In the era of the late Enlightenment, a new trend, called sentimentalism, emerged and consolidated in European literature. Its appearance was caused by profound changes in the general course of the life of society that took place in the first half of the 18th century. The growth of sentimental moods is most reflected in the lyrics.
Instructions
Step 1
The sources of sentimentalism are considered by literary scholars to be a philosophical trend called sensationalism. His followers put forward the idea that the surrounding world is a reflection of human feelings. Only with the help of emotions can life be understood and realized. Natural human feelings became for sentimentalists the basis on which the story was built.
Step 2
At the center of sentimentalism is the "natural" person, the bearer of all the variety of emotions. Authors-sentimentalists believed that man is a creation of nature, and therefore from birth possesses sensuality and virtue. Sentimentalists deduced the merits of their heroes and the nature of their actions from a high degree of sensitivity to the events of the surrounding world.
Step 3
Sentimentalism originated on the British shores at the beginning of the 18th century, and by the middle of the century had spread throughout the European continent, displacing traditional classicism. The most prominent representatives of this new literary movement created their works in England, France and Russia.
Step 4
Sentimentalism began its path as a literary movement in English lyrics. One of the first to abandon the heavy urbanistic motives characteristic of classicism was James Thomson, who made the nature of the British Isles a subject for consideration. The subtle sentimental lyrics of Thomson and his followers followed the path of increasing pessimism, reflecting the illusion of earthly existence.
Step 5
Under the influence of the ideas of sentimentalism, Samuel Richardson broke with the adventurous works of adventure. In the middle of the 18th century, this English writer introduced sentimental traditions into the novel genre. One of Richardson's findings is the portrayal of the heroes' world of feelings in the form of a novel in letters. This form of storytelling later became very popular among those who sought to convey the full depth of human experience.
Step 6
The most prominent representative of classical French sentimentalism was Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The content of his literary creations was the combination of the concept of nature with the image of the "natural" hero. At the same time, Rousseau's nature was an independent object with its own value. The writer took sentimentalism to the absolute limit in his Confession, which is considered one of the most outspoken autobiographies in literature.
Step 7
Sentimentalism entered Russia later, towards the end of the 18th century. The basis for its development in Russian literature was the translations of the works of English, French and German sentimentalists. The heyday of this trend is traditionally associated with the work of N. M. Karamzin. His once sensational novel Poor Liza is considered a true masterpiece of Russian "sensitive" prose.
