Ultra-romanticism
Encyclopedia
Ultra-Romanticism was a Portuguese
and Brazil
ian literary movement that occurred during the 1840s
, 1850s
and the early 1860s
. Aesthetically similar to the Dark Romanticism
, as the name implies it is an overvalue of the Romantic ideals.
The first Ultra-Romantic poem was "O noivado do sepulcro" ("The tombstone engagement"), by Portuguese poet António Augusto Soares de Passos
.
In Brazil, it is called "the second phase of the Brazilian Romanticism", being preceded by the "Indianism" and succeeded by the "Condorism
".
and valorization of the Indian
as the Brazilian national hero, a constant theme of the previous Brazilian Romantic generation, are now almost completely absent. This new generation, heavily influenced by German Romanticism
and works by Lord Byron, now focalizes in obscure and macabre themes, such as pessimism
, Satanism
, longing for death and childhood and the mal du siècle
. Love is heavily idealized and platonic
, if not unrequited
, and there is the presence of egocentrism
in the poetry.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian literary movement that occurred during the 1840s
1840s
- Wars :*Mexican-American War was fought between Mexico and the United States of America. The latter emerged victorious and gained undisputed control over Texas while annexing portions of Arizona, California and New Mexico....
, 1850s
1850s
- Wars :* Crimean war fought between Imperial Russia and an alliance consisting of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Second French Empire, the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Ottoman Empire...
and the early 1860s
1860s
The 1860s were an extremely turbulent decade with numerous cultural, social, and political upheavals in Europe and America. Revolutions were prevalent in Germany and the Ottoman Empire...
. Aesthetically similar to the Dark Romanticism
Dark romanticism
Dark Romanticism is a literary subgenre. It has been suggested that Dark Romantics present individuals as prone to sin and self-destruction, not as inherently possessing divinity and wisdom. G. R...
, as the name implies it is an overvalue of the Romantic ideals.
The first Ultra-Romantic poem was "O noivado do sepulcro" ("The tombstone engagement"), by Portuguese poet António Augusto Soares de Passos
António Augusto Soares de Passos
António Augusto Soares de Passos was a Portuguese poet, creator of the "Ultra-Romanticism". Son of merchants and a follower of the Liberal ideas, having learned French and English during his youth, he entered at the University of Coimbra to graduate in Law...
.
In Brazil, it is called "the second phase of the Brazilian Romanticism", being preceded by the "Indianism" and succeeded by the "Condorism
Condorism
Condorism was a Brazilian literary movement that occurred during the 1860s, 1870s and the first years of the 1880s. It is a subdivision of Brazilian Romanticism, being thus called "the third phase of Brazilian Romanticism", preceded by the Indianism and the Ultra-Romanticism...
".
Characteristics
The "Ultra-Romanticism" changed the ways of the Romanticism in Brazil. Values such as nationalismNationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
and valorization of the Indian
Indigenous peoples in Brazil
The Indigenous peoples in Brazil comprise a large number of distinct ethnic groups who inhabited the country prior to the European invasion around 1500...
as the Brazilian national hero, a constant theme of the previous Brazilian Romantic generation, are now almost completely absent. This new generation, heavily influenced by German Romanticism
German Romanticism
For the general context, see Romanticism.In the philosophy, art, and culture of German-speaking countries, German Romanticism was the dominant movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. German Romanticism developed relatively late compared to its English counterpart, coinciding in its...
and works by Lord Byron, now focalizes in obscure and macabre themes, such as pessimism
Pessimism
Pessimism, from the Latin word pessimus , is a state of mind in which one perceives life negatively. Value judgments may vary dramatically between individuals, even when judgments of fact are undisputed. The most common example of this phenomenon is the "Is the glass half empty or half full?"...
, Satanism
Satanism
Satanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...
, longing for death and childhood and the mal du siècle
Mal du siècle
Mal du siècle, which can be roughly translated from French as "the malady of the century", is a term used to refer to the ennui, disillusionment, and melancholy experienced by primarily young adults of Europe's early 19th century, when speaking in terms of the rising Romantic movement...
. Love is heavily idealized and platonic
Platonic love
Platonic love is a chaste and strong type of love that is non-sexual.-Amor Platonicus:The term amor platonicus was coined as early as the 15th century by the Florentine scholar Marsilio Ficino. Platonic love in this original sense of the term is examined in Plato's dialogue the Symposium, which has...
, if not unrequited
Unrequited love
Unrequited love is love that is not openly reciprocated or understood as such, even though reciprocation is usually deeply desired. The beloved may or may not be aware of the admirer's deep affections...
, and there is the presence of egocentrism
Egocentrism
Egocentrism is a personality trait which has the characteristic of regarding oneself and one's own opinions or interests as most important or valid...
in the poetry.
