Stand ye calm and resolute, Like a forest close and mute, With folded arms and looks which are Weapons of unvanquished war. And if then the tyrants dare, Let them ride among you there; Slash, and stab, and maim and hew; What they like, that let them do. With folded arms and steady eyes, And little fear, and less surprise, Look upon them as they slay, Till their rage has died away: Then they will return with shame, To the place from which they came, And the blood thus shed will speak In hot blushes on their cheek: Rise, like lions after slumber In unvanquishable number! Shake your chains to earth like dew Which in sleep had fallen on you: Ye are many—they are few! ![[Shelly.webp]] Romantic thinkers and writers, such as Percy Bysshe Shelley, are associated with postmodernism through shared themes and ideas, despite the significant historical and philosophical differences between the two movements. Romanticism, emerging in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and postmodernism, a late 20th-century phenomenon, both challenge dominant cultural and intellectual paradigms in overlapping ways: **1. Rejection of Absolutes and Embrace of Subjectivity** • **[[Romantics]]**: Romanticism prioritised individual experience, [[Emotions]], and [[imagination]] over Enlightenment rationalism and universal truths. Shelley, in particular, explored themes of personal [[Freedom]], the fluidity of identity, and the power of creative expression, often critiquing institutional or dogmatic authority. • **Postmodernists**: Postmodernism similarly rejects universal truths, instead celebrating pluralism, [[Relativism]], and the multiplicity of perspectives. The Romantic focus on subjective experience resonates with postmodernist ideas about the instability of meaning and the importance of individual interpretation. **2. Critique of Modernity and Industrialisation** • **Romantics**: Romantics, including Shelley, often critiqued industrialisation and its dehumanising effects, lamenting the loss of a deeper connection to [[Nature]], [[Art]], and [[Spirituality]]. Shelley’s works, such as _Ode to the West Wind_, embody a desire to transcend the alienation brought about by modern life. • **Postmodernists**: Postmodernism extends this critique to modernity itself, questioning its grand narratives of [[progress]], rationality, and scientific objectivity. Both movements resist the reduction of human experience to mechanistic or materialist frameworks. **3. Aesthetic Experimentation** • **Romantics**: Romantic poets like Shelley embraced fragmented, experimental forms to express their inner turmoil and engagement with the sublime. They prioritised feeling over structure, opening the door to more open-ended interpretations of their work. • **Postmodernists**: Postmodernist art and literature often employ fragmentation, paradox, and pastiche, valuing the playful and the ambiguous. Romantic experimentation with form and meaning anticipated these postmodern approaches to artistic expression. **4. Focus on the Sublime and Transcendence** • **Romantics**: Shelley’s works frequently engage with the sublime—an overwhelming sense of awe or terror evoked by nature, human [[Creativity]], or metaphysical contemplation. This sense of transcendence reflects a deep skepticism of rationalism and a yearning for profound, ineffable experiences. • **Postmodernists**: While postmodernism often critiques the notion of transcendence, it also explores the boundaries of experience and representation, akin to the Romantic fascination with the sublime. Postmodernists interrogate the limits of knowledge and perception, echoing Romantic concerns about the ineffable. **5. Rebellion Against Authority** • **Romantics**: Shelley was a radical thinker who opposed traditional authority, from oppressive governments to rigid religious doctrines. His works championed revolutionary change and the power of human creativity to reshape the world. • **Postmodernists**: Postmodern thinkers like Michel Foucault also question authority, particularly in the form of dominant discourses and institutions that perpetuate power structures. Both movements share a distrust of hierarchical systems and a belief in challenging established norms. **Key Differences** While there are connections, Romanticism and postmodernism diverge in significant ways: • **Romanticism’s Idealism**: Romanticism often aspires to an ideal or transcendental truth, even as it critiques the present. Postmodernism, by contrast, tends to reject the possibility of universal ideals altogether. • **Postmodern Irony vs. Romantic Sincerity**: Postmodernism frequently employs irony and skepticism, whereas Romanticism is marked by sincerity, passion, and emotional depth. **Conclusion** The association between Romanticism and postmodernism lies in their shared critiques of dominant paradigms, celebration of creativity and individuality, and resistance to rigid structures of thought. Shelley’s work, with its radicalism, aesthetic innovation, and exploration of subjectivity, aligns with postmodern themes, making Romanticism an important precursor to postmodernist ideas.