections.

The origins of romanticism began to emerge in Germany, which by that time was popular literary movement"Sturm und Drang". His adherents expressed quite radical ideas, which served to develop a romantic rebellious mood among them. The development of romanticism continued already in France, Russia, England, USA and other countries. Caspar David Friedrich is considered the founder of romanticism in painting. The ancestor in Russian literature is Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky.

The main currents of romanticism were folklore (based on folk art), Byronic (melancholy and loneliness), grotesque-fantastic (image unreal world), utopian (search for the ideal) and Voltaire (description of historical events).

Main features and principles

The main characteristic of romanticism is the predominance of feeling over reason. From reality, the author takes the reader into perfect world or he languishes for him. Hence one more sign - a double world, created according to the principle of "romantic antithesis".

Romanticism can rightfully be considered an experimental direction in which fantastic images are skillfully woven into works. Escapism, that is, escape from reality, is achieved by motives of the past or immersion in mysticism. The author chooses science fiction, the past, exoticism or folklore as a means of escaping reality.

Displaying human emotions through nature is another feature of romanticism. If we talk about the originality in the image of a person, then often he appears to the reader alone, atypical. The motive of the "superfluous person" appears, a rebel, disillusioned with civilization and fighting against the elements.

Philosophy

The spirit of romanticism was imbued with the category of the sublime, that is, the contemplation of the beautiful. Adherents new era tried to rethink religion, explaining it as a feeling of infinity, and put the idea of ​​the inexplicability of mystical phenomena above the ideas of atheism.

The essence of romanticism was the struggle of man against society, the predominance of sensuality over rationality.

How romanticism manifested itself

In art, romanticism manifested itself in all areas except architecture.

In music

The composers of romanticism looked at music in a new way. The loneliness motif sounded in the melodies great attention paid to conflict and duality, with the help of a personal tone, the authors added autobiography to the works for self-expression, new techniques were used: for example, the expansion of the timbre palette of sound.

As in literature, an interest in folklore appeared here, and fantastic images were added to operas. The main genres in musical romanticism the previously unpopular song and miniature, opera and overture, as well as poem genres: fantasy, ballad and others, became previously unpopular. The most famous representatives of this trend are Tchaikovsky, Schubert and Liszt. Examples of works: Berlioz "Fantastic Story", Mozart "The Magic Flute" and others.

In painting

The aesthetics of romanticism has its own unique character. The most popular genre in romanticism paintings is landscape. For example, one of the most prominent representatives Russian romanticism Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky is a stormy sea ​​element("Sea with a ship"). One of the first romantic artists, Caspar David Friedrich, introduced a third-person landscape into painting, showing a person from the back against a background of mysterious nature and creating the feeling that we are looking through the eyes of this character (examples of works: “Two contemplating the moon”, “Rocky the coast of Ryugin Island "). The superiority of nature over man and his loneliness is especially felt in the painting "Monk on the Seashore".

The visual arts in the era of romanticism became experimental. William Turner preferred to create canvases with sweeping strokes, with almost imperceptible details ("Blizzard. Steamer at the entrance to the harbor"). In turn, the harbinger of realism, Theodore Gericault, also painted pictures that have little resemblance to images of real life. For example, in the painting "The Raft of Medusa" people dying of hunger look like athletic heroes. If we talk about still lifes, then all the objects in the paintings are staged and cleaned (Charles Thomas Bale "Still Life with Grapes").

In literature

If in the era of the Enlightenment, with rare exceptions, there were no lyrical and lyrical epic genres, then in romanticism they play the main role... The works are distinguished by imagery, originality of the plot. Either this is an embellished reality, or these are completely fantastic situations. The hero of romanticism has exceptional qualities that influence his destiny. Books written two centuries ago are still in demand not only among schoolchildren and students, but also among all interested readers. Examples of works and representatives of the direction are presented below.

Abroad

Poets of the early 19th century include Heinrich Heine (The Book of Songs), William Wordsworth (Lyric Ballads), Percy Bysshe Shelley, John Keats, and George Noel Gordon Byron, author of Childe Harold's Pilgrimage. Historical novels by Walter Scott (for example, "", "Quentin Dorward"), novels by Jane Austen (""), poems and stories by Edgar Allan Poe ("", ""), stories by Washington Irving ("The Legend of Sleepy Hollow ") And the tales of one of the first representatives of romanticism Ernest Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (" The Nutcracker and the Mouse King "," ").

