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How did Romantic literature react to Enlightenment rationalism?

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“The Tyger,” anastatic print by William Blake — Romantic literature English Romantic poet and artist William Blake wrote and illustrated “The Tyger” and other poems in his book *Songs of Innocence and of Experience* (1794).

Romantic literature emerged as a significant reaction against the Enlightenment and the 18th-century emphasis on rationalism, physical materialism, and the rigid precepts of Classicism. While Enlightenment thinkers championed abstract reason, order, and scientific methodology as the primary means to understand the universe, Romantic writers viewed these values as cold and restrictive.123

In response, Romanticism prioritized the following shifts in perspective:

Emotion over Reason: Romantics exalted emotion and the senses over intellect, believing that true insight was found through the heart and personal experience rather than cold logic.124
Individualism and Subjectivity: There was a heightened focus on the individual, the subjective, and the inner struggles of the human personality, often centering on the genius or the heroic figure.12
Nature and Imagination: Romantics developed a deep appreciation for the beauty of nature and emphasized imagination as a gateway to transcendent experience and spiritual truth, contrasting with the Enlightenment’s view of nature as a mechanical system.124
Rejection of Formal Rules: Artists rejected strict adherence to traditional procedures and formal conventions, favoring spontaneity and the creative spirit.124

Ultimately, Romantic literature sought to explore the mysterious, the supernatural, and the visionary, providing a counter-narrative to the Enlightenment’s focus on a predictable, rational world.15