Romanticism is a response to the literary/ thought movement that came before it- the Restoration or the Age of Enlightenment/ Satire.

A review of the Age of Enlightenment: emphasis on reason and logic belief in harmony through wisdom The idea that there is a contract between people and their government in which the govt. guarantees its subjects certain rights (life, liberty, property)- Locke Emphasis on the individual and there is a move away from religion. It is believed that man is evil, but he can strive for good (search for Utopia/ Candide).

Interesting facts about the British in the 1700s: 50% of males are literate (satire, poetry, essays) Factories begin to spring up as the industrial revolution begins Farming comes to an end as the wealthy enclose their land Coffee houses open where intellectuals form “think tanks” The gap widens between the poor and the rich

How people lived:

And then in everything changes. Though the French Revolution is obviously French, the British see the same problems mimicked in their own society. The wealthy have become ignorant of the problems of the poor and the middle class, and since the wealthy rule, they are not taking care of those under their rule, because they do not understand their problems. A good example of this would be the diamond necklace affair, in which Marie Antoinette’s refusal to wear jewels designed for another woman led to the bankruptcy of a prominent jeweler.

On July 14 th 1789, the French storm the Bastille, where people are serving time for speaking out against those in power, and thus the French Revolution begins. At first the British see this as a hopeful moment. A chance for reason to trump royalty- a new world order if you will- where a Utopia is created in which all men are treated as equals, and the ability to examine causal relationships (logic) prevails in solving the world’s problems.

When the revolution concludes- there is massive disappointment. Many royals and their families were slaughtered violently (the Reign of Terror) only to be replaced by Napoleon, who became victim to absolute power corrupting absolutely. Soon Napoleon is as much a tyrant as the royals he replaced. He even continued the practice of birthright to be emperor, and annulled his marriage to his first wife when she was unable to give him a child.

From hope to horror: "...and never heads enough..." Domestic carnage, now filled the whole year With feast-days, old men from the chimney-nook, The maiden from the bosom of her love, The mother from the cradle of her babe, The warrior from the field - all perished, all - Friends, enemies, of all parties, ages, ranks, Head after head, and never heads enough For those that bade them fall. William Wordsworth

So how does this lead to British Romanticism? In backlash to the logic/ reason, or rather the anger it became, Romantics focused on how to avoid such hatred from the poor in England. Many of the works focus on: the desire for personal freedom/ protest human beings are essentially good evil being societal, not human nature the notion that children are helpless victims (won’t someone please think of the children!)

“For the Romantic, the result (of the Age of Reason) was nothing less than the demotion of the individual. Imagination, sensitivity, feelings, spontaneity and freedom were stifled -- choked to death. Man must liberate himself from these intellectual chains.”

In addition- the industrial revolution shapes the works of the Romantics in that: If society is what makes man evil, a return to nature can allow man to be at his best. There is a renewed love of all things natural, sunsets, trees, the ocean… for these elements allow man to feel peace, and peace after such turmoil is the goal. Vs.

Tintern Abbey inspires as it illustrates the lack of power man has over nature. While he might be able to build massive cathedrals, nature will out last these manmade forms.

The Gothic: In addition to touting the benefits of nature and personal liberty, there is a new element to writing- horror! After the horrors of the French Revolution, and the horrors of industry, many welcome the spine chilling stories. A new character also comes about, the monster as hero, the civilized man as monster.

How does all of this change style? There is a revolt against all things neoclassical and a desire to break the rules. The individual no longer functions as a part of society, but as a true individual who might even be against society- the birth of the rebel. Emotion is now more important than reason and delight comes from the commonplace, such as a bird’s song, or a building overgrown with foliage.

The Romantic Writers: Novelists –Jane Austen –Mary Shelley Poets –Robert Burns –William Blake –William Wordsworth –Samuel Taylor Coleridge –Lord Byron –Percy Shelley –John Keats –Women are now included in the rosters, but not necessarily respected. Shelley’s husband will take credit to a degree for Frankenstein, and Austen will earn only a pittance for her books.

Romanticism will influence architecture- a return to the way things used to be….

Romanticism will influence art- as it is a movement about impressions and the emotions inspired by those impressions….

There is a move away from the need for art to appear real, such as satire mimicking a diary, to a need for art to create the emotion and sensation of a moment.