Also known are the works of Samuel Taylor Colrigde ("Tales of the Old Navigator") and Alfred de Musset ("Confessions of the Son of the Century"). It is noteworthy how easily the reader gets from the real world to the fictional one and back, as a result of which they both merge into one whole. This is partly achieved by the simple language of many works and the easy narration of such unusual things.

In Russia

Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky (elegy "", ballad "") is considered the founder of Russian romanticism. From the school curriculum, everyone is familiar with the poem by Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov "", where special attention is paid to the motive of loneliness. The poet was called the Russian Byron for a reason. Philosophical lyrics by Fyodor Ivanovich Tyutchev, early poems and poems by Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, poetry by Konstantin Nikolaevich Batyushkov and Nikolai Mikhailovich Yazykov - all this had a great influence on the development of Russian romanticism.

The early work of Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol is also presented in this direction (for example, mystical stories from the cycle ""). It is interesting that romanticism in Russia developed in parallel with classicism and sometimes these two directions did not contradict each other too sharply.

Romanticism is one of the most significant literary movements of the 19th century.

Romanticism is not easy literary direction, but also a certain worldview, a system of views on the world. It was formed in opposition to the ideology of the Enlightenment, which reigned throughout the 18th century, in repulsion from it.

All researchers agree that the most important event The one that played a role in the rise of Romanticism was the Great French Revolution, which began on July 14, 1789, when an angry people stormed the main royal prison of the Bastille, as a result of which France became first a constitutional monarchy and then a republic. The revolution became the most important stage in the formation of a modern republican, democratic Europe. Subsequently, she became a symbol of the struggle for freedom, equality, justice, and the improvement of the people's life.

However, the attitude towards the Revolution was far from unambiguous. Many thinking and creative people soon became disillusioned with it, since its results were revolutionary terror, Civil War, the wars of revolutionary France with almost all of Europe. And the society that emerged in France after the Revolution was very far from ideal: the people still lived in poverty. And since the Revolution was a direct result of the philosophical and socio-political ideas of the Enlightenment, the Enlightenment itself was disappointed. It was from this complex combination of charm and disillusionment with the Revolution and the Enlightenment that Romanticism was born. Romantics retained faith in the main ideals of the Enlightenment and Revolution - freedom, equality, social justice, etc.

But they were disappointed in the possibility of their real embodiment. There was an acute sense of the gap between the ideal and life. Therefore, romantics are characterized by two opposite tendencies: 1. reckless, naive enthusiasm, optimistic belief in the victory of lofty ideals; 2. absolute, gloomy disappointment in everything, in life in general. These are two sides of the same coin: absolute disappointment in life is the result of absolute belief in ideals.

Another important point regarding the relationship of romantics to the Enlightenment: in itself, the ideology of the Enlightenment at the beginning of the 19th century began to be perceived as outdated, boring, and did not meet expectations. After all, development proceeds according to the principle of repulsion from the previous one. Before Romanticism was the Enlightenment, and Romanticism pushed away from it.

So, what exactly was the effect of pushing away Romanticism from the Enlightenment?

In the 18th century, in the era of the Enlightenment, the cult of Reason reigned - rationalism - the idea that reason is the main quality of a person, with the help of reason, logic, science, a person is able to correctly understand, know the world and himself, and change both for the better.

1. The most important feature of romanticism has become irrationalism(anti-rationalism) - the idea that life is much more complicated than it seems to the human mind, life defies a reasonable, logical explanation. It is unpredictable, incomprehensible, contradictory, in short, irrational. And the most irrational, mysterious part of life is human soul... A person is very often ruled not by a bright mind, but by dark, uncontrolled, sometimes destructive passions. In the soul, the most opposite aspirations, feelings, thoughts can illogically coexist. Romantics paid serious attention and began to describe strange, irrational states of human consciousness: insanity, sleep, obsession with some kind of passion, a state of passion, illness, etc. Romanticism is characterized by a mockery of science, scientists, logic.

2. Romantics, following the sentimentalists, highlighted feelings, emotions that defy logic. Emotionality- the most important quality of a person from the point of view of Romanticism. A romantic is one who acts contrary to reason, petty calculation, romance is driven by emotions.

