Romanticism Basics
This is the approximate time period when Romanticism occurred in American literature
Early to mid-1800s (approximately 1820s-1860s)
The word "Thanatopsis" means this in Greek
Meditation on death (or view of death)
This is what happens to the traveler in the poem
He dies/never returns
These are the two Usher siblings in the story
Roderick and Madeline
Tom Walker makes a deal with this supernatural figure
The Devil (Old Scratch)
Romantics valued THIS over reason and logic
Emotion/feelings/intuition
In "Thanatopsis," Bryant says nature teaches us this about death
Death is natural, peaceful, and we return to the earth/we're not alone in death
The tide does this to the traveler's footprints
Erases/washes them away
This physical feature of the house symbolizes the family's corruption and impending doom
The crack/fissure in the house
This happens to Tom's wife when she tries to make her own deal
She dies/the Devil kills her
This literary movement came before Romanticism and emphasized sin, salvation, and God's wrath
Puritanism
In "A Psalm of Life," Longfellow urges us to do this rather than passively accepting fate
Take action/actively shape our lives/be up and doing
The repeating tide symbolizes this about nature
Nature's permanence/eternal cycles/indifference to human life
This shocking event happens at the climax when Madeline appears
She was buried alive and returns to confront/attack Roderick
Tom takes up this profession to make money from his deal
Moneylender/usurer
This term describes the awe-inspiring, overwhelming power of nature in Romantic literature
The sublime
This is what Longfellow says we should leave behind to inspire others
Footprints on the sands of time/a legacy
The overall tone of this poem can be described as this
Melancholy, peaceful, accepting, or somber
These three things all fall/collapse simultaneously at the end
Roderick dies, Madeline dies, and the house collapses into the lake
Tom tries this strategy to escape damnation, but it doesn't work
He becomes outwardly religious/carries a Bible/attends church (religious hypocrisy)
These are the two main branches of American Romanticism
Traditional Romanticism and Dark/Gothic Romanticism
Unlike Puritan views that emphasized judgment and damnation, Bryant's view of death is this
Natural, comforting, peaceful, part of the cycle of nature
This is how "The Tide Rises" contrasts with Longfellow's other poem "A Psalm of Life"
"Psalm" is optimistic/active while "Tide" shows human insignificance/nature's indifference; "Psalm" encourages leaving a legacy while "Tide" shows traces being erased
These Dark Romantic elements are present throughout the story (must give at least 3)
Decay, death, terror, psychological horror, supernatural elements, madness, isolation, Gothic atmosphere
The trees with names carved on them symbolize this
Wealthy/prominent people who made deals with the devil or are morally corrupt and doomed