(1798 – 1832)


Prepared by:
April Janna Matalote
Wendy Bonavente
Elsa May Belga
DEFINITION
Contrary to what you
may think, the term
Romanticism is not
just about romantic
love (although love is
sometimes the subject
of romantic art)
DEFINITION
Romanticism is an international
artistic and philosophical movement
that re-defined the ways in which
humans in Western civilization
thought about themselves and their
world.
Romanticism is the 19th century
movement that developed in Europe
in response to the Industrial
revolution and the disillusionment of
DEFINITION
 Highlight the  emotions and the irrational world
of the artist and of the nature as opposed to the
prevalence of Reason and Rationality during 
Neoclassicism.
 Society was changing, becoming industrial rather
than agricultural as towns and cities developed;
the government encouraged free trade; the new
middle class became powerful, and there were
moves towards voting reform and greater
democracy.
Historical Considerations
English Literary History
 Dates:
 English Literary History begins the
Romantic Period officially in 1798,
with the publication of Lyrical
Ballads by Wordsworth and
Coleridge, and ends it in 1832,
with the deaths of Sir Walter Scott
and the German Romantic poet,
Goethe.
 “The Age of
Revolutions”
 Since the early Romantic period
includes the American (1776) and the
French (1789) revolutions, it has been
called the “age of revolutions”
(changes). It was a time of massive
energy (intellectual, social, artistic). It
set out to transform not only the theory
and practice of all art, but also the
ways in which human beings perceived
 The Role of
Imagination
 Imagination now replaced reason as the supreme
faculty of the mind—hence the flowering of creative
activity in this period. For Romantic thinkers, the
imagination was the ultimate “shaping,” or creative
power, the approximate human equivalent to divine
creative powers.

 As the poet Wordsworth would suggest, humans

not only perceive and experience the world around
them; they also, in part, create it. The imagination
unites reason and feeling, enabling humans to
reconcile differences and opposites—this
reconciliation is a central ideal for Romantics.
Finally, the imagination enables humans to “read “
nature as a system of symbols.
 
 Romanticism was then adopted in England. Poets are divided
in two generations:
First Generation: William Blake, William Wordsworth, Samuel
Taylor Coleridge.
 William
Blake
(28 November 1757-12 August 1827)

 William Blake was an English poet,

painter, and printmaker. Largely
unrecognized during his lifetime, Blake is
now considered a seminal figure in the
history of the poetry and visual arts of
the Romantic Age.

His best-known collection of poetry Songs of

Innocence and Experience was published in
1794. Songs of Innocence and of Experience
is an illustrated collection of poems by
William Blake. It appeared in two phases. A
few first copies were printed and illuminated
by William Blake himself in 1789.
William Wordsworth
(7 April 1770 - 23 April 1850)

 William Wordsworth was a major English

Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor
Coleridge, helped to launch the
Romantic Age in English literature with
their joint publication

Lyrical Ballads (1798).

Lyrical Ballads, with a Few Other

Poems is a collection of poems by
William Wordsworth and Samuel
Taylor Coleridge, first published in
1798 and generally considered to
have marked the beginning of the
English Romantic movement in
literature. Lyrical Ballads
 
Second Generation: George Byron, Percy Shelly, John Keats.

 There is a difference between the 1st & the 2nd generation of

poets. British poets are rather progressive and close to the
dissenters.
 Similarities:
 
The similarities between the first and the
second generation of the British poets are
they are all good observers, hobbyists and
worshippers of nature. They all love the
peaceful countryside and the vast sea; they
all love animals and know well about the
animal world; they all emphasize on
individual independence and on having their
unique characters and writing styles; they
all value morality and have great desire to
 Differences:
The first generation (Wordsworth, Coleridge, Blake)
The Romantic Movement in England was born in 1798 with
Wordsworth, Coleridge and Blake. This first generation of
romantic poets criticized many social conventions and saw
society as an evil force. They supported the ideals of freedom
and equality of the French Revolution. They believed that poems
had to be written in a simple language, so they want to combine
fairy-tale, magical, supernatural images and tones to everyday
themes.
 
The second generation (Byron, Shelley, Keats)
Then we have a second generation of romantic poets with Byron,
Shelley and Keats. They are the true incarnation of the romantic
revolt. Their rebellion is total war without truce, aiming at the
affirmation of extreme individualism (Byron), or triumph of
aspiration to freedom and equality (Shelley), or the proclamation
of a new ethical philosophy centered on beauty and truth
(Keats). These poets returned to more complex versification.
George Gordon Byron (Lord Byron) 
(22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824) 

 Lord Byron, was an Anglo-Scottish poet

and a leading figure in the Romantic
movement. Among his best-known
works are the lengthy narrative poems
Don Juan and Childe Harold's
Pilgrimage, and the short lyric poem
"SheWalks in Beauty".

Manfred: A dramatic poem is a

closet drama written in 1816– 1817 by
Lord Byron. It contains supernatural
elements, in keeping with the
popularity of the ghost story in England
at the time. It is a typical example of a
Gothic fiction.
Percy Bysshe Shelley
(4 August 1792 – 8 July 1822)

 Percy Bysshe Shelley was one of the

major English Romantic poets, A radical
in his poetry as well as in his political
and social views, Shelley did not see
fame during his lifetime.