3. Most enlighteners were materialists, many romantics (but not all) were idealists and mystics... Idealists are those who believe that in addition to the material world there is a certain ideal, spiritual world, which consists of ideas, thoughts and which is much more important, more paramount than the material world. Mystics are not just those who believe in the existence of another world - mystical, otherworldly, supernatural, etc., they are those who believe that representatives of another world are able to penetrate into the real world, that in general a connection is possible between worlds, communication. Romantics willingly let mysticism into their works, described witches, sorcerers and other representatives evil spirits... In romantic works, there are often hints of a mystical explanation of the strange events taking place.

(Sometimes the concepts of "mystical" and "irrational" are identified, used as synonyms, which is not entirely correct. Often they really coincide, especially among romantics, but still, in general, these concepts mean different things. Everything mystical is usually irrational, but not everything irrational mystical).

4. Many romantics have inherent mystical fatalism- belief in Fate, Predestination. A person's life is controlled by some mystical (mostly dark) forces. Therefore, in some romantic works there are many mysterious predictions, strange hints that always come true. Heroes sometimes do things as if not themselves, but someone pushes them, as if some outside force is infiltrating them, which leads them to the realization of Destiny. Many works of romantics are imbued with the feeling of the inevitability of Destiny.

5. Duality- the most important feature of romanticism, generated by the bitter sense of the gap between the ideal and reality.

Romantics divided the world into two parts: the real world and the ideal world.

The real world is an ordinary, everyday, uninteresting, extremely imperfect world, a world in which ordinary people and bourgeois feel comfortable. Bourgeois are people who do not have deep spiritual interests, their ideal is material well-being, their own personal comfort and peace.

A characteristic feature of the typical romantic is a dislike for the bourgeoisie, for ordinary people, to the majority, to the crowd, contempt for real life, detachment from it, not fitting into it.

And the second world is the world of a romantic ideal, a romantic dream, where everything is beautiful, bright, where everything is the way the romantic dreams, this world does not exist in reality, but it should be. Romantic getaway- this is an escape from reality into the world of the ideal, into nature, art, into your inner world. Madness and suicide are also options for romantic getaways. Most suicides have a significant element of romanticism in their character.

7. Romantics do not like everything ordinary and strive for everything unusual, atypical, original, exceptional, exotic. The romantic hero is always different from the majority, he is different. This is the main quality of a romantic hero. He is not inscribed in the surrounding reality, not adapted to it, he is always a loner.

The main romantic conflict is the confrontation between the lonely romantic hero and ordinary people.

Love for the unusual also concerns the choice of plot events for the work - they are always exceptional, extraordinary. Romantics also love exotic surroundings: distant hot countries, sea, mountains, sometimes fabulous invented countries. For the same reason, romantics are interested in the distant historical past, especially the Middle Ages, which the enlighteners did not like very much as the most unenlightened, unreasonable time. But the romantics believed that the Middle Ages was the time of the birth of romanticism, romantic love and romantic poetry, the first romantic heroes are knights who serve their beautiful ladies and composing poetry.

In romanticism (especially poetry), the motive of flight, detachment from ordinary life and striving for something extraordinary and beautiful.

8. Basic romantic values.

The main value for romantics is Love... Love is the highest manifestation of the human personality, the highest happiness, the most complete disclosure of all the abilities of the soul. This is the main goal and meaning of life. Love connects a person with other worlds, in love all the deepest, most important secrets of life are revealed. Romantics are characterized by the idea of ​​lovers as two halves, of the non-coincidence of the meeting, of the mystical destiny of this particular man to this particular woman. Also the idea that real love it can only be once in a lifetime that it appears instantly at first sight. The idea of ​​the need to remain faithful even after the death of a beloved. At the same time, the ideal embodiment of romantic love was given by Shakespeare in the tragedy "Romeo and Juliet".

The second romantic value – Art... It contains the highest Truth and the highest Beauty, which descend to the artist (in the broad sense of the word) at the moment of inspiration from other worlds. The artist is an ideal romantic person, endowed with the highest gift with the help of his art to spiritualize people, to make them better, cleaner. Higher view art - Music, it is the least material, the most indefinite, free and irrational, music is directed directly to the heart, to the feelings. The image of the Musician in romanticism is very common.

The third most important value of romanticism is Nature and her beauty. Romantics sought to spiritualize nature, endow it with a living soul, a special mysterious mystical life.

The secret of nature will be revealed not through the cold mind of a scientist, but only through the feeling of her beauty and soul.

