Nature: Trees, rivers, mountains, and seascapes represent uncorrupted aspects of the world.
Imagination: Power to see beyond reality and add to existing perceptions, connecting to Plato's ideals.
Plato's theory: Perceptions are imitations of an ideal world (world of ideas).
Poets should be seen as moving toward the ideal world through their imagination.
Introduction to Romanticism
The Romantic period represents a shift in attitudes and expressions in literature, focusing on themes of imagination, nature, liberty, and human rights.
Importance of social changes in shaping poetic expressions and attitudes of novelists/prose writers.
Imagination and Nature
Two keywords: Imagination and Nature.
Imagination is seen as a powerful mind tool that enhances perception.
Romantic poets aim to express deeper truths through their works rather than mere imitations of the external world.
1757: British empowerment post Battle of Plassey, loss of identity for Indians.
1783: Loss of American colonies, rise of ideas of human rights and liberty.
1789 French Revolution: Challenge to monarchy, establishment of democratic ideals.
1832: Abolition of slavery; culmination of revolutionary thought.
Rousseau's Philosophy
Advocated the idea of the child as a figure of wisdom, embodying spontaneity and naturalness.
Critique of civilization as corruptive, leading to loss of innocence.
The ideal education promotes harmony with nature, contradicting the act of education itself.
The Poet as a Tragic Figure
Emergence of the tragic poet figure symbolized by Chatterton's suicide, reflecting emotional depth rather than societal values.
Romantic poets prioritize emotional honesty over societal standards.
Second Generation of Romantic Poets
Byron, Shelley, and Keats: All died by 1824, representing the depth of Romantic poetry.
Byron: Explores themes of grandeur and personal conflicts in a society struggling with industrialization.
Shelley: Believed in poets as unacknowledged legislators of the world; focused on rebellion and prophetic visions.
Keats: Examined the relationship between beauty, truth, and mortality, seeking permanence beyond human existence.
Nature in Romantic Poetry
Nature becomes a central theme, representing purity and an ideal state of existence.
Wordsworth and Coleridge had differing perspectives on nature, with Wordsworth focusing on common experiences and Coleridge exploring the supernatural.
Romanticism in Prose and Non-Fiction
Development of the novel as a reflection of real-life experiences and emotional depth.
Key figures in prose during this time include Walter Scott and Jane Austen, who introduced new themes and styles in their works.
Conclusion
Romanticism is more than a literary period; it represents a continuous thread of human emotion, creativity, and the fight against societal norms.
The romantic spirit persists beyond the 19th century, influencing modern literary movements and thoughts about nature, imagination, and humanity.