Introduction

When it comes to literary figures and literature students, ‘Romanticism’ is a widely respected
and well-understood term. For the casual observer, though, ‘Romanticism’ simply translates into
everything that is ‘romantic’. However, this is far from the truth.

, or around, the year 1832 with the deaths of Sir Walter Scott and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Love and romance are undoubtedly important aspects of the entire ‘Romanticism’ movement,
but the movement in itself encapsulated much more than just poems and prose about love or
romance. Romanticism was an artistic and philosophical movement that comprehensively
redefined the fundamental manner in which people of that time thought about themselves and the
world around them.

 What is Romanticism?

He who seeks to define Romanticism is entering a hazardous occupation which has claimed
many victims. – E. B. Burgum

In the simplest of terms, Romanticism, also known as the ‘Romantic Movement’, was an
intellectual, cultural and literal movement which originated in Europe towards the culmination of
the 18th century. This movement specifically laid emphasis on individualism, and the

 
emotions experienced by an individual, rather than concentrating on the existing social and
cultural trends of that particular time. It also looked to exalt the individual with especial regard to
the nature, and the natural environment around.

Historical Considerations and Implications of the Romantic Movement

The ‘Romantic Movement’ had its roots in two countries primarily – England and Germany. In
1798, England had its first recorded piece of romantic literature published in the form of the
‘Lyrical Ballads’ by William Wordsworth. The early poets and authors that adopted this
movement in England also include romantic poets like William Blake and Robert Burns, whereas
in Germany, Romanticism found stout supporters in Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Friedrich
Schiller. Jean-Jacques Rousseau was another writer whose romantic works reverberated
throughout Europe. As a holistic international movement which affected all the arts,
Romanticism began in the 1770’s and continued well into the second half of the 19th century,

and even later in some of the arts like music and painting.

Many historians have argued that the entire Romantic Movement was a result of the ‘Industrial
Revolution’ that captured the heart of Europe during that time. It can be said that the American
Revolution (1776) and the French Revolution (1789) did have a major influence at the literary
figures of that time, but to go as far as saying that the entire romantic movement was a result of
the industrial revolution would be putting it too severely. However, we must all agree that the
revolutionary energy that had grabbed people at that time was undoubtedly at the core of
Romanticism, as a result of which romantic writers not only set out to transform poetry and
prose, and all art, for that matter, but also the very manner in which the general populace
perceived the world around them.

It is generally accepted that the Romanticism ended in

Common Characteristics of Romanticism

Following are the characteristics of Romanticism that were being adopted and followed by one
and all during that period:

 An exaltation of emotions over logic and reason, and senses over intellectual capabilities
 A focus on the concept of the ‘Self’ with an examination of the human personality and its
capabilities
 An emphasis on the imagination as a path towards transcendental and spiritual awakening
 A new view of artists as creators with prominence being given to their creative spirit rather
than adherence to traditional rules and procedures
 A heightened appreciation of the varied beauties present in nature
 A major affection for the ‘genius’ or ‘hero’ with a focus on his passions and struggles
 An obsession with the Medieval era, folk culture and cultural origins
 A predilection for the exotic, the mysterious, the weird, the occult, and sometimes even the
satanic

Satan Devouring His Son (Oil On Canvas) by Fransisco Goya

Some Prominent Writers, Poets and Painters from the Romantic Movement

 Writers

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832): A noted German poet, playwright and author,
Goethe’s major work, The Sorrows of Young Werther, was highly influential in creating the
ideal of a passionate and sensitive main character, one of the primary characteristics that defined
the Romantic Movement.

Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832): A famous Scottish novelist, playwright and poet, Scott’s novels
always had a global appeal. Some of his notable works include Ivanhoe, The Lady of the Lake,
and Waverley.

Mary Shelley (1797-1851): A prominent English novelist, short story writer, essayist and
dramatist, Shelley’s groundbreaking work was Frankenstein. As a person, Shelley was a political
radical who pressed for greater social co-operation between all the romantic writers and poets.

Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870): A renowned author of famous historical dramas like The Count
of Monte Cristo, The Three Musketeers, and the Marie Antoinette series, Dumas was always
regarded as an influential writer with a larger than life personality.

Victor Hugo (1802-1885): Perhaps the greatest and most well-known French author to have ever
lived, Hugo was widely respected for his poetry and novels. Two of his best-selling novels are
Les Misérables, and Notre-Dame de Paris.

 Poets

William Blake (1757-1827): Although not considered a romantic poet in the classical sense,
William Blake was a poet and artist who made a significant impact on the growth of
Romanticism as an art form. Some of his major works include Songs of Innocence, Songs of
Experience, The Four Zoas, and Jerusalem.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834): A much celebrated English romantic poet, Coleridge’s
famous poems include The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Kubla Khan and Christabel, amongst
many others. Coleridge is widely credited for bringing the concept of ‘German Idealism’, a very
important conceptual strand of the Romantic Movement, to England the concept of German
idealism.

Lord Byron (1788-1824): This handsome English romantic poet was infamous for leading a
flamboyant and extravagant lifestyle. He loved travelling across the length and breadth of
Europe. His famous works included Don Juan, She Walks in Beauty and Childe Harold’s
Pilgrimage.

Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822): An English romantic poet, P.B. Shelley was a dear friend of
John Keats. An out and out atheist, Shelley’s famous works include Prometheus Unbound,
Queen Mab, and Adonais (which is considered to be his tribute to Keats).

John Keats (1795-1821): Arguably one of the greatest English poets of all time, his best-known
works is Endymion: A Poetic Romance. Other famous poems written by him include When I
Have Fears, Ode To A Nightingale, and Bright Star.

Walt Whitman (1819-1892): This American poet is known for Leaves of Grass, in which he
introduced to the world a genre-defining new style of poetry. In America, Whitman was always
regarded as the bridge between the two important and distinct movements of realism and
transcendentalism.

Emily Dickinson (1830-1886): An American female poet, Dickinson led a very secluded
lifestyle. She was rumored to be clinically depressed and left a legacy of numerous short and
vivid poems which often dealt with the contrasting themes of death and immortality.

 Painters

William Blake (1757-1827): If truth be told, it would be unfair to just label Black as a painter
only. Also, a renowned poet and mystic, Blake wrote the highly influential Songs of Innocence,
and Songs of Experience. As a painter, he was famous for his morbid depictions and whimsical
themes.

Francisco José de Goya (1746-1828): A Spanish romantic painter, De Goya combined the
classical style of the old classical masters with a new realism and imagination.
Conclusion
Romanticism left an indelible mark on literature, visual arts and music, while also impacting the
natural and social sciences. It had a profound effect on the political scenario of that age too with
romantic writers and thinkers shedding their influence on liberalism, radicalism and nationalism.
There is no doubt that Romanticism played a crucial role in shaping not only literature, visual
and performing arts, but also the manner in which we live our life even today.