The fourth romantic value is freedom, inner spiritual, creative freedom, first of all, the free flight of the soul. But also social and political freedom. Freedom is a romantic value because it is possible only ideally, but not in reality.

Artistic features of romanticism.

1. The main artistic principle of romanticism is the principle of re-creation and transformation of reality. Romantics show life not as it can be seen, they reveal its hidden mystical, spiritual essence, as they understand it. The truth of the real life around us for any romantic is boring and uninteresting.

Therefore, romantics are very willing to use a variety of ways to transform reality:

1. straight fantastic, fabulousness,
2. hyperbola - different kind exaggeration, exaggeration of the qualities of the characters;
3. plot improbability- an unprecedented abundance of adventures in the plot - unusual, unexpected events, all kinds of coincidences, accidents, disasters, rescues, etc.

2. Mystery- widespread use of mystery as artistic reception: a special whipping up of mystery. Romantics achieve the effect of mystery by hiding some part of facts, events, describing events in dotted lines, in part - so that a hint of interference in real life mystical forces.

3. Romanticism is characterized by a special romantic style... Its features:

1. emotionality(many words expressing emotions and emotionally colored);
2. stylistic adornment- many stylistic decorations, pictorial and expressive means: epithets, metaphors, comparisons, etc.
3. verbosity, lack of specificity - many words with abstract meaning.

Chronological framework for the development of romanticism.

Romanticism arose in the second half of the 1890s in Germany and England, then in France. Romanticism became the dominant literary trend in Europe from about 1814, when the works of Hoffmann, Byron, Walter Scott began to appear one after the other, and remained so until about the second half of the 1830s, when it lost ground to realism. Romanticism faded into the background, but did not disappear - especially in France, it existed for almost the entire 19th century, for example, almost most of Victor Hugo's novels, the best novelist among romantics, were written in the 1860s, and his last novel was published in 1874. In poetry, romanticism prevailed throughout the nineteenth century, in all countries.

The formation and development of romanticism in the artistic culture of Russia was the first third of XIX century was influenced by the following factors: the war of 1812, the Decembrist movement, the ideas of the Great French bourgeois revolution. A feature of Russian romanticism is the development and deepening of the tasks of the Russian Enlightenment in the art of romanticism in Russia, and this is the main difference between Russian romanticism and Western European, which was asserted in the struggle against educational ideology. VG Belinsky gave a very accurate description of Russian romanticism: "Romanticism is a desire, an aspiration, an impulse, a feeling, a sigh, a groan, a complaint about unfulfilled hopes that did not have a name, sadness for lost happiness, which God knows what consisted of" ...

Romanticism in Russian literature is distinguished by a variety of trends: elegiac ( V. A. Zhukovsky), revolutionary ( K.F. Ryleev, V.K. Küchelbecker), philosophical ( Baratynsky, Batyushkov), their interpenetration and convention of definitions.

Creativity is characterized by a synthetic character A.S. Pushkin, which already at a given period of time is distinguished by the maturation of realistic principles in it. The world of Pushkin's heroes differs from the romantic heroes of Zhukovsky, Ryleev and Byron folk identity and vivid figurative language.

A new stage in the development of romanticism in Russia begins after the uprising of the Decembrists. A special role in Russian romantic poetry is played by M.Yu.Lermontov- the direct heir of Pushkin and the Decembrists, the poet of his generation, "awakened by cannon shots on Senate Square" (AI Herzen). His lyrics are distinguished by a rebellious, rebellious character. His works are characterized by the hero's acutely critical view of modernity, yearning for the ideal and "fiery defense of human rights to freedom" (VG Belinsky).

Russian romantic prose of the 19th century is presented V.F. Odoevsky, whose historical and fantastic novellas are full of interest in history, the past of Russia, filled with motives of the miraculous, mysterious, folklore. Fantastic stories A.Pogorelsky("The Black Chicken", "Lafertovskaya Poppies") - a combination of realism and fantasy, humor and sublime feelings, which are based on, literary developments Russian folk tales and folklore.

Western European and Russian romanticism interpenetrated each other and mutually enriched in this process. The development of literary translation and the significance of Zhukovsky's activities as a translator and popularizer of the masterpieces of European literature became especially significant at this time.

Romanticism in Russian Fine Arts.

