From Neoclassicism to Romanticism. An examination of Philip Freneau's writing style and his philosophical influences

Seminar paper from the year 2018 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 1.0, The Pennsylvania State University - Worthington Scranton, course: The American Literary Experience, language: English, abstract: Philip Freneau was an American poet whose works anticipated the American Romantic movement. This paper examines the influence of Enlightenment philosophy upon Philip Freneau's poetry, specifically in his poems 'To Sir Toby' and 'The Wild Honeysuckle.' The poetry of Philip Freneau provides a compelling snapshot into 18th century American thought. In poems such as 'To Sir Toby,' and 'The Wild Honeysuckle,' the influence of Enlightenment philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau is clearly recognizable, particularly through the manner in which the subject of nature is treated. Freneau's poetry depicts a nation caught between Hobbes's cynical view of nature and Rousseau's strident romanticism of nature. Here, 'To Sir Toby' and 'The Wild Honeysuckle' are analyzed to reveal the turn of mind which led Freneau to anticipate many aspects of American Romanticism during the Post-Revolutionary Era.