Aspects of romancticism in Poe's literature

Characteristics of romancticism literature 

- Period 1770 / 1848
- Emphasize emotions, apprehension, beauty of a nature, horror and terror
- Prioritezed folk art more than noble society
- Melancholy was quite the buzzword for the Romantic poets, and altered states of consciousness were often sought after in order to enhance one’s creative potential

'' Edgar Allen Poe, today recognized as the most purely Romantic poet and short story writer of his generation. Poe crafted fiction and poetry that explored the strange side of human nature. The English Romantics had a fascination with the grotesque and of “strange” beauty, and Poe adopted this aesthetic perspective willingly. His sing-song rhythms and dreary settings earned him criticism on multiple fronts, but his creativity earned him a place in the first rank of American artists. He is credited as the inventor of detective fiction, and was likewise one of the original masters of horror. A sometimes overlooked contribution, Poe’s theories on literature are often required reading for students of the art form. ''

Romancticism." Online-literature

Some attributes of romanctism literature:

Location:  

The Raven - cold dark room of a narrator, dying fire
The Fall of the House of Usher: Big old house, where are windows are covered and where is always dark

Magic, Mysteries

The Raven: Midnight in December, month when something ends and new chapter opens
The “many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore” may very well be books of black magic which the protagonist studies in order to raise the ghost of his beloved, and so attain “surcease of sorrow (Byrd Howell Granger) 
The Fall of the House of Usher: The mystery disease of Lord Usher and his sister - today we would call it " hypersesthesia (hypersensitivity to textures, light, sounds, smells and tastes),hypochondria (an excessive preoccupation or worry about having a serious illness) and acute anxiety" (wikipedia)



 Sources

• Wikipedia contributors. "Romanticism." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 7 Mar. 2017. Web. 7 Mar. 2017.
• Wikipedia contributors. "The Fall of the House of Usher." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 26 Feb. 2017. Web. 9 Mar. 2017. 
•  Romancticism." Online-literature. Jalic Inc., n.d. Web. 9 Mar. 2017. <http://www.online-literature.com/periods/romanticism.php>. 
•  Granger, Byrd Howell. "Devil Lore in “The Raven”." The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore . The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore , 1 May 1997. Web. 9 Mar. 2017.