The Romantic Era

1798-1832

Romanticism

• The words Romantic or Romance originally referred to Medieval tales of knights written in the original Roman language - Latin. These tales often included love stories between a knight and his lady - resulting in the modern meaning of romance.

• When talking about the Romantic Era in literature, we are actually referring to romantic as “freely imaginative fiction” and not romantic as in “romantic love”

Age of Reason vs. Romantic Era

In the Age of Reason, Writers stressed:

• Reason and Judgment• Concerned with the

universal experience• The value of society as a

whole• The value of rules

In the Romantic Era, Writers stressed:

• Imagination and Emotion

• Concern with the particular experience

• The value of the individual human being

• The value of freedom

Historical Events

The following historical events led to the Romantic movement in Britain:

The French Revolution The “September massacre” The Guillotine Napoleon Bonaparte

The Industrial Revolution Laissez Faire economic policy

The French Revolution

Began with the storming of the prison called the Bastille on July 14, 1789

democratic overthrow of the monarchy Triumph of radical principles The “September massacre” – hundreds of

French aristocrats were beheaded by guillotine for their alleged allegiance to Louis XVI

Napoleon Bonaparte

Emerged as a tyrannical dictator, then emperor of France

Did implement some positive changes: abolished feudalism, spread religious tolerance

Was bent on world domination, and almost succeeded

Napoleon Bonaparte

English first defeated Napoleon’s navy at the battle of Trafalgar

In 1815, with the help of Allies, Britian finally defeated Bonaparte at Waterloo

The Industrial Revolution

City populations increased, resulting in desperate living conditions

Farmland was no longer communally owned which resulted in large numbers of landless people

The homeless migrated to the cities to search for work or, more likely, rely on charity (poorhouses or begging), furthering the congestion problem,

Laissez Faire

“let people do as they please”Economic forces should be allowed to

operate freely without government interference

the result: the rich got richer, the poor got poorer

Characteristics Romanticism refers to a movement in art,

literature, and music during the 19th century.

Romanticism is characterized by the 5 “I”sImaginationIntuitionIdealismInspirationIndividuality

Imagination Considered necessary for creating all art. British writer Samuel Taylor Coleridge

called it “intellectual intuition.” Imagination and naturalness was Imagination and naturalness was

emphasized over “reason.” They were emphasized over “reason.” They were fascinated with the ways nature and the fascinated with the ways nature and the human mind “mirrored” each other’s human mind “mirrored” each other’s creative properties.creative properties.

Inspiration The Romantic artist, musician, or writer, is

an “inspired creator” rather than a “technical master.”

What this means is “going with the moment” or being spontaneous, rather than “getting it precise.” Thus, they rejected formal and witty works of the previous century.

They preferred poetry that spoke of They preferred poetry that spoke of personal experiences and emotions in simple personal experiences and emotions in simple unadorned language.unadorned language.

Intuition Romantics placed value on “intuition,” or

feeling and instincts, over reason. Emotions were important in Romantic

art. British Romantic William Wordsworth

described poetry as “the spontaneous “the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.”overflow of powerful feelings.”

Idealism Idealism is the concept that we can make

the world a better place. Romantics turned to a past or an inner Romantics turned to a past or an inner

dream world that they felt was more dream world that they felt was more picturesque and magical than the ugly picturesque and magical than the ugly industrial age they lived in.industrial age they lived in.

Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher, held that the mind forces the world we perceive to take the shape of space-and-time.

Individuality Romantics celebrated the individual and celebrated the individual and

individual libertyindividual liberty. Sympathized with those who rebelled

against tyranny During this time period, Women’s Rights

and Abolitionism were taking root as major movements.

Six Major Romantic Era Poets

William Wordsworth

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

William Blake

Lord Byron

Percy Shelley

John Keats

Romantic Poetry Presentation

The Romantic Movement… brief overviewhttp://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rakesh_Ramubhai_Patel

• The Romantic Movement was a revolt against the Enlightenment and its focus on rational and scientific thought.