"Ode to the West Wind" is an ode,

written by Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1819
near Florence, Italy. It was originally
published in 1820 by Charles and Edmund
Ollier in London as part of the collection
Prometheus Unbound, A Lyrical Drama in
Four Acts, With Other Poems. Some have
interpreted the poem as the speaker
lamenting his inability to directly help
those in England owing to his being in
Italy.
John Keats
(31 October 1795 – 23 February 1821)

 Was an English Romantic poet. He was

one of the main figures of the second
generation of Romantic poets, along
with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe
Shelley, despite his work having been in
publication for only four years before his
death.

Lamia
Lamia is a narrative poem written
by English poet John Keats which
was published in 1820. The poem
was written in 1819, The poem
tells how the god Hermes hears
of a nymph who is more beautiful
than all. 
CHARACTERISTICS
OF
ROMANTICISM
IN LITERATURE
1. Glorification of Nature
 Nature, in all its unbound glory, plays a huge role in Romantic
literature. Nature, sometimes seen as the opposite of the rational, is a
powerful symbol in work from this era. Romantic poets and writers
give personal, deep descriptions of nature and its wild and powerful
qualities.

 Natural elements also work as symbols for the unfettered emotions of

the poet or writer, as in the final stanza of “To Autumn” by John Keats.
Keats was aware that he was dying of consumption throughout much
of his short life and career, and his celebration of autumn symbolizes
the beauty in the ephemeral.
2. Awareness and Acceptance of
Emotions
 A focus on emotion is a key characteristic of nearly all writing from the
Romantic period. When you read work of this period, you’ll see feelings
described in all forms, including romantic and filial love, fear, sorrow,
loneliness, and more. This focus on emotion offered a counterpoint to
the rational, and it also made Romantic poetry and prose extremely
readable and relatable.

 Mary Shelley's Frankenstein offers a perfect example of this

characteristic of Romanticism. Here, Frankenstein’s monster shows
great self-awareness of his feelings and offers a vivid emotional
description full of anger and sadness.
3. Celebration of Artistic Creativity and
Imagination
 In contrast to the previous generations’ focus on reason, writers of the
Romantic movement explored the importance of imagination and the
creative impulse. Romantic poets and prose writers celebrated the
power of imagination and the creative process, as well as the artistic
viewpoint. They believed that artists and writers looked at the world
differently, and they celebrated that vision in their work.

 You can see this in William Wordsworth’s poem, “The Prelude."

4. Emphasis on Aesthetic Beauty
 Romantic literature also explores the theme of aesthetic beauty, not
just of nature but of people as well. This was especially true with
descriptions of female beauty. Writers praised women of the Romantic
era for their natural loveliness, rather than anything artificial or
constrained.

 A classic example of this characteristic is George Gordon, or Lord Byron

’s, poem “She Walks in Beauty."
5. Themes of Solitude
 Writers of the Romantic era believed that creative inspiration came
from solitary exploration. They celebrated the feeling of being alone,
whether that meant loneliness or a much-needed quiet space to think
and create.

 You’ll see solitary themes in many literary works from this period,
including in this excerpt from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem “
Frost at Midnight."
6. Focus on Exoticism and History
 Romantic-era literature often has a distinct focus on exotic locations
and events or items from history. Poems and prose touch on antiques
and the gifts of ancient cultures around the world, and far-away
locations provide the setting for some literary works of this era.

 One great example is Percy Byssche Shelley’s poem “Ozymandias."

7. Spiritual and Supernatural Elements
 The writers of the Romantic era did not turn away from the darker side
of emotion and the mysteries of the supernatural. They explored the
contrast between life and death. Many pieces have Gothic motifs, such
as manor houses in disrepair, dark and stormy nights, and more.

 Some of the supernatural elements serve as symbols for emotions of

guilt, depression, and other darker feelings, as you can see in this
excerpt from The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe.
8. Vivid Sensory Descriptions
 Another essential characteristic of nearly all Romantic-era literature is
vivid sensory descriptions. The poems and prose of this period include 
examples of simile and metaphor, as well as visual imagery and other
sensory details. Poets and other writers went beyond simply telling
about things and instead gave the information readers need to feel and
taste and touch the objects and surroundings in Romantic-era writing.

 Wordsworth uses vivid descriptions, including similes and metaphors,

in his famous poem, “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud."
9. Use of Personification
 Romantic poets and prose writers also used personification in their
work. You can see examples of personification of everything from birds
and animals to natural events or aspects. These works even personify
feelings like love or states like death.

 You can see Romantic personification in the work of the famous

naturalist and writer, Karl von Martius. Here is an excerpt about the
trees of the Amazon from his book Flora Brasiliensis.
10. Focus on the Self and Autobiography
 Many works of Romantic-era literature are deeply personal, and they
often explore the self of the writer. You’ll
see autobiographical influences in poems and prose of the period. One
characteristic of this movement was the importance placed on feelings
and creativity, and the source of much of this emotional and artistic
work was the background and real-life surroundings of the writer. This
self-focus preceded confessional poetry of the mid-1900s, but you can
see its profound influence on that movement.

 One key example of Romantic autobiography is 

Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Confessions. In this work, he endeavored to
create an unvarnished look at his own upbringing and life.
Activity: Graphic
Organizer
Compare and contrast the first and second
generation of Romantic poets.
Thank You!