Romantic Period 1798-1832
1798 Wordsworth and Coleridge publish Lyrical Ballads 1832 death of Sir Walter Romantic period—European idea of romantic love Refers to the charming, magical world of medieval romance “freely imaginative idealizing fiction” EMPHASIS ON NATURAL WORLD Not really about love between a man and a woman
18th C is marked by reason and judgment (1700s) 19th C (1800s) marked by the Romantic writers’ imagination and emotion Historical Context: Prosperous time for middle/upper class American/French revolution were taking place—signal a time when authority is being questioned Both sought freedom from prevailing rulers
Industrial Revolution 1765 Steam engine— Transition from hand labour to machines Marks the beginning of modern era Despicable urban living Privatization of farmland that was once communal Sharply divided classes—wealthy and poor further defined THUS: Revolutions forced the Romantics to write about freedom as well as (re)Connect with natural world Wordsworth and Coleridge’s Lyrical Ballads is a collection of poems that uses “real language of men”—poetry that is about feelings rather than social commentary Byron, Shelley and Keats For review, please read pages 405-424