1. Emotion and Subjectivity: Romantic literature places a strong emphasis on individual feelings and experiences. Characters often grapple with intense emotions like love, longing, fear, and despair. The subjective perspective is valued over objective observation.
2. Nature and the Sublime: Nature plays a vital role in Romantic works, often serving as a source of inspiration, awe, and spiritual connection. The "sublime" - a feeling of overwhelming power and wonder - is often evoked through descriptions of dramatic landscapes, storms, or natural phenomena.
3. The Individual and Society: Romantic literature often explores the conflict between individual freedom and the constraints of society. Characters are frequently rebels, outcasts, or artists who defy societal norms and seek personal expression.
4. Imagination and Idealism: Romantics valued imagination and creativity over reason and logic. They often idealized the past, embraced fantasy and mythology, and explored the supernatural. This emphasis on the imagination led to a focus on the power of art and literature to transform the world.
It's important to note:
* These elements are not always present in every Romantic work, and some Romantics might have emphasized different aspects.
* These elements can also be found in other literary periods, but they are particularly central to Romanticism.
Instead of focusing on a fixed number of elements, it's more valuable to understand the broader context and key themes that shaped Romantic literature and its impact on subsequent literary movements.