I. Romanticism in American literature

The Romantic Period in American literature stretched roughly from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the end of the American Civil War in 1865. Romanticism refers to an artistic and intellectual movement originated in the late eighteenth century in Germany and England, followed by America and other European countries. Revolting against neoclassicism, romantic artists and writers valued emotions and expressed their ideas in everyday language and their own individual styles. They emphasized emotion over intellect; the individual over society; inspiration, imagination, and intuition over logic, discipline, and order; the wild and natural over the tamed. Romantics believed in humans, as well as their emotions, are good by nature, but civilization corrupts this essential goodness.

II. Rhyme Scheme

A rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhymes at the end of each line of a poem or song. It is usually referred to by using letters to indicate which lines rhyme; lines designated with the same letter all rhyme with each other. The common examples are as follows: alternate rhyme: it is also known as ABAB rhyme scheme, it rhymes as “ABAB CDCD EFEF GHGH”; couplet: “A,A”, but usually occurs as “ A,A,B,B,C,C,D,D...”.

Rhyme scheme is widely used in literary works, especially poetry, so that the poems becomes full of rhythm and music beauty. It will be more easy to read and remember.

常见的类型有哪些？具有什么艺术效果呢？

III．Metaphor

A metaphor is a figure of speech that directly refers to one thing by mentioning another for rhetorical effect. It may provide clarity or identify hidden similarities between two ideas. Antithesis, hyperbole, metonymy and simile are all types of metaphor. In this Chapter, metaphor is used in all the poems we learn. In Because I Could Not Stop for Death, the poet uses metaphor to compare death to a gentleman, in order to tell people not afraid of death. In O Captain! My Captain!, the poet uses metaphor to compare Abraham Lincoln to captain and the United States to ship. It makes his poem more specific and it makes his feeling easier to understand by other people. In the Road Not Taken, the poet compares choices to roads. This metaphor makes the poem easier to understand and empathize.