In Portugal
- António Augusto Soares de PassosAntónio Augusto Soares de PassosAntónio Augusto Soares de Passos was a Portuguese poet, creator of the "Ultra-Romanticism". Son of merchants and a follower of the Liberal ideas, having learned French and English during his youth, he entered at the University of Coimbra to graduate in Law...
(1826–1860; considered to be the major Ultra-Romantic poet) - António Feliciano de CastilhoAntonio Feliciano de CastilhoAntónio Feliciano de Castilho, 1st Viscount of Castilho , Portuguese man of letters, born at Lisbon.He lost his sight at the age of six, but the devotion of his brother Augusto, and aided by a retentive memory, enabled him to go through his school and university course with success; and he acquired...
(1800–1875) - Camilo Castelo BrancoCamilo Castelo BrancoCamilo Ferreira Botelho Castelo-Branco,1st Viscount de Correia Botelho , was a prolific Portuguese writer of the 19th century, having authored over 260 books . His writing is, overall, considered original in that it combines the dramatic and sentimental spirit of Romanticism with a highly personal...
(1825–1890) - João de Lemos (1819–1890)
- João de DeusJoão de DeusJoão de Deus Ramos , better known as João de Deus, the greatest Portuguese poet of his generation, was born in Silves, São Bartolomeu de Messines, in the province of Algarve, son of Pedro José Ramos and wife Isabel Gertrudes Martins...
(1830–1896) - Luís Augusto Palmeirim (1821–1893)
- Alexandre Braga, father (1829–1895)
- Tomás RibeiroTomás RibeiroTomás António Ribeiro Ferreira , better known as Tomás Ribeiro or Thomaz Ribeiro, was a Portuguese politician, journalist, poet and Ultra-Romantic writer....
(1831–1901)
In Brazil
- Álvares de AzevedoÁlvares de AzevedoManuel Antônio Álvares de Azevedo was a Brazilian Romantic poet, short story writer, playwright and essayist...
(1831 — 1852) - Junqueira Freire (1832 — 1855)
- Fagundes VarelaFagundes VarelaLuís Nicolau Fagundes Varela was a Brazilian Romantic poet, adept of the "Ultra-Romanticism" movement. He is patron of the 11th chair of the Brazilian Academy of Letters.-Biography:...
(1841 — 1875) - Casimiro de AbreuCasimiro de AbreuCasimiro José Marques de Abreu was a Brazilian poet, novelist and playwright, adept of the "Ultra-Romanticism" movement...
(1839 — 1860) - Aureliano LessaAureliano LessaAureliano José Lessa was a Brazilian poet, adept of the "Ultra-Romanticism" movement. Born in Minas Gerais in 1828, he moved to São Paulo in 1847 to study Law, but received his bacharel degree at the Faculdade de Direito de Olinda, in Pernambuco, in the year of 1851...
(1828 — 1861) - José Bonifácio the YoungJosé Bonifácio the YoungJosé Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva, nicknamed The Young , was a French-born Brazilian poet, teacher and senator...
(1827 — 1886; in only a few poems, however) - Pedro de CalasansPedro de CalasansPedro Luziense de Bittencourt Calasans was a Brazilian poet, playwright and journalist, adept of the "Ultra-Romanticism" movement.-Life:...
(1837 — 1874) - Laurindo RabeloLaurindo RabeloLaurindo José da Silva Rabelo was a Brazilian Ultra-Romantic poet, teacher and medician. Famous for his lundus and satires, he won the epithet of "the Brazilian Bocage", and, because of his physical appearance, the nickname "Poeta-Lagartixa" .He is the patron of the 26th chair of the Brazilian...
(1826 — 1864) - João Cardoso de Meneses e Sousa, Baron of Paranapiacaba (1827 — 1915)
See also
- RomanticismRomanticismRomanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
- German RomanticismGerman RomanticismFor the general context, see Romanticism.In the philosophy, art, and culture of German-speaking countries, German Romanticism was the dominant movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. German Romanticism developed relatively late compared to its English counterpart, coinciding in its...
- Sturm und DrangSturm und DrangSturm und Drang is a proto-Romantic movement in German literature and music taking place from the late 1760s through the early 1780s, in which individual subjectivity and, in particular, extremes of emotion were given free expression in reaction to the perceived constraints of rationalism...
- Mal du siècleMal du siècleMal du siècle, which can be roughly translated from French as "the malady of the century", is a term used to refer to the ennui, disillusionment, and melancholy experienced by primarily young adults of Europe's early 19th century, when speaking in terms of the rising Romantic movement...
- Noite na TavernaNoite na TavernaNoite na Taverna is a short story book written by Brazilian Ultra-Romantic author Álvares de Azevedo under the pen name Job Stern...
- Dark RomanticismDark romanticismDark Romanticism is a literary subgenre. It has been suggested that Dark Romantics present individuals as prone to sin and self-destruction, not as inherently possessing divinity and wisdom. G. R...