📚18th and 19th Century Literature Unit 2 – Romanticism

What's Romanticism?

• Artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century
• Emphasized emotion, individualism, and glorification of the past and nature
• Rejected the ideas of the Age of Enlightenment which stressed reason and logic
• Celebrated the individual imagination as a critical authority
• Focused on intense emotion as an authentic source of aesthetic experience
• Valued the natural world as a source of inspiration and spiritual renewal
• Sought to break free from traditional forms and conventions in art and literature

Key Players

• William Wordsworth (1770-1850) helped launch the Romantic Age in English literature with the publication of Lyrical Ballads
• Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) collaborated with Wordsworth on Lyrical Ballads and is known for his poems "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" and "Kubla Khan"
• John Keats (1795-1821) is famous for his odes, including "Ode to a Nightingale" and "Ode on a Grecian Urn"
  • Died at the age of 25 but left a significant impact on English poetry
• Lord Byron (1788-1824) was a leading figure of the Romantic movement known for his flamboyant lifestyle and works like Don Juan
• Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) was a major English Romantic poet who wrote "Ozymandias" and "Ode to the West Wind"
  • Married to Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein
• Mary Shelley (1797-1851) wrote the Gothic novel Frankenstein, considered an early example of science fiction

Big Ideas

• Celebration of the individual and the importance of personal experience
• Emphasis on emotion and feeling over reason and logic
• Appreciation for the beauty and power of the natural world
• Interest in the supernatural, the exotic, and the medieval past
• Belief in the importance of imagination and creativity
  • Idea that the creative process is spontaneous and organic rather than planned and structured
• Rejection of traditional forms and conventions in art and literature
• Exploration of the human psyche and the inner workings of the mind

Famous Works

• Lyrical Ballads (1798) by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, considered the starting point of the Romantic movement in English literature
• "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" (1798) by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, a narrative poem that tells the story of a sailor's supernatural experiences at sea
• "Ode on a Grecian Urn" (1819) by John Keats, a meditation on art, beauty, and the passage of time
• Don Juan (1819-1824) by Lord Byron, a satirical poem that follows the adventures of a young nobleman
• Frankenstein (1818) by Mary Shelley, a Gothic novel that explores the consequences of creating life
• "Ode to the West Wind" (1819) by Percy Bysshe Shelley, a poem that uses the wind as a metaphor for the power of nature and the poet's desire for social and political change

Writing Style

• Use of vivid imagery and figurative language to evoke emotion and create a sense of atmosphere
• Emphasis on the beauty and power of nature, often used as a source of inspiration or a metaphor for human emotions
• Exploration of the inner workings of the human mind and the complexity of human emotions
• Use of supernatural and exotic elements to create a sense of mystery and wonder
• Experimentation with form and structure, breaking away from traditional conventions
  • Use of irregular rhyme schemes, blank verse, and other unconventional poetic forms
• Incorporation of personal experiences and emotions into the work, often drawing on the poet's own life as a source of inspiration
• Use of symbolism and allegory to convey deeper meanings and universal truths

Historical Context

• Emerged in the late 18th century as a reaction against the Age of Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution
• Influenced by the French Revolution (1789-1799) and the social and political upheavals of the time
  • Many Romantic writers were initially supportive of the French Revolution but became disillusioned with its violence and tyranny
• Coincided with the rise of nationalism and the idea of individual nations with distinct cultures and identities
• Reflected the growing interest in folklore, mythology, and the medieval past as sources of artistic inspiration
• Influenced by the philosophical ideas of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who emphasized the importance of emotion and the natural world
• Shaped by the increasing industrialization and urbanization of society, which led to a growing sense of alienation and disconnection from nature

Legacy and Impact

• Romanticism had a profound impact on the arts, influencing literature, music, painting, and architecture well into the 19th century
• Helped to establish the idea of the artist as a visionary and a rebel against society's norms and conventions
• Contributed to the development of new literary genres, such as the Gothic novel and the historical novel
• Influenced the rise of nationalism and the idea of distinct national cultures and identities
• Paved the way for later artistic movements, such as Realism and Modernism, which reacted against Romanticism's emphasis on emotion and subjectivity
  • Realism sought to depict the world as it actually was, without the idealization and sentimentality of Romanticism
  • Modernism rejected Romanticism's faith in the individual and the power of nature, instead emphasizing the fragmentation and alienation of modern life
• Continues to shape our understanding of creativity, individuality, and the role of the artist in society

Critiques and Controversies

• Some critics argue that Romanticism's emphasis on emotion and subjectivity led to a rejection of reason and a glorification of irrationality
• Romanticism's focus on the individual and personal experience has been criticized as self-indulgent and narcissistic
• The movement's idealization of nature and the past has been seen as a form of escapism and a rejection of the realities of modern life
• Romanticism's celebration of the artist as a visionary and a rebel has been criticized as elitist and disconnected from the experiences of ordinary people
• The movement's association with nationalism has been seen as contributing to the rise of xenophobia and the idea of cultural superiority
  • Some Romantic writers, such as Lord Byron, have been criticized for their exoticism and orientalism in their depictions of non-European cultures
• Romanticism's legacy has been debated, with some seeing it as a vital contribution to the development of modern art and others viewing it as a regressive and reactionary movement