• The characteristics of Romantic literature involved an emphasis on passion, emotion, spontaneity, subjectivity, mortality, and nature.

• Throughout the 19th century, romantic poetry, in particular, became the most significant work of the period.

• William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Blake, Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and John Keats are the notable British Romantic poets.

• Nature, religious fervor, emotional response to beauty, and Ancient Greek aesthetics, are some of the common themes in their work.

• Note that each Romantic poet had his own style and emphasized different aspects. That’s where you come in with your research.

Your Presentation:

• To collaborate with your peers to present an extensively researched, creative, intelligent, and perceptive lesson to the class, based upon your English Romantic poet.

• Your objective is to reveal a clear, deep understanding of eighteenth century English Romanticism and its ideals, precepts, style, and themes in poetry as it pertains specifically to your poet.

• You should engage the class in an interesting lesson that will enhance their understanding of the poems written by your romantic poet, and you should test their knowledge with a quiz at the end of the lesson.

• Divide the work up equally and fairly, and be a responsible and positive group contributor.

The Task

Components of the lesson:

• Provide an interesting, comprehensive, creative, entertaining background insight into the poet, his major works, and his “philosophy” of art (poetry)

• Select a format to impart the information (skit, interview, talk show, video, lecture notes, visuals, power-point, etc.)

Introducing Your Poet

Teaching a poem to the c lass

• Select one of your Romantic poet’s poems to teach to the class. • This means analyzing the poem thoroughly, paying special

attention to the language, poetic devices, structure, and overall style of the poem, and its overall meaning.

• Be sure to connect the poem’s concepts to those of Romanticism. • Turn in a written copy of your analysis of the poem, along with a

thoroughly annotated copy of the poem to Mrs. Abercrombie on the day of presentation.

• Make sure that you give a copy of the poem to every student in the class. (There are 8 students in the class.)

• Be sure to include the class and invite them to participate in your lesson with some kind of activity, etc.

Original poem written in the style of your poet

• Compose, and then read to the class an original poem that models the style, format, structure, concepts, etc. of your romantic poet.

• Turn in a copy of this poem to Mrs. Abercrombie on the day of presentation, along with a one-page, typed rationale/explanation of the techniques that you employed in order to replicate your poet’s style.

Class QUIZ• Create a quiz for the class, based upon the poem that you

taught them in your lesson. • Your quiz should address the literary devices, style, and

meanings of the poems, as well as the information that you provided on the poet.

• Turn in a copy of the quiz and key to Mrs. Abercrombie on the day of presentation.

• If there’s time, you will give your quiz at the end of your lesson, or the class will take the quiz at the beginning of the next class period.

• You will be responsible for grading the quizzes and turning them all in with scores attached, to Mrs. Abercrombie the following class period.

• Your quiz should contain ten multiple-choice questions and five matching questions for a total of fifteen points.

Have Fun!• Please note! You must turn in a thorough

works cited and list of sources/references.• No woks cited? No grade.

William Wordsworth

• Helped to launch the Romantic Age with his collaboration on Lyrical Ballads

• His most famous work is The Prelude chronicles the spiritual life of the poet

• Has an interest and sympathy for the life and troubles of the “common man”

• He is considered the nature poet by focusing ordinary people in country settings

QuickwriteYou have ten minutes to complete the following writing You have ten minutes to complete the following writing

assignment. Minimum one paragraph.assignment. Minimum one paragraph.

The “world” is sometimes thought of as the world of material objects –the world of money and status symbols, the world of power, competition, and ambition. In seeking out the pleasures of this material world, what could a person lose?

The World is too Much With Us

The World is too Much With UsPg. 746

With your table/

a partner

Answer questions 1-6 on page 747. Your

written answers will not be collected, however we are going to discuss the answers together.

