The Spirit And Movement Of Romanticism In A Christmas Carol

There are many stories that are inspired by the spirit and movement of Romanticism. The Romantic period dealt with the presence of supernaturals, the importance of nature, and the irrelevance of industrialization. Novels, poems, and short stories throughout the years use Romanticism to appeal towards the natural world or mankind. That can also include one’s feelings and the importance of an individual. All these principles express the very essence of life and character. Certain stories like A Christmas Carol, “To a Little Invisible Being Who Is Expected Soon to Become Visible”, and “The world is too much with us” all showcase different elements of Romanticism.

Novels like A Christmas Carol include many elements of Romanticism, but the most common is the aspect of the supernatural or unknown. In A Christmas Carol, the main character, Scrooge is visited by three spirits who each bring a different influence to them. They possess the power of time in which they can alternate to the past, present, or future. The presence of the spirits and their actions heavenly impact Scrooge’s life even though they are not mortal. After meeting all three spirits Scrooge’s bitter nature drastically changes as the story states. This shows how the supernatural entity can have a huge effect on the natural life of others. Before, Scrooge was a harsh man and projected that feeling all around him. Scrooge’s interactions with the ghosts completely changed his way of living as he became joyful and kind hearted in the end. Romanticism in many stories involve different paranormal existences which influences the living world in real time. A Christmas Carol shows how much the supernatural can affect and alter living characters feelings, actions, and thoughts.

In Anna Barbauld’s poem “To a Little Invisible Being Who Is Expected Soon to Become Visible”, it includes many aspects of nature and life in which Romanticism embraces. The poem is basically about a mother who is about to expect and feels many emotions throughout the entire wait. There are moments when the mother feels excited, anxious, joyful, etc. The poem is able to relate the mother and her baby with the spirit of nature. Near the beginning, it states. This compares how young plants and flower buds bloom in warm months just like a baby preparing to enter the world. The poem further says. This represents the image of mother nature welcoming the baby into its radiant world. It expresses the idea of an expecting mother as one of the purest moments in life. The usage of nature characteristics within this poem does not interfere with the actual living world. Instead, nature is used to be compared to the main subject rather than physical interaction. Romanticism uses nature in a light and spiritual way in which Barbauld’s poem signifies perfectly.

One trait of Romanticism is the insignificance of industry which is established in the poem “The world is too much with us”. The poem follows the idea of how we humans have forgotten the fundamentals of nature. It talks about how much we have civilized in the industry and man-made materials. It seems that our society has progressed so much in industrialization that we have forgotten what nature can provide for us. In the poem it says. This demonstrates how humans do not appreciate nature and its offerings. Nature can provide many gifts like natural healings or supplements yet people continue to ignore its importance. There are other statements like this for example. It discusses how humanity does not follow or help with nature, therefore, we began to lose the wildlife around us. Plants and animals around us perish slowly as we continue to ignore the environment and spread out across the earth. This connects with Romanticism because it shows how humans are willing to trade nature for civilization and industries.

In conclusion, all three of these writings portray an element of Romanticism in some way. A Christmas Carol presents how much the supernatural can impact the living world and real-life decisions. “To a Little Invisible Being Who Is Expected Soon to Become Visible” describes the tenderness and warmth of nature by comparing it to a baby about to be born. “The world is too much with us” portrays how selfish humanity is as we continue to manufacture and expand ignoring nature all around us. The way these stories and poems handle each aspect perfectly conveys the main idea of Romanticism and its period.