be used in their technical, literary
sense. As ordinarily used, _romantic_ means the extreme opposite of
prosaic or commonplace; in literary history, Romantic is used to
describe the movement known as Romanticism. Classic, in its oldest and
ordinary acceptation, means the best of its class or kind; in its
literary sense, _classic_, or _classical_, is usually applied to the
type of literature that harmonized so completely with eighteenth century
rationalism, the Classicism, or rather pseudo-Classicism, which,
enthroned in France, ruled all literary Europe until the closing years
of the century. In the following comparison, Classic, Classicist, and
Classicism are the opposites of Romantic, Romanticist, and Romanticism.

Romanticism, in its general application to all kinds of literature and
to the literatures of all countries where it made itself effectively
felt, shows the following characteristics:

1. _Subjectivity_, the introduction of the personal note, the expression
by the author of his own individual feelings and ideas. The Classicist,
aiming at universality and completeness, considered only the typical and
eternal as suitable material for literature and carefully excluded
whatever seemed peculiar to himself; his ideal was to give perfect
literary form to ideas and sentiments acceptable to mankind generally,
truths of universal application. Originality of idea or sentiment was
not of prime importance with him; his aim was rather to give finished
form to "what oft was said, but ne'er so well expressed." The aim of the
Romanticist, on the other hand, was to turn to literary uses his own
individual experiences, to give forceful and effective, rather than
elegant, expression to his own peculiar feelings and ideas. This
subjectivity led naturally to many abuses; it also led to the production
of some of the masterpieces of literature. Lyric poetry, that had almost
died of inanition during the period of Classicism, took on new and
vigorous life and became again one of the most important literary
genres. The mere mention of such famous poets as Byron, Shelley, Heine,
Musset, Leopardi, Espronceda, indicates the extent and importance of
lyric poetry in the first half of the nineteenth century.

2. _Emotional appeal_. Classicism made its appeal to the intellect;
Romanticism to the emotions. The aim of the Classicist being to give
perfect literary expression to the accumulated wisdom of mankind or to
reform social, moral, or