1. romanticism  Literary movement in England began in 1798 with the publication of the poetry collection Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge o Initially published anonymously & initially met with lackluster critical reviews. o Wordsworth published second edition under his own name in 1800 and described poetry as “the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings”.

2. William Wordsworth Samuel Taylor Coleridge

3. INSPIRATION FOR LIT. MOVEMENT o Artistic ideals of Romanticism did NOT reflect mainstream views of society (as they did in Neoclassical period) o Revolutions  movement of protest  expression of desire for personal freedom & radical reform  Poets rebelled against Enlightenment predecessors o New modes of literary expression  Experimented with poetic language and subject matter  Took language and subjects from common life  Focused on freedom and self expression  Serious poems about personal experiences with strong emotions o Rejected science and industry in favor of communion with nature as insight into human experience

4. Effects of LIT. MOVEMENT o Democratic attitude of Romantic era broadened concept of “acceptable” English and narrowed gap between language of scholars/aristocrats and the common person o Poetry and prose included regional dialects, colloquialisms, slang, strong emotions, and some archaic language

5. Defining features - poetry  Personal experience and glorification of the individual  Spontaneity in language and thought; emotional outbursts  Use of nature as stimulus for contemplation  Focus on humble subjects, ordinary people and objects  Fascination with supernatural, exotic, and unknown

6. William blake

8. “Two contrary states of the human soul” = collective book subtitle Illustrated collection of poems printed & illuminated by Blake (1794)1794

9. Illustrated collection of poems printed & illuminated by Blake Songs of Innocence (1789) Songs of Experience (1794)  Modeled on street ballads and rhymes sung by London children  Generally positive outlook on life  19 poems  Many match poems in Songs of Innocence  Deal with more adult topics /perspectives  Generally negative outlook on life  26 poems