Romanticism: Background

Romanticism
Background
Romantic age as a whole is inspired by French Revolution (1789-1799). Equality, liberty and
fraternity were the slogans of French Revolution. Common people were not enjoying liberty
and equality that is why French Revolution started.
When the Romantic age started that was the beginning of French Revolution. The main spirit
of the revolution started in middle 19th century. It stands as a revolt against Neo-Classicism.
A rapid change occurred and England transformed into industrial state.There was a shift from
rural areas to urban areas. People used to work in the farms now started working in the
industries.A new working class was generated. The rich middle class was introduced in this
age and the number of landlords also increased.It bought social unrest and there was no peace
left. It was at this time that people unintentionally started moving towards Romanticism.
Nineteenth century is also called “The Age of Revolutions”. In the mid of the century the
adjective “Romantic” came in and it is described as something that is based on fancy.
“The Preface to Lyrical Ballad” is known as the manifesto of Romanticism.
The Influence of French Revolution over Romantic Age

Writers
Due to the prevailing conditions of the society, intellectuals decided to break the bonds of
eighteenth century convention. The revolution influenced the First Generation Romantics in
different ways. The “Lake Poets” initially sympathized with the philosophical and political
principles of the revolution. William Wordsworth famously chronicled his response to the
was in “The Prelude”. It has also affected the second generation of poets. P.B Shelly portrays
rebellious events in poems such as “Prometheus Unbound”
The characteristics of Romanticism are:
Imagination
Imagination was emphasized over reason and was considered necessary for creating piece of
art.Romantics valued feelings and instincts over reason.
Idealism
Idealism is one of the characteristics of Romanticism. Idealism means the practice of forming
ideas and living under its influence.
Freedom of Thought
Freedom of thought and expression was also given importance in Romanticism.
Themes
The major themes were respect for nature spiritual oneness, passion over reason, and
pantheism. Dream and vision was also another theme of Romantic poetry.
Elements of Romanticism
Return to Nature
When the Romantics said “Return to Nature” they meant that the people should reutrn to the
external world of sites and sounds such as trees, mountains, peasants, and the sounds of
storms, birds and animals.
In “The Tables Turned” Wordsworth viewed nature as something superior. Nature was
preferred over technology and science where as science was viewed as evil and demonic.
Romantics said that before eighteenth century, nature was quite on a distance from human
beings. The suggestion to them was to bring the nature and supernaturals at the same point.
William Wordsworth and S.T Coleridge were friends and were living in the same house. Both
of them worked for the revivial of nature. In the beginning Coleridge agreed with
Wordsworth but later on he had his own philosophy and he said that nature has no influence
upon us instead, inward feelings are so strong that nothing can influence them.
Return to Supernaturalism
After modern science, supernatural was discarded. The job of S.T Coleridge was to bring
back the fear of supernaturalism and he blended supernatural with reality. Supernatural
elements can also be seen in Coleridge poems like “Kubla Khan”, “The Rime of the Ancient
Mariner” etc.
Antimaterialism
Neo-Classical Age was materialistic age, self centered. Romantics were antimaterialists.
They wanted to take back the people to the villages so that they enjoy nature and according to
them nature was present in countryside and not in industries.
Escapeism
All the romantic writers were escapists. Most of them were financially strong. None of them
was employed anyhwere. There were no worries, that is why they became escapists. A poor
person cannot be an escapist.
William Wordsworth and P.B Shelly did not believe in laws. John Keats wanted to escape
from harsh realities of life.
Liberty or Freedom
P.B Shelly is remembered as the champion of liberty. He believed that human beings are free.
As Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) he is called the intellectual father of Romanticism.
According to him “Man is born free but everywhere in this world he is in chains”.
All the Romantics took the idea of freedom from him that is why he is called the intellectual
father of Romanticism.
Spontaneity of Poetry
Poetry is something that is spontaneous. It means genuine expressions like the way it comes
in your mind and you deliver it in the same way. Romantics were like this. They have a
genuine expression in their poetry, that is why it strikes the heart. On the other hand Neo-
Classical poetry was pre-planned while Romantic poetry was not. As William Wordsworth
says “ Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful emotions.”
Romantic Poetry
The Romantic Period was dominated by poets who were unconsciously composing the
romantic poetry. They can be further classified into “The Forerunners”, “The First
Generation”, “The Second Generation”.
Forerunners of Romanticism
Thomas Gray, Thomas Chatterton, William Blake and Oliver Goldsmith are the “Forerunners
of Romanticism”. They revolted against the tradition followed by their Age. These four are
not romantic poets, these are Neo-Classical poets but by spirit they are Romanticists.
William Blake (1757-1827)

