Here's why:
* Focus on the individual: Romantic writers emphasized the power and importance of individual emotions, experiences, and imagination. They often explored themes of love, passion, joy, sorrow, and melancholy in a way that was previously uncommon in literature.
* Emphasis on the sublime: Romantic literature frequently sought to evoke a sense of awe and wonder through descriptions of nature, the supernatural, and the vastness of the universe. This often brought forth intense emotional reactions in the reader.
* Rejection of Enlightenment rationalism: Romantics believed that reason alone was insufficient to understand the world. They emphasized the role of intuition, emotion, and imagination in shaping human experience.
* Importance of personal expression: Romantic writers valued authenticity and self-expression. They wrote in a personal and often confessional style, revealing their own thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
Some famous examples of this element in action include:
* "Ode to a Nightingale" by John Keats: This poem explores themes of beauty, death, and the fleeting nature of life through the lens of the speaker's deep emotional response to a nightingale's song.
* "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Brontë: This novel is a passionate story of love, revenge, and the destructive power of emotions.
* "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley: This gothic novel explores the dark side of human ambition and the consequences of unchecked emotion.
While Romantic literature encompassed a wide range of themes and styles, its emphasis on emotionality is a defining characteristic that continues to resonate with readers today.