Overview
This lecture introduces Romanticism, focusing on its historical and social context, key literary concepts, major authors, and impact on poetry and fiction in Europe, especially England.
Historical and Social Context
- Romanticism is known as the Age of Revolutions, including the American and French Revolutions.
- The American Revolution altered British views on colonialism and empire.
- The French Revolution inspired both enthusiasm and radicalism, influencing England politically and ideologically.
- The Industrial Revolution changed Britain's social and economic structure, leading to social unrest.
- Other revolutions included the agricultural and transport revolutions, facilitating the spread of people and ideas.
- The rise of the middle class led to economic power and new ideologies like laissez-faire economics, outlined by Adam Smith.
Key Concepts of Romanticism
- Emphasis on imagination and subjectivity; personal experience and the "inward eye" are central.
- Artists and poets are seen as independent, free from classical rules, often viewed as prophetic figures.
- Nature is a core theme, seen as a spiritual, organic whole and a source of inspiration and truth.
- Use of myth, symbolism, and exploration of transcendental and metaphysical truths through imagery.
- Distinction between the "beautiful" (balanced, reassuring) and the "sublime" (vast, dangerous, awe-inspiring) in aesthetics.
- The picturesque emerges, influencing Gothic elements in literature.
Literature and Major Authors
- Romanticism manifests differently across Europe: Germany (philosophy), England (poetry), France (drama), and Italy (novel/poetry).
- First-generation poets include Blake, Wordsworth, and Coleridge, with themes of innocence, nature, and the sublime.
- Second-generation poets like Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Keats focused on themes such as tragic love, individuality, and myth.
- Poems often used ballads and lyrics to express personal experiences and opposition to industrialization.
- Themes of innocence and childhood are prominent, symbolized by figures like the lamb (Blake).
- Fiction divides into entertainment-focused (formulaic, for profit) and serious literature, with women novelists gaining prominence.
- Notable authors: Ann Radcliffe (Gothic), Jane Austen (manners and social critique), Mary Shelley (Frankenstein, blending Gothic with early science fiction).
Key Terms & Definitions
- Romanticism — Artistic movement emphasizing emotion, individualism, and nature, originating in late 18th-century Europe.
- Sublime — Aesthetic quality that inspires awe and terror due to its vastness or power.
- Picturesque — Artistic style focusing on visually attractive, dramatic, and often Gothic scenes.
- Laissez-faire — Economic principle advocating minimal government intervention.
- Inward eye — Romantic concept describing the poet’s imaginative, introspective vision.
- Ballad — Narrative poem, often set to music, popular during the Romantic era.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review major poets and their works mentioned (Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley, Keats, Austen, Radcliffe, Mary Shelley).
- Prepare to study specific Romantic poems and novels in detail in upcoming sessions.