Romanticism

Romanticism began with the literary movement “Sturm und Drang,” arising in Germany in the late 18th century. This movement, which “challenged classicism and the Enlightenment and asserted the superiority of emotion over reason,” was advanced by Goethe and Schiller, and later brought German Romantic literature to fruition with Novalis, the Brothers Grimm, and others. The following words are by poet Novalis (1772–1801), who could be called 1 of the leading early Romantics. I quoted them because I thought they expressed the Romantics' way of seeing things well. The world must be romanticized. In this way one will find its original meaning once again. Whenever I give the common a higher meaning, the usual a mysterious aspect, the familiar the dignity of the unknown, the finite and infinite appearance, in this way I romanticize it. The world must be romanticized. In doing so, one rediscovers its original meaning. If I give the commonplace a higher meaning, the ordinary a mysterious appearance, the known the dignity of the unknown, and the finite the appearance of the infinite, I romanticize them.

ロマン主義は18世紀後半のドイツで起った『疾風怒濤』という文学における運動から始まった。『古典主義や啓蒙主義に異議を唱え、理性に対する感情の優越を主張』したこの運動は、ゲーテやシラーにより進められ、後にはノヴァーリスやグリム兄弟などのドイツロマン主義の文学を開花させる。以下の言葉は初期ロマン主義者の代表の１人とも言える詩人、ノヴァーリス(1772-1801)のものである。ロマン主義者の物の見方をよく言い表していると思ったので引用した。 The world must be romanticized. In this way one will find its original meaning once again. Whenever I give the common a higher meaning, the usual a mysterious aspect, the familiar the dignity of the unknown, the finite and infinite appearance, in this way I romanticize it. 世界はロマン化されなければいけない。そうすることで、人は世界の本来の意味を再び見出す。私が平凡なものに高等な意味を、普通のものに神秘的な外見を、知られているものには知られていないものの威厳を、有限のものに無限の見かけを与えれば、それらをロマン化することになる。