What role did the French Revolution play in Romantic literature?

verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

The French Revolution influenced Romantic literature by emphasizing subjectivity and sentiment, qualities that were championed in the writings of philosopher and novelist Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who also influenced the leaders of the revolution. Moreover, the seeds of French Romanticism were sown in the national ideas of the revolution; the Romantic movement in general was in part characterized by cultural nationalism and a new attention to national origins and folk culture. These characteristics and ideals were reflected in the works of writers such as Chateaubriand and Madame de Staël.