What are the differences between Romanticism and Classicism?

Romanticism and Classicism exist on two very different
poles within literary movements. Many new periods came about as a reaction to the
previous period, and the contrasts between these periods are no
different.

First, to differentiate between the two, we will
begin with their differences in how they regarded nature. The Romantics believed that
nature was powerful and constantly changing. The Romantics believed that nature was a
force that would/could never be fully understood. Unlike the Romantics, the Classicists
believed that nature could be rationalized and, therefore, completely
understood.

Second was the differentiating thoughts on
truth. The Romantics believed that one would only find truth through their own intuition
given they highlighted the importance of individual thought and not societal thought.
The Classicists, instead, believed that truth existed only as a result of reason. They
found that imaginative thought failed to be able to be studied scientifically and,
therefore, upheld no realistic function.

Third, ties into
scientific thought differences. The Classicists believed that man should conform to
universal thought and ideas. The Romantics believed that they should embrace their own
individual innovations. Perhaps the most poignant quote to exemplify Romantic thought on
tradition and innovation is from William Blake:

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I must create a system or be enslaved by another
mans; I will not reason and
compare.

Basically, the
Romantics believed in the endless possibilities which man could change the world, and
they embraced them. The Classicists, instead, held up the importance of adhering to what
has already been said and done and mastering only those ideals.