Realism and Naturalism are interrelated movements– realism preceded the naturalism movement which built upon the established tenants of the style. These movements emerged in direct response to the stylistic and emotional poetry of the Romantic period. Realism and naturalism depend on detailed and unembellished version of the world. Often the poetry of these periods are intertwined with the politics of the period, “looking to forms of socialism for relief while speaking out against the systematic degradation of fellow humans and advocating for reform,” taking the form of movements for racial equality and women’s suffrage (Cambridge History 472).
Due to the political bent of this period’s poets, love takes on an identity separate from the previous periods. Rather than romantic love, Realism and Naturalism engage with love in the context of political, economic, and social happenings. Expressions of love are used as a tool to draw attention to the absurdity of social conventions, making love appear in situations where love should not exist. Gilman uses this absurdity to draw attention to the issue of women’s rights in the context of the home and alienation of labor.
Give All To Love 