Student Question
What is a suitable quote to open a paper about Romanticism?
Quick answer:
To open a paper on Romanticism, consider using a quote that captures the essence of the era. Charles Baudelaire's quote, "To say the word Romanticism is to say modern art - that is, intimacy, spirituality, color, aspiration towards the infinite," highlights the enduring influence of Romantic ideals. Alternatively, Alfred De Musset's humorous take, "Romanticism is the abuse of adjectives," can engage readers by addressing the characteristic style of Romantic literature.
Quotes are always wonderful ways to open papers. The problem arises when trying to decide what quote to use to gain the reader's attention. Given that the paper is focused upon Romanticism, the best quote should be from a Romantic writer or denote something important about the genre itself.
Therefore, here are multiple suggestions and explanations as to why the quotes would be appropriate "attention getters" for a paper written on Romanticism.
1. "I am a big fan of vampires. I've always been obsessed with the genre, and the beautiful romanticism and erotic kind of nature of the immortal being, the undead who lives on human blood." This quote comes from an Australian Actor, Alex O'Laughlin. The relevance of this quote is that it proves that ideas typical of the Romantic period are still alive and well today.
2. "To say the word Romanticism is to say modern art...
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- that is, intimacy, spirituality, color, aspiration towards the infinite, expressed by every means available to the arts." This quote comes from Charles Baudelaire. Baudelaire was a French poet who wrote during the Romantic period. Here, the quote signifies that the ideology of the Romantics has not changed very much since the "fall" of the period (1860). People can relate to the importance of looking at the whole picture through multiple lenses (the intimate, the spiritual, and the colorful).
3. "Romanticism, people as they would like to be." This quote comes from the American writer Dawn Powell. When it comes to getting a reader's attention, is there any better way than to allow them to look at the importance of how "they would like to be?"
4. “Romanticism is the abuse of adjectives.” This quote comes from Alfred De Musset. De Musset was a French poet, dramatist, and novelist who wrote during the Romantic period. The use of this quote not only introduces Romanticism into the paper, it allows humor to be brought in as well. A writer could use De Musset's quote to examine the abundant use of adjectives in Romantic works.