The idea of polarity, in which the universe is composed of two main forces that are in a state of dynamic balance and are complimentary, is found within many of the belief systems and spiritualities which are based on Nature. These two aspects that compose that polarity are sometimes conceived as dark and light, masculine and feminine, active and passive, conscious and unconscious, summer and winter, logical and intuitive, etc. Polarity, unlike the concept of dualism, does not separate the universe into two warring factions nor does it assign the characteristics of good to one, and evil to the other. It does not regard one aspect to be better or more superior than the other aspect. A very common example of this concept is the yin-yang polarity within Taoist religion. Since much of the Romantic Rebellion's philosophy was rooted in a love and respect for Nature, it makes sense that polarity would reveal itself in their literature. Polarity manifests itself in William Blake's poem "Auguries of Innocence" where he muses:
Man was made for Joy & WoeThis passage illustrates that Blake realizes that both the emotions of joy and woe are necessary parts of the human experience. His words do not seem to reveal that one should be regarded better than or without the other. In fact, his verses state that once humans acknowledge the interdependent and inseparable nature of joy and woe, they will be better equipped to deal with reality. He understands that in order to recognize that we are feeling joy, we must have the feeling of woe since we cannot comprehend one without a knowledge of the other. If Blake were a dualist, on the other hand, he would probably assert that joy is by far preferable to woe, and that joy alone is Divinely intended to be our highest and most worthy experience.
And when this we rightly know
Thro the World we safely go
Joy & Woe are woven fine
A Clothing for the Soul Divine
Under every grief & pine
Runs a joy with silken twine
Walt Whitman also expresses the idea of polarity through his poetry. However, instead of using joy and woe as his demonstrative aspects, he instead chooses the female and the male:
The female contains all qualities and tempers them,Keeping with the idea of polarity, Whitman does not value one gender over the other. He does not elevate one principle while degrading the other, and a dichotomy is not set up between male and female. Instead, he suggests that both genders are sacred, and that each has its proper position in what he refers to as the procession of the universe.
She is in her place and moves with perfect balance,
She is all things duly veil'd, she is both passive and active,
She is to conceive daughters as well as sons, and sons as well as daughters.As I see my soul reflected in Nature,
As I see through a mist, One with inexpressible completeness, sanity, beauty,
See the bent head and arms folded over the breast, the Female I see.The male is not less the soul nor more, he too is in his place,
He too is all qualities, he is action and power,
The flush of the known universe is in him,
Scorn becomes him as well, and appetite and defiance become him as well,
The wildest largest passions, bliss that is utmost, sorrow that is utmost become him well, pride is for him,
The full-spread pride of man is calming and excellent to the soul,
Knowledge becomes him, he likes it always, he brings every thing to the test of himself,
Whatever the survey, whatever the sea and the sail he strikes soundings at last only here,
(Where else does he strike soundings except here?)The man's body is sacred and the woman's body is sacred, [. . .]
Each has his or her place in the procession.
(All is a procession,
The universe is a procession with measured and perfect motion.)
The works of both Blake and Whitman reveal that the concept of polarity was not a foreign one to the Romantics. In their poetry, joy and woe, and male and female are not opponents but compliments. The two aspects complete and harmonize each other. This approach is contrary to a dualist viewpoint which does not value the diversity of Nature and which seeks to pit its facets against each other. The Romantics' belief in the inherent worth and sentience of Nature allows them to easily incorporate the idea of polarity into their philosophy.