Romantic+British+Poetry

British Poetry of the Romantic Era

The birth of the era was with the publication of //Lyrical Ballads// by Wordsworth and Coleridge. This era was a time of political and social turmoil. __ Historical __· All the attitudes and tendencies of 18th century classicalism and rationalism were changed · France  o French Revolution in 1789- revolutionaries limit the power of King Louis XVI  o Approved Declaration of the Rights of Man  o Became a constitutional monarchy  o Jacobins- radical group that gained control of France and declared it a republic  § Reign of Terror- sent over 17,000 royalists, moderates and radicals to the guillotine  o New “citizen army” going across Europe making war for liberty · British reaction to the Reign of Terror and the massacres was bad, many stopped supporting French revolution · Influential writers  o William Wordsworth  o William Blake  o Samuel Taylor Coleridge  o Percy Bysshe Shelley  o Lord Byron  o John Keats __ Social __<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Gov ignored the problems caused by the Industrial Revolution <span style="font: 7pt 'Courier New'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;"> o Crowded factory towns, unsafe working conditions and long hours with little pay <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;"> o Increasing working class <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;"> o Attempts from workers at forming unions <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Reforms in 1820’s <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;"> o Things like: first law governing factory safety, voting rights to middle class males, Catholic Emancipation Act __ Poetry __<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· emphasized the expression of the individual and formulating new ideas <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· marked a shift in the use of language <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;"> o poetic language for a wider audience <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;"> o common vernacular <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> Nature <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;"> o <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> Theme: delight in unspoiled scenery and innocent life of rural dwellers <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; msobidifontfamily: Wingdings; msofareastfontfamily: Wingdings; msolist: Ignore;"> § <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> James Thomson: “The Seasons” <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;"> o <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> Theme: nature combined with feeling of melancholy, a sense that change is imminent and the way of life is being threatened <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; msobidifontfamily: Wingdings; msofareastfontfamily: Wingdings; msolist: Ignore;"> § <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> John Keats: “Ode on Melancholy” <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> Supernatural <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;"> o <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> Trend towards irrational and supernatural <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;"> o <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> Rediscovery of a body of folktales and ballads