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Novalis pioneered Romanticism by exploring what a novel was meant to accomplish, and how it accomplished it. According to Novalis "a novel must be poetry through and through." What he meant by this was that everything in the novel had unity, and each action and word pointed towards a final end or idea. "We feel the infinite, incomprehensible simultaneous sensations of a plurality in agreement."
Imagination which builds a narrative from memories becomes like a choir, or orchestra, where each word and style becomes a 'different instrument' in the grand tale. For this reason, an author has to abandon their biases and be willing to explore all types of people and opinions that play a part in the tale.
But Novalis also says that "the novel contains no definite result—it is not the image or fact of a proposition. It is the visible execution- the realization of an idea." The novel to Novalis does not necessarily make an argument or is fully realized by an argument. Instead, the novel exists to allow for the deepest exploration of a human idea, memory, or life situation without putting true reality in danger. The reader explores the depths of human desire, then closes the book and emerges into a life untouched by the consequences.
This depth, or realization of an idea, though, is narrow. Because all components of the novel reach for one distilled end, it creates a reality where life is unreal. "all colors are sharper there—fewer shades in between - the movements more lively - the outlines hence more striking." He calls this a fragmentary view of the world but means that the real world is more inspiring than the novel. The true poet is inspired infinitely by reality, consuming it and ordering it into his writing, and depicting reality in a true, though fragmented, way. In this way, "The true poet is all-knowing - he is a real world in miniature.”
He uses mathematics to demonstrate this in his essay, Monologue. In mathematics, the most beautiful equations and formulas are the most representative models of reality. In writing, like mathematics, the most beautiful and simple writings get closer to truth than the over complex ones. Even if a writer knows what the truth is, if they do not understand simple and beautiful writing, how to distill reality to one end, then they will fail to impart the truth to their readers.
Imagination which builds a narrative from memories becomes like a choir, or orchestra, where each word and style becomes a 'different instrument' in the grand tale. For this reason, an author has to abandon their biases and be willing to explore all types of people and opinions that play a part in the tale.
But Novalis also says that "the novel contains no definite result—it is not the image or fact of a proposition. It is the visible execution- the realization of an idea." The novel to Novalis does not necessarily make an argument or is fully realized by an argument. Instead, the novel exists to allow for the deepest exploration of a human idea, memory, or life situation without putting true reality in danger. The reader explores the depths of human desire, then closes the book and emerges into a life untouched by the consequences.
This depth, or realization of an idea, though, is narrow. Because all components of the novel reach for one distilled end, it creates a reality where life is unreal. "all colors are sharper there—fewer shades in between - the movements more lively - the outlines hence more striking." He calls this a fragmentary view of the world but means that the real world is more inspiring than the novel. The true poet is inspired infinitely by reality, consuming it and ordering it into his writing, and depicting reality in a true, though fragmented, way. In this way, "The true poet is all-knowing - he is a real world in miniature.”
He uses mathematics to demonstrate this in his essay, Monologue. In mathematics, the most beautiful equations and formulas are the most representative models of reality. In writing, like mathematics, the most beautiful and simple writings get closer to truth than the over complex ones. Even if a writer knows what the truth is, if they do not understand simple and beautiful writing, how to distill reality to one end, then they will fail to impart the truth to their readers.
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