Romanticism: freedom, culture and literature.

The word “Freedom” has its roots from:

• Greek

• Latin

• Spanish

Two words related to freedom are:

• Autonomy and independence

• Submission and slavery.

• Self-determination and subjugation

The meaning of freedom can be understood in different perspectives.

• No, as it only relates to Philosophy and Politics.

• Yes, as it is associated with our every day lives.

• Yes, as it is mostly connected to religious matters.

All countries, from the early stages, were supportive of freedom in general.

• Yes, because freedom of expression always existed.

• No; many countries had to fight for their freedom.

• Yes, as every country stimulated religious tolerance.

Collective freedom is limited:

• By laws and ethical norms, which regulate the society.

• By various authorities that are chosen by the nation, through indirect suffrage.

• By natural laws, that regulate the universe and the whole material world.

Total freedom:

• Exists and it is included in all existent societies.

• It’s a theoretical liberty, which does not exist in the material world.

• It’s a theoretical liberty, that exists in all societies.

There was a cultural movement which was based mainly on the freedom issue.

• No, as freedom is only related to politics, and not with culture.

• Yes, them being naturalism and realism.

• Yes, that being romanticism.

The concept of freedom is more present:

• In the first generation of romanticism, because of, especially, the arising revolutions.

• In the second generation of romanticism, as it can be seen in the poems about exaggerated pessimism.

• In the third generation of romanticism, in which the atrocious habits of the society were criticized.

For the romantics, liberty meant:

• Mainly liberty of expression (connected to individualism), but it also achieved almost a meaning of total freedom.

• Liberty in terms of religious choices.

• Especially economical liberty, as most romantics defended the mercantilism.

Freedom of expression is notorious in the literature, for instance, by:

• The use of rigid metrics and the classical structure.

• The use of free verse and the Camões inspired structure.

• The use of free verse and the free structure.