A country in Romance

Decline of Romanticism

Kerala Photo by Ashu Mittal

Being a Country in Romance is entirely different from being a Democratic or Sovereign country. It implies that the country which is a political unit with well defined geographical territory, is inhibited by people who are romantic.

William Wordsworth had visited France before he composed the poem “The French Revolution”. He was obviously impressed that the whole nation is enchanted by Reason as the prime motive for a revolution to bring a change. The attraction of a country in romance was undeniable. As we know W. Wordsworth, he would never compose a poem when there is the spontaneous overflow of powerful emotion, but after some time when he would sit in contemplative mood he would recollect those emotions in tranquility. Slowly the tranquility would disappear and the emotions would gradually re-emerge with more intensity. At this moment he would compose the poem which would become immortal as 'The Daffodil' or 'Tintern Abbey'.

If we examine the characteristics of Romanticism we can decide if the country is really in Romance.

1. Love of Nature:

It is not as easy as it sounds. If we had ever really loved nature, it would have never become so dangerously polluted as it is today. If we go by statistics of environmental science no country can claim to have a love of nature. Loving is nurturing, not destroying.(Tweet it)

2. Emotional dominance:

Instead of reason or intellect, emotions, feelings, instincts and intuitions should prevail in a country in Romance. In an analysis, we find that people have become more egocentric, selfish, goal oriented and materialistic in approach. They have become more callous towards the suffering of humanity. Disparity in rich and poor would not have widened, if people were emotional.

3. Folklore language in Literature:

Since beginning, literature was created in two types of languages. Language of Elite and that of Folklore. Though out of fashion elite also read and appreciate Folklore literature but that is only a pretense to show off that they understand and care about life and sufferings of common people.

4. Exoticism:

Lands of mysteries and voodoo have always enchanted the curious mind of people. After the advent of media and transportation nothing is exotic any more.

5. Supernatural:

Due to spread of education and progress of science less and less people now believe in supernatural powers.

6. Haunted by the Past:

Some countries do not have a glorious past. If we go few centuries back, which is small time looking into the history of civilization, they did not even existed on the map of the world. They are now leading powers of the world. Some others who have a rich history of thousands of years are now almost beggars. Past is future, so no need to be haunted by it.

Thus we find that there is no country in Romance, Wordsworth was also disappointed by aftermath of French Revolution.

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© Vipin Behari Goyal