THE PHENOMENON OF ORIENTALISM IN THE LITERATURE OF THE EARLY ENGLISH ROMANTICISM (XVIII-XIX CENTURIES)

Abstract

In the eighteenth century, English interest in exploring the Eastern world had increased tremendously. Orientalism was recognized as a cultural phenomenon and it had a great influence on architecture, gardening, art and literature as well. As for the poets and writers, the oriental environment created a different mood and new modes of expression that inspired them to compose works with the eastern motifs. The main contribution of Orientalism to English literature was a distraction of the poets’ mind from outdated ideas and filling it with fresh views. In the first half of Romanticism, the authors portrayed bad manners that belonged to their own culture in satirical verses with the help of oriental peculiarities. During this period, drama plots depicted the inevitability of punishment for sinners and disgusting things. But in the next part of the eighteenth century, poets focused their attention mainly on the exotic and mysteriousness of the East. Therefore, in order to present Oriental features, there was a strong need for fresh shapes, ornaments and figures that had never been used before. On the stage, the fondness for pantomimes and melodramas became progressively greater. In English Romantic literature, dramas appeared with completely ornamented customs and fanciful decorations. Through this article, while reviewing the main features of the European Enlightenment, it is possible to understand some of the factors that led to the emergence of the Romantic movement and the differences between the two trends. In the literature of the Enlightenment, it is logic and reason that are more important than other elements, and there is almost no emphasis on romantic-based sentiments. According to the ideas of the Enlightenment, a person and his/her relationships, his/her place in society, should be formed, first of all, in line with a scientific point of view. In the history of the Romantic period, it was firmly believed that impartiality was not only a wish, that could be achieved. Representatives of this period avoided the idea that it was preferable to worry about the economic infrastructure of a country with new resources, techniques and capital, rather than subjective feelings, observations about nature and creative inclinations. Literary works on political and economic themes also reflected the priorities and values of the time. In the same way, philosophical works shed light on the problems of their time and are based on the experience of humanity, along with the personal thoughts of the creators.