What is the Romantic Period?
Takes place in England between 1785 and 1830
Difficult period in which England experienced a
shift from an agricultural focus to a modern
industrial society
Romantic period for literature is characterized
by the infusion of feeling and emotion along with
an appreciation for nature and creativity into
poetry and other works.
William Blake
1757-1827
Only formal education was
art school; Royal Academy
of Arts
Started apprenticeship at
14 with engraver James
Basire
1
Because of artistic training, Blake often
paired his poetry with engravings
Gave up poetry in his 60’s to focus more
on art
Was never well-known as an artist or
poet until after his death
One of his most famous works:
Songs of Innocence and of Experience
More Blake…
Married Catherine Boucher in 1781 and
taught her to read
2
3
Songs of Innocence and of Experience
A collective of many contrasting poems, Blake’s Songs of
Innocence and Experience are representative of the shift from
childhood to adulthood, from idealism to realism, and from the
created to the forged.
William Wordsworth
1770-1850
Born in West Cumberland
(northern English Lake
District)
Sent to Hawkshead School at
the age of 8 when his mother
died
4
Graduated from Cambridge in 1791
While living in Dorsetshire with his sister,
Dorothy, in 1795 Wordsworth meets and
becomes friends with Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Moves back to hometown in 1802, inherits his
father’s fortune and marries Mary Hutchinson
(childhood friend)
Endures many hardships including the death
of family members and two of his children, but
continues to gain popularity for his poetry
One of his most famous works:
We are Seven
More Wordsworth…
At age 13, his father dies suddenly
5
We are Seven
A persistent adult and a stubborn child argue about the number of
siblings in the child’s family. The child insists that, though two are dead,
they are still seven. The adult feels he must right her thinking and teach
her that the two are dead, so they must be five. The poem represents
innocence vs. experienced thinking.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
1772-1834
Born in Ottery St. Mary, rural
Devonshire (England)
Attended Cambridge and left
in 1794 without a degree;
married Sara Fricker that
same year
6
Falls in love with Sara Hutchinson,
sister of Wordsworth’s wife
Health deteriorated due to prescription
drugs taken to ease physical pain
originating from his childhood
One of his most famous works:
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
More Coleridge…
Met Wordsworth in 1797 and jointly
published the Lyrical Ballads in 1798
7
8
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
An ancient seaman tells his horrifying tale to a young man at a
wedding. The young man is transfixed and forever changed by the
mariner’s recount of what happened to him and his crew when he
fatefully shot an innocent bird with his bow.
Jane Austen
1775-1817
One of eight children born to
an Anglican minister and his
wife in Hampshire (rural
southern England)
Had a short formal
education at a boarding
school
9
Hungry to learn, Jane and her only other sister
Cassandra read books in their father’s library
at every chance
Turned down a wedding proposal in 1802 and
the chance to move out of her childhood home
Neither Jane or Cassandra ever married,
remaining home for the entirety of their lives
One of her most famous works:
Pride and Prejudice
More Austen…
Started writing at age 12
10
11
Pride and Prejudice
The story of the Bennet family and their five daughters, especially
Elizabeth and her love/hate affair with Mr. Darcy. Serious feministic
issues are addressed regarding marriage and independence. Pop
culture seems to have a deep interest in Jane Austen and her works.
Works Cited
PICTURES
1. William Blake: http://todd44.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/william_blake_by_thomas_phillips.jpg
2. The Lamb: http://matthewsalomon.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/the-lamb.jpg
3. The Tyger: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/~tlouie/Tigers/theTyger.jpg
4. William Wordsworth: http://www.brilliantstudent.in/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/wordsworth.jpg
5. We are Seven: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/69/189893518_8c71603f01.jpg?v=0
6. Samuel Taylor Coleridge: http://web.bilkent.edu.tr/Online/www.english.upenn.edu/jlynch/Frank/Gifs/stc.gif
7. The mariner: http://www.fantastichorror.com/02/images/dore-mariner01.jpg
8. The crew: http://www.clayfox.com/usm/images/marinerb.jpg
9. Jane Austen: https://district.d230.org/sandburg/booster/theater/Theater_pics1/Jane%20Austen.jpg
10. Pride and Prejudice novel: http://images.amazon.com/images/P/
0141439513.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_V1138676361_.jpg
11. Pride and Prejudice movie: http://tk.files.storage.msn.com/x1pxzZ39wV--_c9EGyoi5oGz8r_dVGfQ5AohI8mT1rHXG7MrK0sA0A1oAEcu3p6izkLz8emwloJSu6OkLVRN590YixkVUi_R8vJ1_YYKQENzBx6J1UI2PopODHZw5LLC
s8nQBijM0_wE
12. Final picture: http://www.linesandcolors.com/images/2007-07/turner_450.jpg
TEXT SOURCES
Stillinger, Jack, and Deidre S. Lynch. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Vol. D. New York: W. W. Norton
& Company, Inc., 2006. 1-25, 76-79, 243-245, 424-426, 514-515. The Romantic Period. Print.