Essay On The Antebellum Period

452 Words2 Pages
Dimensions of economic, technological, and social changes underway in the Antebellum American society manifested themselves in the national culture in surprising ways. From innovations of the mass printing press making newspapers and advertisements possible to eye-opening sentimental women novels to classic works of literature to architecture and art emphasizing romantic ideals, Americans dealt with rapidly changing conditions of the Antebellum era by manifesting their hopes, values, beliefs, and overall culture into beautiful works of art. American Romanticists especially seemed to take common ideas during the Antebellum time period like emotions, imagination, meditation, nature, humanity, and freedom. They incorporated it into their own literature…show more content…
Not only was there a physical, noticeable transformation in society, but there was a great switch in the mentality of the individual. Such ideals was seen in many poems, paintings, and literature. For example, one painting called Wanderer of the Sea of Fog, created by Caspar David Friedrich, seemed fitting for the Romantic time period. Friedrich chose to draw the painting of a man with his back towards the viewer. This makes the figure something of a mystery to the viewer- they are unsure what he is thinking or his reaction to the surrounding landscape. The painting suggested a common romantic ideal of an introspective and mystical aspect to the figure. Furthermore, by separating the figure and the viewer, the latter focuses more on the beauty of the surroundings rather than the man’s role in nature. This is one depiction of society’s focus on the love of solitude and nature. The glorification of nature, mystery, and solitude properly represented the antebellum era and their romantic point of views. Romantics stressed the awe of nature in art and language and the experience of sublimity through a connection with nature, especially since they

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