Romanticism was a broad movement, made up mostly of poets and writers
that swept across Europe during the 18th and 19th centuries. More than
just writing about romantic love and sentiment, these writers wrote about
their ideals and values as they translated into their everyday lives.
William Blake is one of the most famous and well-known Romantic poets of
the time, while Rousseau has often been called one of the instigators of
the entire Romantic Movement. Blake's work could be biting, sarcastic as
well as liquid, and romantic, and Rousseau's writings show he was a
romantic and many-faceted man who loved unsuccessfully but never lost the
At first reading, it might be difficult to think of Jean-Jacques
Rousseau as a romanticist, but his "Confessions" manuscript shows him to be
a passionate and loving man, capable of great romantic thought along with
compelling critical thinking. Rousseau is known as a political writer who
wrote about democracy and freedom, but he also wrote about love, life, and
his ideals, especially in his "Confessions." It is here Rousseau wears his
heart on his sleeve while he discusses his mistresses, his weaknesses, and
his thoughts on love and romance. Often his writings sound as if they were
poetry, rather than an essay on his personal beliefs. For example, he
writes, "The sound of the bells, which always singularly affects me, the
song of the birds, the beauty of the daylight, the enchanting landscape,
the scattered country dwellings in which my fancy placed our common home -"
(Rousseau). The writing is so alive and vivid that the reader can almost
see the country lane Rousseau walked as he wrote these lines, and they
certainly qualify as a poetic and romantic look at the countryside and the
relationship he was celebrating one morning. Clearly, Rousseau's thoughts
were varied and complex, and his very romantic and charming writings about
h...