Romantic Era in British Literature
1798-1832
What does it mean to call something
Romantic ?
Take one minute and jot down your thoughts
on a sheet of notebook paper. Brainstorm a
list of your ideas about the word Romantic.
Give a definition or examples of Romantic.
For each statement, write down
“A” if you agree or “D” if you disagree
1. The answers to life’s most puzzling questions can be
found through discussions with a simple person who
lives in the country close to nature—not with a
sophisticated, well-educated person from the city.
2. The answer to life’s most puzzling questions can be
found through a connection with nature.
3. The use of one’s imagination is more important than
rational (based on reason or fact) thought.
4. Subjectivity (personally biased) is more important than
objectivity (unbiased).
5. Knowledge is gained through gut reactions and subjective
hunches rather than level-headed, objective, rational
thought.
6. Nature is more important than art.
7. Experimental trial and error is a better process than the
conventional scientific method.
8. Poetry should be spontaneous and full of emotion, not
planned and straightforward.
9. Sensitivity, feelings, and spontaneity are more important
than intellectualism.
10. “Dare to be” is a better motto than “dare to know.”
Are you Romantic?
Tally up your number of As:
3 or fewer As = not romantic
4 or 5 As = sort of romantic
6 or 7 As = highly romantic
8-10 As = extremely romantic
Has your idea of the word Romantic changed in
any way? If so, how?
Romanticism
ò  Romantic or Romance originally referred to
Medieval tales of knights written in the original
Roman language - Latin.
ò  These tales often included love stories between a
knight and his lady - resulting in the modern
meaning of romance.
ò  The Romantic Era in literature is when we are
actually referring to romantic.
ò  Romantic is “freely imaginative fiction”
ò  not romantic as in “romantic love”
Let’s take a step back to the
Age of Reason to better
understand the Romantic Era
Age of Reason vs. Romantic Era
In the Age of Reason, Writers stressed:
In the Romantic Era, Writers stressed:
ò  Reason and Judgment
ò  Imagination and Emotion
ò  Concern with the universal
experience
ò  Concern with the particular
experience
ò  The value of society as a whole
ò  The value of rules
ò  The value of the individual human
being
ò  The value of freedom
Characteristics of the Romantic Era
1. Common Man and Childhood over Urban Sophistication
Romantics believed in the natural goodness of humans, which
is hindered by urban life.
They believed that the savage is noble, childhood is good and
the emotions inspired by both beliefs causes the heart to soar.
2. Emotions over Reason
Romantics believed that knowledge is gained through intuition
rather than deduction, summed up by Wordsworth who stated
that “all good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful
feelings.”
Characteristics of the Romantic Era cont.
3. Nature over Artificial
Romantics stressed the awe of nature in art and language and the
experience of sublimity through a connection with nature.
Romantics rejected the ideas of the industrial revolution .
4. The Individual over Society
Romantics often elevated the achievements of the misunderstood,
heroic individual outcast.
5. Imagination over Logic
Romantics legitimized the individual imagination as a critical
authority.
Which characteristics of the Romantic Era
does this painting suggest?
William Turner. Arundel Castle, with Rainbow, 1824
Which
characteristics of
the Romantic
Era does this
painting suggest?
William Blake, Jacob’s Ladder,
1799-1806 (English)
Which characteristics of the Romantic
Era does this painting suggest?
John Constable, The White Horse, 1819 (English)
To the Romantics, nature provided the pattern
on which to base their creative lives.
The Romantics watched as cities grew, industry prospered and farming life
declined. In an effort to reclaim nature, the Romantics made it a central
force in their lives and their literature. Nature was celebrated as a source of
delight, an image of love, and a model of moral perfection.
Five Major Romantic Era Poets
ò  Samuel Taylor Coleridge
ò  William Wordsworth
ò  William Blake
ò  Lord Byron
ò  Percy Shelley
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
ò  Considered the father of the Romantic movement
ò  Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla Khan are his
most known works
ò  His style dictates more of a storytelling aspect
compared to previous poets
ò  Several Romantics, particularly Wordsworth, mirrored
their poems after Coleridge and sought him out for
his critique of their work.
William Wordsworth
ò  Helped to launch the Romantic Age
ò  His most famous work is The Prelude chronicles the
spiritual life of the poet
ò  Has an interest and sympathy for the life and troubles
of the “common man”
ò  He is considered the nature poet by focusing ordinary
people in country settings
William Blake
ò  Started writing poetry when he was twelve
ò  Blake was a nonconformist who associated with some
of the leading radical thinkers of his day
ò  He rebelled against traditional poetic forms and
techniques
ò  He valued imagination over reason
Lord Byron
ò  He indulged in excesses and had huge debts and
many love affairs
ò  His most famous creations are his dark heroes, called
Byronic heroes, who, in fact, were not heroes at all,
but stood out from ordinary humans as larger than life
characters who typically made disastrous choices.
Percy Shelley
ò  Shelley had a very unconventional life and was very
idealistic
ò  He was also a radical nonconformist
ò  He did not become famous until after his death
ò  His wife, Mary, was far more successful. She wrote
Frankenstein and the success caused issues in their
marriage.