A visionary person who can foresee things and he is the person who has challenged science
and he says that arts can teach, science cannot teach. According to him, “science has a
platonic approach, which means that reason is real, imagination is fake and literature is
unreliable”.
First Generation of Romantic Poets

The First Generation of Romantic Poets include William Wordsworth, S.T Coleridge and
Robert Southey.
William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

He advocates the cause of heart against mind. There should be influence of heart in your life.
He along with Coleridge launched Romanticism. Wordsworth gives details about village life
because he has love for it. He loves simple people and works with his imagination. He is also
a “Poet Laureate”
Some of his famous poems are “Tintern Abbey”, “The Tables Turned” etc.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1843)

He has actually revived the way of supernaturals. An English lyrical poet, philosopher, critic,
whose Lyrical Ballads (1798) is a joint venture of William Wordsworth with him.This joint
venture was taken by William Wordsworth and S.T Coleridge to find out a balance between
the two extremes, which are the tendency of Realism and the tendency to romance in their
extreme forms.
Supernaturalism was there in Coleridge’s poetry having the elements of mystery, dream
quality, medievalism, love of nature and narartive skills. These elements can be found in
major works of Coleridge such as “The Ancient Mariner”, “Kubla Khan” and “Christabel”.
Robert Southey
He has taken influence from Coleridge and Wordsworth both. His famous epic poems are
“Roderick”, “Thalaba The Destroyer” and “The Curse of Kehama”
Second Generation of Romantic Poets

The Second Generation of Romantic Poets include Lord Byron, P.B Shelly and John Keats,
Lord Byron (1788-1824)

He was a liberalist, an escapist and such a person who could not tolerate hypocrisy. The
drawback of him was that he spoke against everyone. He denies social traditions and he is
known for writing satires.
His major works include “English Bards and Scottish Reviewers”, “Hours of Idleness”, “Don
Juan” and “Child Harold’s Pilgrimage”.
In the “Don Juan” he created a new hero which was later known as “Byronic Hero”.
Percy Bysshe Shelly (1792-1822)

He was a liberalist, in favour of liberty and his known as a revolutionary person. He questions
every social institution. He believed that poetry can reform the world. Shelly urged England’s
lower classes to rebel.
His famous poems are “To a skylark”, “The Cloud”, “Ode to the West Wind”, “Adonias” etc
John Keats (1795-1821)

Imagination, nature and sensuousness can be found in Keat’s poetry. According to him, the
real life is the ever lasting beaut. He prefers the eternal life over the real life. For him, the
physical reality is nothing. He believes that when you come in this world, you soul has
troubles, pains and when you leave this world, you become free.He is famous for his six odes.
His famous works include “Hyperions”, “Ode to a Nightangle”, “Ode to a Grecian Urn”.
Romantic Prose
Famous prose writers of the Romantic period are Maria Edgeworth, Mary Shelley, Jane
Austen and Sir Walter Scott.
Maria Edgeworth (1767-1849)

She is an Anglo-Irish writer, one of the first realist writers. She has written literature for
children. The Parent’s Assistant is her first book which is collection of ninety six short
stories. Her other works include Castle Reckreut, Absentee, Belinda and Tables of
Fashionable Life
Mary Shelley (1797-1857)

She is an essayist, a travel writer, biographer and short story writer. She is daughter of
William Godwin and wife of P.B Shelly. Her first novel was Frankenstein, the first science
fiction.
Jane Austen (1775-1817)

She was a great novelist, the beloved of the gentry. She used to write about gentry. She
technically belongs to Augustan Age and she talks about the dependency of women in
marriage. Her famous novels are Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Pride and Prejudice etc
Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832)

He was a Scottish novelist, poet, historian, and biographer who is often considered both the
inventor and the greatest practitioner of the historical novel. He is not popular today but
before World War 1 he was popular and after World War 1, his decline started. His first
published work, “The Chase, and William and Helen” (1796), was a translation of two
ballads by the German Romantic balladeer G.A. Bürger. His attempts to “restore” the orally
corrupted versions back to their original compositions sometimes resulted in powerful poems
that show a sophisticated Romantic flavour. The work made Scott’s name known to a wide
public, and he followed up his first success with a full-length narrative poem, The Lay of the
Last Minstrel (1805), which ran into many editions.

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Romanticism

The Influence of French Revolution over Romantic Age

William Blake (1757-1827)

First Generation of Romantic Poets

William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1843)

Second Generation of Romantic Poets

Lord Byron (1788-1824)

Percy Bysshe Shelly (1792-1822)

John Keats (1795-1821)

Maria Edgeworth (1767-1849)

Mary Shelley (1797-1857)

Jane Austen (1775-1817)

Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832)

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