Anti-Romanticism of W.H Auden

Anti-Romanticism of W.H Auden

Anti-Romanticism Anti-Romanticism is the antithesis of Romanticism. Though some traits of Anti-Romanticism are in common with Classicism; Anti-Romantic poems tend to roughly hinge around the following concepts: Ironic, indirect, and impersonal (objective) representation of ideas. Uncompromising criticism of romantic illusions. The opposition to unreal ideas and artificiality of treatment. Satirisation of irrational and whimsical attitudes of the so-called aristocracy. Criticism of established conventions of sentimental love, marriage, sex, religion, and rituals. Criticism of social, political, cultural, and moral customs and manners of contemporary society. Advocacy of pragmatism and disapproval of idealism. Valuing reason over emotion and imagination. Since "classicism" is the conventional term used to counter "romanticism," it may be necessary to clarify the link between the two terms. A worldview founded on classical ideas is typically thought to be contrary to romantic n…