Introduction to the Introduction to the Romantic Age of English Romantic Age of English

LiteratureLiteratureA Presentation for English A Presentation for English

23232323Prepared by Dr. Brenda Prepared by Dr. Brenda

CornellCornell

DefinitionDefinition Contrary to what you may Contrary to what you may

think, the term think, the term RomanticismRomanticism is not just is not just about romantic love about romantic love (although love is sometimes (although love is sometimes the subject of romantic art).the subject of romantic art).

Romanticism is an Romanticism is an international artistic and international artistic and philosophical movement philosophical movement that re-defined the ways in that re-defined the ways in which humans in Western which humans in Western civilization thought about civilization thought about themselves and their world.themselves and their world.

Historical ConsiderationsHistorical ConsiderationsEnglish Literary HistoryEnglish Literary History

Dates: Dates: English Literary History begins the English Literary History begins the

Romantic Period officially in 1798, Romantic Period officially in 1798, with the publication of with the publication of Lyrical BalladsLyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, and by Wordsworth and Coleridge, and ends it in 1832, with the deaths of Sir ends it in 1832, with the deaths of Sir Walter Scott and the German Walter Scott and the German Romantic poet, Goethe.Romantic poet, Goethe.

Romanticism as an Romanticism as an International MovementInternational Movement

Affected all of the arts (literature, Affected all of the arts (literature, music, painting, philosophy)music, painting, philosophy)

Began in the 1770s and extended Began in the 1770s and extended through the second half of the 19through the second half of the 19thth century (1870).century (1870).

““The Age of Revolutions”The Age of Revolutions” Since the early Romantic period includes the Since the early Romantic period includes the

American (1776) and the French (1789) American (1776) and the French (1789) revolutions, it has been called the “age of revolutions, it has been called the “age of revolutions” (changes). It was a time of revolutions” (changes). It was a time of massive energy (intellectual, social, artistic). massive energy (intellectual, social, artistic). It set out to transform not only the theory It set out to transform not only the theory and practice of all art, but also the ways in and practice of all art, but also the ways in which human beings perceived the world. which human beings perceived the world. Some of its ideas survive even to our present Some of its ideas survive even to our present day.day.

The Role of ImaginationThe Role of Imagination Imagination now replaced reason as Imagination now replaced reason as

the supreme faculty of the mind—the supreme faculty of the mind—hence the flowering of creative hence the flowering of creative activity in this period. For Romantic activity in this period. For Romantic thinkers, the imagination was the thinkers, the imagination was the ultimate “shaping,” or creative ultimate “shaping,” or creative power, the approximate human power, the approximate human equivalent to divine creative powers. equivalent to divine creative powers.

As the poet Wordsworth would As the poet Wordsworth would suggest, humans not only perceive suggest, humans not only perceive and experience the world around and experience the world around them; they also, in part, create it. them; they also, in part, create it. The imagination unites reason and The imagination unites reason and feeling, enabling humans to reconcile feeling, enabling humans to reconcile differences and opposites—this differences and opposites—this reconciliation is a central ideal for reconciliation is a central ideal for Romantics. Finally, the imagination Romantics. Finally, the imagination enables humans to “read “ nature as enables humans to “read “ nature as a system of symbols.a system of symbols.

NatureNature

Celebration of NatureCelebration of Nature Nature often presented as a work of art Nature often presented as a work of art

from the divine imaginationfrom the divine imagination Nature as a healing powerNature as a healing power Nature as a refuge from civilizationNature as a refuge from civilization Nature viewed as “organic,” (alive) Nature viewed as “organic,” (alive)

rather than “mechanical” or “rationalist”rather than “mechanical” or “rationalist” Nature viewed as a source of Nature viewed as a source of

refreshment and meditationrefreshment and meditation

Symbolism and MythSymbolism and Myth Valued as the human means for Valued as the human means for

imitating nature in artimitating nature in art Could simultaneously suggest many Could simultaneously suggest many

things in a creative waythings in a creative way Based on a desire to “express the Based on a desire to “express the

inexpressible” through the resources inexpressible” through the resources of languageof language

Emotion, Lyric Poetry, and the Emotion, Lyric Poetry, and the SelfSelf

Greater emphasis on the importance of Greater emphasis on the importance of intuition, instincts, and feelingsintuition, instincts, and feelings

Wordsworth’s definition of good poetry as “the Wordsworth’s definition of good poetry as “the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings” was spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings” was a turning point in literary history.a turning point in literary history.

