Dark Romanticism is a style of literature influenced by the Romantic Period. The Romantics believed that humans were intrinsically good, and that the most sublime experiences occurred in nature. Their stories reflect this idea. They are typically dark, and feature themes of sin, insanity, and darker instincts.
This genre of literature is often associated with poets like Edgar Allen Poe and Herman Melville. However, literary critics are now starting to include Emily Dickenson as a key Dark Romantic poet. Edgar Allen Poe, for example, called his poem “Frog-Pondians” after a pond in Boston Commons. The city of Boston was a center for transcendentalists, and many of Poe’s works reflected this idea.
Dark romanticism originated in the second half of the eighteenth century. Its influence spread throughout Europe and eventually dwindled after the death of German writer Eichendorff in 1854. It was a time when social status was fairly high, and the upper classes were free to travel and engage in cultural exchange.
Several literary genres are associated with dark romanticism. Early English romantics include Lord Byron, ST Coleridge, and Mary Shelley. Other writers associated with dark romanticism include Edgar Allan Poe, John William Polidori, and John Shek. Edgar Allan Poe is considered the most influential writer of the genre.
