Let us briefly explain what it is and introduce you to the main ideas and representatives of this (but not only) literary movement.
It began to develop in the late 18th century. The main emphasis is on emotions and sentiments. Authors mainly use epistolary forms such as letters and diaries. Themes of nature, intimacy, relationships, love, emotions, and inner feelings also appear in the works. The whole of Pre-Romanticism is inspired by folk art, which makes it possible to portray the soul of a people and refers especially to the collection and imitation of songs and ballads.
France
J. J. Rousseau – French writer and philosopher who criticized modern society
> – the thesis of the return to nature that man is a noble savage (human nature is good, only corrupted by society), author An educational novel without a plot, based on a fictional character who “educates” in the course of the story, recommending the conflict between man and nature, “Robinson Crusoe”; a reflective process with many rhetorical questions prevails; clear ideas and concrete examples are visible; the author wants to cultivate reader empathy through literature, and it is The author wants to cultivate empathy with the reader through literature, which is fulfilled by a shared experience with literary characters
P. Choderlos de Laclos– A soldier who reflects on social class, figures human strategies and promotes liberalism = free thinking
Dangerous Acquaintances – Being a correspondence between people of different social classes (proutnik Valmont x Danceny, young Cecilie, wicked Marquise de Merteuil, Turiel), the novel is primarily intended to provide moral lessons
. Germany
Idea called Sturm und Drang (Storm and Rebellion), promoted by a movement of young radical writers
J. W. Goethe– wrote diaries, whose poetry is inspired by folk art – tragic epic ballads, magic
Werther – books about suffering and suicide (which unfortunately became infamous in Germany as inspiring young people to fall into depression)
The Ghost King
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