Callie Bevacqua 10/24

10/24/16

 Class started out with a discussion about rationalist and romanticists. If you are still confused about these ideas;

• A rationalist is someone who relies on knowledge and facts to justify their thoughts. 
• A romanticist is someone who goes with their gut feeling and relies on their emotions to justify their actions/thoughts.

             Each table group had to share al loud a rational and romantic version of the same topic that they chose. (This was a recap of an assignment that we had to write on Friday) For example, my table group used the topic of going out to eat. A Rationalists would not be a fan of going out to eat because it can become very expensive and not as healthy as eating at home. A romanticist would love the idea of going out to eat because it brings together friends and family, and its an over all fun, relaxing time.  I personally thought this activity benifitted my understanding with the comparison of romanticism and rationalism.
       We continued taking notes on;

Characteristics of American Romanticism 

Values feeling and intuition over reason

1. Places faith in inner experience and the power of imagination
2. Shun the artificiality of civilization and seek unspoiled nature
3. Prefers youthful innocence to educated sophistication
4. Champions individual freedom and the worth of an individual

6. Contemplates nature's beauty as a path to spiritual and moral development  

7. Look backward to the wisdom of the past and distrusts progress.

8. Finds beauty and truth in exotic locales, the supernatural realm, and the inner world of imagination.

9. Sees poetry as the highest expression of imagination

10. Finds inspiration in myth, legend, and folk culture.

I personally think romanticism plus a little bit of rationalism is the ideal lifestyle to live.
Romanticist love poetry and find it very powerful and expressing.