From Enlightment to Romanticism
From Enlightenment to Romanticism;
A comparison between the two periods.
The literary periods are like each other’s opposites. While in the enlightenment focus was on what was real and social justice, romanticism was more about feelings and often unrequited love.
The 1700-s enlightenment writers spoke first and foremost about reason and wanted more than anything to teach and lecture their readers, they turned against the social injustice they saw and fought for tolerance and acceptance.
While the thinkers in the enlightenment could fight against the church, superstition, prejudice and injustice they had still not come to the point of giving any attention to the vulnerable situation of the women. They still saw women as lower creatures that were there to serve men, take care of the house and children. Some writers even went as far as to say they despised intelligent women and that girls in fact did not like to read or write.
“Women’s upbringing should be related to man. To please us, be useful to us, make us love and watch them, to raise us when we are little, to take care of us when we are adults; to advise us, comfort us and make our lives more pleasant, this have always been the duty of women and what they should be taught as children.”
-JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU (1712-1778)
Quote from “Émile”
During the Romantic period, that started in the beginning of the 1800-s, this way of thinking changed and women in poetry and novels became mystic creatures and riddles, something men did not understand and gave them feelings that was foreign and hurt them in ways they could never live without again. Something men could never have, not entirely.
“Oh, how it feels like fire though my veins, if my hand touches hers, if our feet touch under the table! I am shying, as if I burned myself, and a mystic force pulls me back again – all of my senses sway.”
Unknown author (Romantic period)
“Svenska timmar - litteraturen” page 189
In this period women also got to step out
A comparison between the two periods.
The literary periods are like each other’s opposites. While in the enlightenment focus was on what was real and social justice, romanticism was more about feelings and often unrequited love.
The 1700-s enlightenment writers spoke first and foremost about reason and wanted more than anything to teach and lecture their readers, they turned against the social injustice they saw and fought for tolerance and acceptance.
While the thinkers in the enlightenment could fight against the church, superstition, prejudice and injustice they had still not come to the point of giving any attention to the vulnerable situation of the women. They still saw women as lower creatures that were there to serve men, take care of the house and children. Some writers even went as far as to say they despised intelligent women and that girls in fact did not like to read or write.
“Women’s upbringing should be related to man. To please us, be useful to us, make us love and watch them, to raise us when we are little, to take care of us when we are adults; to advise us, comfort us and make our lives more pleasant, this have always been the duty of women and what they should be taught as children.”
-JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU (1712-1778)
Quote from “Émile”
During the Romantic period, that started in the beginning of the 1800-s, this way of thinking changed and women in poetry and novels became mystic creatures and riddles, something men did not understand and gave them feelings that was foreign and hurt them in ways they could never live without again. Something men could never have, not entirely.
“Oh, how it feels like fire though my veins, if my hand touches hers, if our feet touch under the table! I am shying, as if I burned myself, and a mystic force pulls me back again – all of my senses sway.”
Unknown author (Romantic period)
“Svenska timmar - litteraturen” page 189
In this period women also got to step out