The World is too Much With Us

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

• Helped to launch the Romantic Age with his collaboration on Lyrical Ballads

• Heavily addicted to opium• Famous for his works: The Rime of the Ancient

Mariner and Kubla Khan• His poetry was philosophical and metaphysical

in nature; the focus on dreams and the supernatural

Kubla KhanQuickwrite

You have ten minutes to complete the following writing You have ten minutes to complete the following writing assignment. Minimum two paragraphs.assignment. Minimum two paragraphs.

Think of some dreams that you have had.

Describe how dreams seem to work. Are they logical or illogical? How do they progress? Do they tell coherent stories or do they consist mostly of images and fragments of stories?

Kubla Khan

The poem you are about to read may challenge the limits of your imagination. Fantastical and strange, it is like a vivid yet incomprehensible dream. Coleridge, in fact, suggested that the poem came to him in a dream (brought on by

opium).

Kubla Khan

Like a dream, the poem contains allusions to the deepest human desires –for pleasure, order,

beauty, even chaos and war. It also holds within it the moment when, upon waking, the vividness and

the supposed logic of the dream are suddenly –perhaps forever– lost to the dreamer.

As you read, think about how the poem may As you read, think about how the poem may imitate or reproduce this process.imitate or reproduce this process.

Kubla Khan

Page 759

Kubla Khan

Page 759

Kubla KhanWriting Assignment

You have the remainder of the class to complete the following writing You have the remainder of the class to complete the following writing assignment. Minimum five paragraphs.assignment. Minimum five paragraphs.

Review the prewriting assignment you did earlier describing dreams. How do your thoughts on the way dreams work compare to the dreamlike flow of “Kubla

Khan”? Use your notes to evaluate Coleridge’s claim that the poem began as a dream. Explain whether “Kubla

Kahn” reads like a dream, using examples from the poem as evidence. Then, draw your own conclusion about

Coleridge’s Claim. Do you think the poem is in fact the product of a dream?

Kubla KhanWriting Assignment

Par I: Introduction and ThesisPar II: Review the prewriting assignment you did earlier describing dreams. How do your thoughts on the way dreams work compare to the dreamlike flow of “Kubla Khan”?Par III: Use your notes to evaluate Coleridge’s claim that the poem began as a dream. Explain whether “Kubla Kahn” reads like a dream, using examples from the poem as evidence. Par IV: Then, draw your own conclusion about Coleridge’s Claim. Do you think the poem is in fact the product of a dream?Par V: Conclusion

William Blake

• Started writing poetry when he was twelve• Blake was a nonconformist who associated

with some of the leading radical thinkers of his day

• He rebelled against traditional poetic forms and techniques

The Life of a Chimney Sweep

HANDOUTHANDOUT

QuickwriteYou have ten minutes to complete the following writing You have ten minutes to complete the following writing

assignment. Minimum one paragraph.assignment. Minimum one paragraph.

If you could cry out against an evil of our day –and actually get people to listen– which social

injustice would you protest?

The Chimney Sweeper

The Chimney SweeperPage 726-727

The Chimney Sweeper

Assignment

In complete sentences, answer questions 1-10

on page 730. Be as detailed as possible. Be

sure to incorporate evidence from the

poems when necessary.

Lord Byron

• He was the “rebel” of this group.

• He indulged in excesses and had huge debts and many love affairs

• His most famous creations are his dark heroes, called Byronic heroes, who, in fact, were not heroes at all, but stood out from ordinary humans as larger than life HANDOUTHANDOUT

Lord ByronQuickwrite

You have ten minutes to complete the following writing You have ten minutes to complete the following writing assignment. Minimum two paragraphs.assignment. Minimum two paragraphs.

No matter how often we hear that beauty is only skin deep, we all know the undeniable allure of an extremely good-looking

person beauty moves us. Often, we want to believe that outer appearances express inner qualities of goodness and beauty of

character as well.

