Domestic:
* Early American Literature: They looked to figures like Jonathan Edwards for their emphasis on emotional intensity and Nathaniel Hawthorne for their exploration of the dark side of human nature.
* Transcendentalism: The movement led by Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau strongly influenced Romantic poets. They embraced individual intuition, the beauty of nature, and the importance of self-reliance. This is evident in the works of Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson.
* The Fireside Poets: These poets, including Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, John Greenleaf Whittier, and Oliver Wendell Holmes, emphasized themes of patriotism, domesticity, and sentimentalism. They provided a foundation for the development of American poetry and its unique voice.
International:
* English Romanticism: American Romantic poets were deeply influenced by the English Romantic movement. William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Byron, Percy Shelley, and John Keats served as models for their exploration of individualism, emotional expression, and the power of nature.
* German Romanticism: The mystical and introspective nature of German Romanticism, particularly the works of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, resonated with American poets.
* Ancient Greek and Roman Literature: American poets drew inspiration from the epic poems of Homer and the lyric poetry of Sappho, using them as models for their own explorations of heroism, love, and the human condition.
Key Literary Techniques:
* Lyricism: Romantic poets emphasized emotional expression and personal experience, often using lyrical language and vivid imagery.
* Nature: Nature played a central role in Romantic poetry, serving as a source of inspiration, beauty, and spiritual enlightenment.
* Individualism: Romantic poets celebrated the power of individual thought and emotion, often rejecting societal norms and embracing unconventional perspectives.
* Imagination: They emphasized the power of imagination and the creative spirit, seeing it as a source of truth and beauty.
By drawing on these diverse models and employing these literary techniques, American Romantic poets forged a distinctive poetic voice that continues to resonate with readers today.