‘From Romanticism to Eco-criticism’: A Reading of Select Songs by Vanlalbeli

Abstract

The article initially traces the development of Romanticism to Eco-criticism. Romantic writings are often rendered to be ‘nature writing’; however, it is revealed that nature is dealt with as a ‘sign’ within a signifying system. It acts as a motivation to present an ideal world. Eco-criticism takes Romanticism forward by dealing with the merit and value of nature, not only as a linguistic construct. It also deals with the co relation between the different forms of nature where they are all interlinked. The songs selected for study are composed by Vanlalbeli. These songs have element of romanticism and eco-criticism, more so of the latter. Through analysis and interpretations, it can be assumed that the environment and ecological musings are poignantly and practically revealed through these selected songs. Even though the cause of environmental awareness has been worked upon, it is often neglected by those who need this awareness the most. This awareness is attempted to be propagated through literary work, therefore, this paper presents an eco-critical reading of these select songs.

Keywords

• Romanticism
• Eco-criticism
• Preservation
• Nature