1. Romanticism (1798-1832) English Department South Pasadena High School

2. Historical: French Revolution of 1789 to Parlimentary Reforms of 1832 “Alpha and the Omega”

3. Lyrical Ballads Literary: Publication of Lyrical Ballads (William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge) –Their preface is a manifesto of Romanticism –The term “Romantic” was not applied until 50 years later by English historians –Wordsworth said he wrote with a spontaneous overflow of emotion and return of lyric poetry.

4. Society Shift from agricultural society to industrial society: turmoil Large restless middle class CONCENTRATED in the mill towns

5. Revolt against reason and artifice of 1700’s Turn toward imagination and naturalness Revolt against public, formal, and witty poets Turn toward personal experiences and emotions in simple, unadorned language Democratic attitude toward readers Romanticism Defined

6. Turn toward past or inner dream world away from ugly world of industrialization Sympathy toward individual liberty View of nature as transformative; fascination with way nature and mind “mirror” their creative properties Romanticism Defined (cont.’d)

7. Why Are the Following “Pics” Examples of Romanticism? What do they make you see? What do they evoke? Do they seem mysterious?

11. Dominated by Six Poets “Second Generation” Shelley Keats Byron “First Generation” Blake Wordsworth Coleridge BlakeWordsworthColeridgeShelleyKeatsByron

12. Someone devastatingly handsome yet fatally flawed His prototypes: Cain Faust Prometheus Napoleon All were rebelling against Neo-classical world in which order and restraint ruled the day. Byronic Hero James Dean Lord Byron

13. What is imagination? The poet’s eye, in a fine frenzy rolling, Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven; And, as imagination bodies forth The forms of things unknown, the poet’s pen Turns them to shapes, and gives to airy nothing A local habitation and a name. --William Shakespeare from A Midsummer Night’s Dream

14. The Romantic Poet All Romantic poets described poets in these lofty terms: –“…a man speaking to man” –greater knowledge of human nature –more lively sensibility –more enthusiasm –more tenderness –more comprehensive soul Samuel Taylor Coleridge

15. Romanticism in America Today Environmental Movement Continued use of poetry and prose of the everyday speech of the common people –Rap: Wordsworth’s “language of the people” Poetry Ex.: Beatniks (“Beat Poets”) Art? Ex.: Dance? Ex.: Music? Ex.:

16. Gothic Walpole’s “little Gothic castel (sic)” home: –Instead of neo-classical architecture, he built gothic: Irregularity medieval style overgrown landscape –Authored Castle of Otranto, first gothic novel (deals with decline of a royal family) ghosts living statues forest caves

17. Gothic (cont.’d) Expresses sense of helplessness against forces beyond their control Enhances charm and melancholy atmosphere. Wild, unpredictable aspects of nature Ruins reflect human aspirations and failures Enhances spiritual awareness “Disposes us to benevolence, pity, friendship.” (The Mysteries of Udolpho, Anne Radcliffe

18. Other Classic Gothic Novels Italian (Ann Radcliffe) The Monk (Matthew Gregory Lewis) Vathek (William Beckford) Melmoth the Wanderer (Charles Robert Maturin) Frankenstein (Mary Shelley) Dracula? Is it gothic?