THE ROMANTIC REVOLUTION

The Romantic revolution was sparked by political, industrial, philosophical, and poetic
changes. One of the greatest political motivations for the Romantic revolution was the
French Revolution in 1789 spawned when the French peasants would no longer endure
the hardships imposed on them by the French aristocrats. The English Romantic poets
were enthusiastic supporters of the rebelling peasants, the advent of equality, and a
new beginning.

The Industrial Revolution in England also signaled many changes. England had always
been an agricultural society, but about the year 1750, it was forced to become
industrialized. With industrialization came changes in working habits and lifestyles.
Machine power soon replaced manpower and many people found they had more leisure
time for education and other pursuits. In addition, material goods became more
available to the common people. Common people began to share the goods and
opportunities previously enjoyed only by aristocrats, and eventually the common people
were granted the right to vote.

The philosophical revolution was as much the basis for Romanticism as the economic
and political changes that preceded it. Romanticism was a state of mind; it was not an
effort by poets to create new poetry. The Romantic poets sought a way to express new
ideas, feelings, and beliefs. The philosophy of Romanticism became a concern for the
rights and dignity of the individual (elevation of human dignity). In addition, the
sensitivities of people were awakened to the dimension of life provided by awareness of
feelings. Romanticism also recognized the imagination of the individual. Romantics
defined the imagination as the total working of the mind. It was a process of insight and
understanding that finally brought a person to an ultimate truth. To the Romantics,
imagination was the opposite of reason or analysis. The Romantics believed that
imagination allowed a person insights that would otherwise not be obtained.

Romantic philosophy also included the appreciation of beauty and of nature. Most
Romantics saw significance in nature beyond its physical existence. They saw it as
belonging to the realm of the spirit and, on one level, they believed nature had human
characteristics. Romantics also viewed natural phenomena as a deliberate action. This
belief was a rejection of the eighteenth-century view of nature as purely scientific. Many
Romantics escaped the realities of life by communing with nature to achieve oneness
with God and the world.

Romantic philosophy also emphasized simplicity. The Romantics appreciated the

natural beauty of untamed nature in contrast to the Neoclassic appreciation of neat rows
of flowers and manicured hedges.
The Romantics delighted in mystery, particularly that of distant lands and the medieval.
Poets relished the medieval ballads and themes of heroism, adventure, death, and love.

The poets often conveyed a tone of melancholy. Melancholy was precipitated by the
idealism of the Romantics. They were distressed that life was too short for them to fulfill
their dreams of a better world.

The poetic revolution of the early nineteenth century was the culmination of the political,
industrial, and philosophical revolutions of the time. The result was a new poetry, first
evident in the Lyrical Ballads written by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor
Coleridge and published in 1798. The two poets attempted to write poetry that was free
of artificial restrictions. Wordsworth and Coleridge expressed individual ideas and
feelings and used as subject matter their own personal experience. Often the subject of
a poem was the poet himself. The lyric poem was a popular form because it best fit the
subject. The Romantic poetry was usually spontaneous and natural.

Nature plays an important role in Romantic poetry. The Romantics believed that nature
could be enjoyed for its own sake and that its enjoyment often provided a new
perception. Generally, in Romantic poetry, a natural scene or event triggers the
thoughts of the poet to an emotional conflict in his own life. Images and descriptions of
nature are vivid and detailed.

The Romantic poets' interest in simplicity and naturalness caused the commonplace
and humble life to be subjects for poetry. The poets believed even the most trivial
elements of life can experience wonder. Romantics believed that those who lived close
to nature were more innocent than those who were corrupted by society. This idea is
the concept of the noble savage, an idea found in nearly all Romantic writing.

The Romantics also used the supernatural in their poetry. The poet used unnatural,
unfamiliar events from the past to create a sense of wonder. Some poets explored
unusual experiences, such as mesmerism, to achieve a sense of newness and wonder
in poetry.