HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Started in 1798 when William Wordsworth
and Samuel Coleridge released “Lyrical
Ballads.”
Most significant event was The French
Revolution and Napoleanic Wars.
Enthusiastic supporters of the revolution in its
early stages were writers who would play a
central role in romanticism.
18th century was a great time of prosperity
and confidence for England.
James Watt perfected the steam engine in
1765, so soon many machines replaced
workers.
The first reform bill which extended voting to
more citizens was passed in 1832 and
ended the romantic age.
CHARACTERISTICS
The Romantic Age refers to an interest in the
charmingly magical world of medieval
“romance” the rich imagination in that world.
Often elevated the achievements of the
misunderstood, heroic individual outcast.
Goes along with Heathcliff’s situation in
Wuthering Heights.
FOCUS AND THEMES
Concerned with the particular.
Championed the value of the
individual human being.
Strove for freedom.
Revitalized interest of medieval
subjects and settings.
Saw themselves as reacting against
the thought and literary practice
of the preceding century.
Felt they were not understood or
appreciated by readers.
Diverse and Complex. Focused on
emotions.
MARY SHELLEY (1797-1851)
English novelist, short story writer,
dramatist, essayist, biographer
and travel writer.
Her most famous writing is
“Frankenstein.” This book was a
reflection of Mary’s own sense
of isolation.
Main concerns were the use of
knowledge for good and evil
purposes, invasion of
technology into modern life,
treatment of the poor or
uneducated, and the restorative
powers of nature in the face of
unnatural events
JANE AUSTEN (1775-1817)
English novelist whose
works of romantic fiction.
Her best work was written in
1796 called Pride and
Prejudice.
Other main works consist of
Northanger Abbey, Sense
and Sensibility, Mansfield
Park, Emma, and
Persvation.
Main themes in writing is
society and woman’s
place in it.
GEORGE GORDON, LORD BYRON (1788-1824)
Major works consist of Childe
Harold’s Pilgrimage, She Walks
in Beauty, and Hours of
Idleness.
Themes of writing are based off
liberal. Hectic love affair, and
moral strictures of society.
He created “Byronic Hero,” which
is a passionate, moody, restless
character who has exhausted
most of the world’s
excitements, and who lives
under the weight of some
mysterious sin committed in the
past.
JOHN KEATS (1798-1832)
He attended a private school in
London where he was first
introduced to poetry, music,
and the theater.
“The Eve of St. Agnes” was one
of Keat’s greatest poems.
“Hyperion” was one of Keat’s
major works as well.
In his writings, he wanted to
focus attention on complex
individuality of his subject.
Keat said, “A poet is the most
unpoetical of anything in
existence.”
WILLIAM WORDSWORTH (1770-1850)
Wordsworth partnered with Samuel
Coleridge to write the Lyrical
Ballads (a collection of poems)
published in 1798.
He is considered the father of the
Romantic Age.
In 1800 they published the 2nd
addition to the famous “Lucy
Poems”.
He also wrote the “The Prelude”, a
autobiography about his life.
Another one of his writings is “I
wandered as lonely as a Cloud.”
SAMUEL COLERIDGE (1772-1834)
He helped Wordsworth write
the Lyrical ballads.
He was an English poet,
literacy critic and
philosopher and a member
of the Lake Poet.
He later describes the Lyrical
Ballads as “directed to
persons and characters
supernatural.”
He also wrote “To Erskine”,
“Limbo”, “Time”, and “Real
and Imaginary.”