TheRomanticEra

inBritishLiterature

17981832

WhatdoesitmeantocallsomethingRomantic?

Takeafewminutesandjotdownyourthoughtsona
sheetofnotebookpaper.Brainstormalist,orwritea
paragraphofyourideasaboutthewordRomantic.

Romanticism
ThewordsRomanticorRomanceoriginallyreferredto
MedievaltalesofknightswrittenintheoriginalRoman
languageLatin.Thesetalesoftenincludedlovestories
betweenaknightandhisladyresultinginthemodern
meaningofromance.
WhentalkingabouttheRomanticErainliterature,we
areactuallyreferringtoromanticasfreelyimaginative
fictionandnotromanticasinromanticlove

LetstakeastepbacktotheAgeofReason
tobetterunderstandtheRomanticEra

AgeofReasonvs.RomanticEra
IntheAgeofReason,
Writersstressed:
ReasonandJudgement
Concernwiththe
universalexperience
Thevalueofsocietyasa
whole
Thevalueofrules

IntheRomanticEra,Writers
stressed:
ImaginationandEmotion
Concernwiththeparticular
experience
Thevalueoftheindividual
humanbeing
Thevalueoffreedom

Characteristicsofthe
RomanticEra

1.CommonManandChildhoodoverUrbanSophistication
Romanticsbelievedinthenaturalgoodnessofhumans,
whichishinderedbytheurbanlifeofcivilization.They
believedthatthesavageisnoble,childhoodisgoodandthe
emotionsinspiredbybothbeliefscausesthehearttosoar.
2.EmotionsoverReason
Romanticsbelievedthatknowledgeisgainedthrough
intuitionratherthandeduction.Thisisbestsummedupby
Wordsworthwhostatedthatallgoodpoetryisthe
spontaneousoverflowofpowerfulfeelings.

3.NatureoverArtificial
Romanticsstressedtheaweofnatureinartandlanguage
andtheexperienceofsublimitythroughaconnectionwith
nature.Romanticsrejectedtheideasoftheindustrial
revolution.
4.TheIndividualoverSociety
Romanticsoftenelevatedtheachievementsofthe
misunderstood,heroicindividualoutcast.
5.ImaginationoverLogic
Romanticslegitimizedtheindividualimaginationasa
criticalauthority.

 Romanticism is characterized by the 5 Is

Imagination
Intuition
Idealism
Inspiration
Individuality

WhichcharacteristicsoftheRomanticEradoes
thispaintingevoke?

TheRomanticswatchedascitiesgrew,industryprosperedand
farminglifedeclined.Inanefforttoreclaimnature,theRomantics
madeitacentralforceintheirlivesandtheirliterature.Naturewas
celebratedasasourceofdelight,animageoflove,andamodelof
moralperfection.

FiveMajorRomanticEraPoets
WilliamWordsworth
WilliamBlake
LordByron
PercyShelley
JohnKeats

WilliamWordsworth
(17701850)
HelpedtolaunchtheRomanticAge
HismostfamousworkisThePreludechronicles
thespirituallifeofthepoet
Hasaninterestandsympathyforthelifeand
troublesofthecommonman
Heisconsideredthenaturepoetbyfocusing
ordinarypeopleincountrysettings,intheLake
District

WilliamBlake
(17571827)
Startedwritingpoetrywhenhewastwelve
Blakewasanonconformistwhoassociatedwith
someoftheleadingradicalthinkersofhisday
Herebelledagainsttraditionalpoeticformsand
techniques
Hevaluedimaginationoverreason
HismainworkwasSongsofInnocenceandof
Experience

LordByron
(17881824)
Heindulgedinexcessesandhadhugedebts
andmanyloveaffairs
Hismostfamouscreationsarehisdark
heroes,calledByronicheroes,who,infact,
werenotheroesatall,butstoodoutfrom
ordinaryhumansaslargerthanlife
HismostknownnarrativepoenisDonJuan

PercyShelley
(17921822)

Shelleyhadaveryunconventionallifeand
wasveryidealistic
Hewasalsoaradicalnonconformist
Hedidnotbecomefamousuntilafterhis
death

JohnKeats
(17951821)

Duringhislife,hispoemsdidnotreceive
favorablereviewsbythecritics
ThepoetryofKeatsischaracterizedby
sensualimagery,mostnotablyinhisodes