Romanticism and the Philosophy of Travel

The importance of literary travel writing can be partly explained by the qualities it shares with imaginative literature featuring the concepts of Romanticism. Writers from Twain and Steinbeck to Thoreau and Wordsworth have depicted the human bent towards adventure and the unknown and, especially in rapidly developing societies, the urge to return to simplicity and the core values of life and the recognition of an affinity with the wilderness. Travel writers both in the past and today share a philosophy which can be equated in many respects with Romantic tenets, and owe the success of their works to the reader’s seeking, whether consciously or otherwise, for the experience of an otherness as an antidote to routine and materialism. Travellers and explorers as diverse as Shipton, Thesiger, Hillary and Fiennes display a curiosity towards the unknown, a fascination with their surroundings and an interest in the interaction of humans in unfamiliar situations, reflecting on these factors to formulate a philosophy with which to face the challenges of travel in inhospitable surroundings. This paper will examine both imaginative and non-fictional works in order to explore their relationship in terms of literary achievement and how universal themes can be expressed in both.