Which movement is characterized by a focus on individualism and emotional experience in literature?

The correct answer, which highlights the focus on individualism and emotional experience in literature, is rooted in the defining traits of Romanticism. This movement, flourishing from the late 18th to the mid-19th century, emerged as a reaction against the rationalism of the Enlightenment and the industrialization that characterized the era.

Romanticism values personal emotion and the subjective experience of individuals, often highlighting the complexities of human feelings and the beauty of nature. Writers and poets associated with this movement sought to explore the depth of human emotion, individual creativity, and the importance of imagination. Figures like William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Lord Byron exemplify this focus through their works that celebrate nature, reflect on personal experiences, and delve into the emotional states of their characters.

In contrast, Realism emphasizes a pragmatic portrayal of life and often focuses on everyday experiences and societal issues without the heightened emotional expressiveness found in Romanticism. Modernism, while it also explores individual experience, is characterized by a break with traditional forms and often addresses themes of alienation and fragmentation in the early 20th century. Classicism, rooted in ancient Greek and Roman ideals, emphasizes order, harmony, and rationality, prioritizing societal norms over individual