Romantic Circles

Significance

The setting of this image ties it closely to Romantic aesthetics. The sinking British ship further emphasizes the immensity of sea and sky initially created by the low horizon. In contrast, the American vessel acts as the ordering element of the vast space surrounding it; its clear, level posture renders it compatible and even equal with the sublime immensity into which the British ship descends. The American ship has achieved this equality and independence by causing the British ship's surrender to the elemental sea: it has not only managed to safely coexist with the elements, but has, temporarily, harnessed their potentially sublime power. However, the visual indication that the American ship has received some damage—the holes in its sails—separates the vulnerability of human courage and success from the omnipotence of the elements. The damage implies that the ship has indeed gone through an intense battle, and that victory, far from being effortless, required skill and bravery. This is a consistent theme throughout the Songster: it is made clear that the Americans have to work hard for their victories, and that they take pride in the dedication and stamina of their work ethic. Consequently, the events related in the Songster often dwell on difficult battles courageously fought rather than on any sort of majestic, effortless superiority. The vulnerability of the Americans' success renders their victory uniquely human, and serves to privilege the effort and uncertainty of human triumph over the sublime, inevitable power of the impersonal elements.