The Link Between Rationalism and Romanticism

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     During the Age of Rationalism, there was a constant search for enlightenment. It was a time to question any and everything. Questions led to answers which ultimately led to a better understanding of things. Many famous philosophers were able to write and share their ideas with the public during this time. It was a time to inspire and be inspired. The thirst for knowledge was at an all time high. People grew so passionate about learning. So why does Romanticism reject the ideas of Rationalism, if the Age of Rationalism bore some of the best erudite of our time? During the Age of Romanticism, what the heart felt meant more than analyzing every single situation. I think it is safe to say that if you like overthinking and overanalyzing situations, the concept of Romanticism would probably not appeal to you. I think we can all agree that overthinking a situation before or after it has happened can suck all the fun right out of it! Instead of thinking things through, Romantics lived spontaneously. You know that sappy saying, "Follow your heart," yeah well that is probably something that the Romantics would have encouraged. In addition, Romantics were very fond of nature. They took out of their day to smell the flowers and embrace the beauty of nature. Let's not forget the admiration Shug Avery also felt for nature back when we read The Color Purple! "I think it pisses God off when you walk by the color purple in a field and don't notice it." Shug would have fit in so well with the Romantics! Haha

     The connection I am trying to make, however, is between the two poems we read that were written in two completely different time periods. Paradise Lost which was written by John Milton during the Age of Rationalism and "Ode: Intimations of Immortality" which was written by William Wordsworth during the Age of Romanticism. Although I discussed how these time periods contrasted each other, the poems written during these two times share many of the same ideas. The Age of Rationalism and the Age of Romanticism are linked through these poems/stories.

     In Paradise Lost, Adam and Eve must face the fact that they have lost something that they will never be able to get back: their innocence. Similarly, in Ode (too long to keep retyping lol) Wordsworth's grief is over the fact that he will never be able to experience the glory, innocence and purity that he once possessed as a child. Both poems deal with the lost of things that were of great value. Things we will never be able to repossess. Second, in Paradise Lost we see how blissfully ignorant Adam and Eve were. They had no responsibilities, burdens, or anything to worry about. We are able to see the same type of ignorant bliss in the children Wordsworth describe in his Ode poem. I think it is fair to even compare children and infants to Adam and Eve before they experienced their downfall. Before growing up and losing our glory(or forgetting it perhaps), we were celestial beings like Adam and Eve once were. When they ate the forbidden fruit, it forced them to open their eyes to how chaotic the world really is. Similarly, when children grow up, it is the same as them eating the forbidden fruit, except they are not given a choice. Whether they like it or not, they are forced to see, understand, and even experience all the things wrong in the world. The new knowledge that the forbidden fruit (also my metaphor for growing up) provided in both of these poems seems to hurt us more than it actually benefits us ("knowledge is pain"). Lastly, I noticed how both poems deal with the loss of innocence, but they also deal with what we gain after our loss. In Paradise Lost, we gain Free Will. The freedom to be able to think for ourselves and make our own decisions. In Ode, we gain a "philosophic mind." The ability to understand complexed matters, think deep thoughts, and provide solutions to problems is not something that most children are able to do. It is something that we learn to do as we go through the many obstacles we must face in life(which involves us losing our innocence). It is ultimately up to you whether to decide if what we gained is better than what we loss or vice versa. It is all a matter of opinion so there really is no right answer. These poems make it evident that after every tragic loss, there is a chance to rise. It is up to you how you choose to see this acquired knowledge. Is it burden or a gift? Or is just another gray area?