The main feature of romanticism in Russian painting is the combination of romanticism with realistic quests. There is a particular interest in the spiritual world person. The works of the Russian artist are distinguished by their psychology and national identity. O. A. Kiprensky:,. External calmness and internal tension of images reveal deep emotional excitement, the strength of feelings. Warm, sonorous colors characterize the portraits created in the first two decades of the century. - the high spirituality of the poet's image, the will, energy captured in him, the subtle transmission of deeply hidden feelings of bitterness, mental pain. Women's images (,) are distinguished by tenderness and poetry.

Realistic features show through in romantic works V. A. Tropinina(,). - a different, original interpretation of the poet, the minister of the muses.

The traditions of classicism and the features of romanticism meet in the works K.P.Bryullova... Felt clearly romantic pathos paintings, the opposition in it of the feeling of catastrophe, tragic hopelessness and selflessness, the spiritual beauty of people in the moment of mortal danger. In this canvas, the connection between the idea of ​​the painting and the Russian reality of the beginning of the 19th century runs as a red thread. As means of artistic expression, one can note the boldness of the color scheme, the contrasts of color and light, and light reflexes. Bryullov's works of the Italian period, female images (,), male portraits (,) are distinguished by their beauty and expressiveness.

Special mention should be made of the role of the self-portrait in the work of Russian romantic artists. It appears as the history of the spiritual life of society first half of the XIX century, showing the personality of a contemporary who reflected the world of deep human feelings and passions (self-portraits,). Disappointment, loneliness of the hero, discord with society, foreshadow the appearance of a "hero of our time" in the self-portraits of Kiprensky (1822-1832). Doom, hopelessness, deep fatigue of "superfluous people" is felt in Bryullov's self-portrait (1848). And at the same time, the tragic sound, the poetic subtlety of the image. The pictorial language of romantic artists is full of intense contrasts of chiaroscuro, sonorous colors as a means of characterizing heroes.

Romanticism in Russian Music.

Special influence on the formation of professional musical art the beginning of the 19th century had a national upsurge in Russian self-awareness.

The work of the great Russian composer M.I. Glinka- the beginning of a new era in the development of musical art. Glinka appeared a true singer of the Russian people.

In the works of Glinka, there is an indissoluble connection between music and folk soil, an artistic rethinking folk images... In the work of Glinka, there is a connection with the world musical culture, which we can hear in the reworkings of the melodies of Italy, Spain, France, the East ("Aragonese Jota", "Tarantella").

The composer's ballads and romances to verses by Russian poets are filled with romanticism. Their artistic perfection, complete and harmonious fusion of music and text, visibility, picturesqueness of musical images, emotional uplift, passion and subtle lyricism make Glinka's romances unsurpassed examples. musical creativity("Night Review", "Doubt", "I remember a wonderful moment", "Waltz-Fantasy").

Glinka is also a realist, the founder of the Russian musical symphony school (Kamarinskaya), which manifested the best features of Russian realistic music, combined with bright features of a romantic worldview: powerful passion, rebellious spirit, free flight of imagination, strength and brightness of musical color.

The lofty ideals of Russian art appear before us in Glinka's operas. In the heroic-patriotic opera Ivan Susanin (the original title of this opera is A Life for the Tsar), the composer seeks to show typical features, to convey the way of thinking and feeling of the people. The innovation was the appearance on opera stage as the main tragic hero of the Kostroma peasant. Glinka shows his typicality and individuality, while relying on folk song in his musical characteristic. Interesting musical images other heroes of the opera (Antonina, her fiancé, Poles). The introduction of Polish folk melodies (polonaise, mazurka) gives a unique flavor to individual scenes of the opera. Among the fragments of the opera that we recommend for listening are the tragic aria of I. Susanin and the solemn, jubilant, hymn sounding of the final chorus "Glory". Opera "Ruslan and Lyudmila" - solemn hymn light, goodness, beauty, epic and epic interpretation of Pushkin's youthful poem. V musical drama we will hear the principle of picture comparisons, the contrast inherent in the nature of Russian fairy tales and folk epic... The musical characteristics of the characters are fabulously bright. The music of the East in the opera is organically combined with the Russian, Slavic musical line.

Getting started with the analysis romantic piece, it must be remembered that the main method of romantics is antithesis (opposition), on this method works of literature, music and painting of romanticism are built. In literature, these are images of the main characters, opposite in their characteristics; in music, these are contrasting intonations, themes, their struggle and interaction; in painting there are also contrasting colors, "talking background", the struggle between light and darkness.