Romanticism

It's a literary, artistic, and philosophical movement originating in the 18th century, characterized chiefly by a reaction against neoclassicism and an emphasis on the imagination and emotions, and marked especially in English literature by sensibility and the use of autobiographical material, an exaltation of the primitive and the common man, an appreciation of external nature, an interest in the remote, a predilection for melancholy, and the use in poetry of older verse forms  :  an aspect of romanticism, adherence to a romantic attitude or style.

Caracteristics of Romanticism

Medievalism - the romantics were fascinated by the glamour of the Middle Ages and they are responsables for our curiousity about history past.

Primitivism - it represents the less advanced stages in culture,even savage conditions, brings greater happines and characters, than the complex modern society. The idea of progress is connected with the belief that men go forward to a more glorious day. Life might show and bring continuous improvements

Anti-intelectualism - it represents the romantic idea that people should follow their heart rather than the intellect. This attitude comes from the belief in the innate goodness of human nature.

Sentimentalism - it's used in the sens of enjoy emotions for its own sake. The sentimentalists reveal the sensitivity of their sould delighted by the moods that swiped over them.

Humanitarism - it came from the romantic idea the we are really the helpers of mankind and we have to provide the minimum of phisical necessities and the maximum of human opportunities to everybody. Humanitarism appears from the belief in the quality and worth of all human being. Democracy was represented for the romantics as republicanism, as they were convinced of human equality.

Confessionalism - it was a caracteristic of romantic attitude as the romantics insisted on resenting ersonal problems. The romantics believed that art was a necessary relieve for the artist. Romantics are responsable for the clichee that the artists must suffer and reveal his tortured soul.

The writers of this age were fascinated by the wild and pictoresque; by external and human nature