Ultimate source of poetry found in the Ultimate source of poetry found in the individual artist and his/her traditions (present individual artist and his/her traditions (present and past)and past)

Value of ArtValue of Art Source of illumination of the world within the Source of illumination of the world within the

selfself Led to a prominence for first-person lyric Led to a prominence for first-person lyric

poetry; the “speaker” became less a persona poetry; the “speaker” became less a persona and more the direct person of the poet. Ex. and more the direct person of the poet. Ex. Wordsworth’s Wordsworth’s PreludePrelude and Whitman’s “Song of and Whitman’s “Song of Myself”Myself”

Also a wealth of autobiographical verse Also a wealth of autobiographical verse described as poetry about someone else: described as poetry about someone else: Byron, Byron, Childe Harold Childe Harold

Contrasts with Neoclassicism Contrasts with Neoclassicism (the Age of Reason)(the Age of Reason)

Shift in focus from rationalism to the Shift in focus from rationalism to the imaginationimagination

Shift toward a more expressive Shift toward a more expressive orientation toward the literary artorientation toward the literary art

Freedom of expressionFreedom of expression Freedom of the individualFreedom of the individual

IndividualismIndividualism Summed up in opening statement of Summed up in opening statement of

Rousseau’s Rousseau’s Confessions Confessions ::

““I am not made like anyone I have I am not made like anyone I have seen; I dare believe that I am not seen; I dare believe that I am not made like anyone in existence. If I made like anyone in existence. If I am not superior, at least I am am not superior, at least I am different.”different.”

The Romantic HeroThe Romantic Hero As the Romantic writers As the Romantic writers

show us, our heroes show us, our heroes were not always were not always cowboys:cowboys:

1. The hero as artist1. The hero as artist 2. The hero striving 2. The hero striving

beyond the moral beyond the moral restrictions of societyrestrictions of society

3. The hero who 3. The hero who reappears from the reappears from the ancient classicsancient classics

The Everyday and the The Everyday and the ExoticExotic

Romantic writers embraced everyday Romantic writers embraced everyday realism (poetry of Wordsworth)realism (poetry of Wordsworth)

Also sought the folk legends of the pastAlso sought the folk legends of the past Promoted exotic ideas suggested by Promoted exotic ideas suggested by

technology and the imagination (a technology and the imagination (a beautiful soul in an ugly body, as in beautiful soul in an ugly body, as in Mary Shelley’s Mary Shelley’s FrankensteinFrankenstein or Victor or Victor Hugo’s Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame).The Hunchback of Notre Dame).

The Romantic Artist in The Romantic Artist in SocietySociety

The Romantics were The Romantics were often ambivalent toward often ambivalent toward the “outside” world. On the “outside” world. On the one hand, they were the one hand, they were socially and politically socially and politically passionate—involved in passionate—involved in worthy causes and worthy causes and social issues. On the social issues. On the other hand, they other hand, they isolated themselves isolated themselves from the public.from the public.

Spread of the Romantic Spread of the Romantic SpiritSpirit

All of the arts—from music, to All of the arts—from music, to painting; from sculpture to painting; from sculpture to architecture—were affected by and architecture—were affected by and continue to be affected by the continue to be affected by the revolutionary energy underlying the revolutionary energy underlying the Romantic movement. Strains of Romantic movement. Strains of Romanticism infuse every age and Romanticism infuse every age and every generation.every generation.

Works CitedWorks Cited Abrams and others. Abrams and others. The Norton The Norton

Anthology of English Literature. Anthology of English Literature. 77thth edition. NY: W. W. Norton, 2000.edition. NY: W. W. Norton, 2000.

http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/rom.html