English Romantic Poetry

Overview

• Early 19th century marked a great period of creative achievement in English poetry.
• Notable poets include:
  • William Wordsworth
  • Samuel Taylor Coleridge
  • Percy Bysshe Shelley
  • John Keats
  • Lord Byron
• Together, they represent England's contribution to the Romantic Age, a stimulating period of European cultural history.

Characteristics of Romantic Poetry

• Introduction of personal themes in poetry.
• Shift from formal styles to more ordinary language.
• Exploration of individual freedom, imagination, and nature.
• Nature often depicted as a new religion.
• Poets emphasized the unconscious mind, kindness, and love.

Historical Context

• Influenced by:
  • French Revolution (1789): Introduced ideas of individual liberty.
  • Industrial Revolution: Visual artists emphasized unspoiled nature.
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau's influence on liberty and individual emotion.

Key Poets and Their Contributions

William Wordsworth

• Born in 1770, inspired by the Lake District's landscape.
• Studied at University of Cambridge; aspired to be a poet.
• Early work was unremarkable; adopted formal styles.
• Influenced by the French Revolution.
• Collaborated with Coleridge to publish Lyrical Ballads (1798).
  • Birth of English Romantic verse.
  • Focus on feelings and the real language of men.
• Lines Written a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey: Explores nature's spiritual sustenance.
• Became Poet Laureate in 1843.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

• Friend of Wordsworth; known for radical political views.
• Struggled with opium addiction.
• The Rime of the Ancient Mariner: Blend of supernatural and romantic themes.
• Kubla Khan: Written in an opium dream; emphasizes imagination.

Lord Byron

• Born in 1788; became the 6th Lord Byron at age 10.
• Known for the Byronic Hero: moody, reflective character.
• Childe Harold's Pilgrimage: Introduces the Byronic hero.
• Don Juan: Combines romantic and anti-romantic elements; satirical take on society.

John Keats

• Born in 1795; passionate about ancient Greece.
• Ode on a Grecian Urn, Ode to a Nightingale, Ode on Melancholy: Reflect on beauty, nature, and mortality.
• Died at 25 due to tuberculosis; known for vivid, sensory poetry.

Percy Bysshe Shelley

• Born in 1792; expelled from Oxford for atheism.
• Known for radical political views.
• Queen Mab: Philosophical poem against authority.
• Died at 29; works include Ozymandias and To the West Wind.

Conclusion

• The Romantic Age ended with the deaths of key poets around the mid-1820s.
• Each poet contributed uniquely to the understanding of emotion, freedom, and individual experience in poetry.
• Their legacy continues to influence poetry today.

Final Thoughts

• The Romantic poets shaped our modern understanding of the artist and the role of poetry in expressing human experiences.