Can a person’s inward nature be accurately judged by his or her outward appearance?

Lord Byron

1. Please read “She Walks in Beauty” on page 795.

2. Answer questions 1 – 6 on page 795 with a partner.

3. On your own, answer the writing prompt under the heading Only Skin Deep? on page 795. You may use the same sheet of paper on which you did your quick write.

Lord Byron

• He was the “rebel” of this group.

• He indulged in excesses and had huge debts and many love affairs

• His most famous creations are his dark heroes, called Byronic heroes, who, in fact, were not heroes at all, but stood out from ordinary humans as larger than life

Characteristics of the Byronic Hero

Please Read

Byronic Heroes• Hypersensitive rebels that are isolated from society as

wanderers or in exile of some kind.

• This social separation can be imposed by an external force or self-imposed.

• The Byronic Hero has emotional and intellectual capacities that are superior to the average man, which causes him to be arrogant, abnormally sensitive, and very conscious of himself.

Byronic Heroes

“The Byronic hero, incapable of love, or capable only of an impossible love, suffers endlessly. He is solitary, languid, his condition exhausts him. If he wants to feel alive, it must be in terrible exaltation of a brief and destructive action”

Albert Camus, The Stranger

Byronic Heroes• Dark, Handsome appearance

• Brilliant but cynical and self-destructive

• A restless tortured soul

Tony Stark Edward Cullen

Jim StarkJames Dean from Rebel without a Cause (1955)

AssignmentChoose a character from a novel, play, TV show, or film, that has Byronic qualities. Write a

minimum 5-paragraph essay convincing your reader that he/she has what it takes to be classified as a Byronic hero. For a maximum score, you must have plenty of examples to support your

claim.

Due at the end of the period

100 point quiz grade

Percy Shelley

Percy Shelley

Percy Shelley

Percy ShelleyQuickwrite

The faces of nature range from peaceful to terrifying and the Romantics explored all of them. What attracted the Romantics to nature was the aspect philosophers call the sublime: the wildness, the immensity, terror, and awesome grandeur of natural phenomena like the Alps or violent storms. To experience nature’s power by suddenly—whether by living through a hurricane or viewing Niagara falls– is while terrible, also exhilarating, even transporting.

Why do you think people find such displays of Why do you think people find such displays of power so thrilling? What emotions are evoked? power so thrilling? What emotions are evoked?

Freewrite about a time when you experienced the Freewrite about a time when you experienced the sublime in nature.sublime in nature.

Percy Shelley

• Very idealistic• Was a radical nonconformist• Left his first wife Harriet for Mary Godwin, the

daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin. She is the author of Frankenstien.

• Mary’s stepsister had a brief affair with Lord Byron, which is how Shelley was introduced to him.

Terms

• Apostrophe – figure of speech in which a writer directly addresses an absent or dead person, a personified inanimate object, or an abstract idea

• Ode - A favorite form among Romantics. A complex, generally long lyric poem on a serious subject.

Ode to the West Wind

Was inspired by an oncoming storm. It marks Shelley’s creative life, a temporary note of

exaltation after a period of intense grief over the death of his three year old son.

Page 806

Assignment

Write an essay explaining why humans are drawn to the sublime in nature. Draw

conclusions about Shelley’s own attraction to –and identification with –the west wind.

Include how you would answer the question he poses at the end of the poem.

(You may use the article “Shelley and the Ode” on page 809 as reference)

John Keats

• Studied most of his life to be a doctor, but at age twenty-one, before becoming legally licensed as a surgeon, switched careers to poetry.

• Did most of his writing at age twenty-three• Died at twenty-five of tuberculosis• One of England’s major poets; though he died

so young.

Terms

• Synesthesia – one sense experience (like smell) is described as another (such as touch)

e.g. In “Ode to a Nightingale” the speaker remarks that he “cannot see…what soft incense hangs upon the boughs”

Ode on a Grecian UrnThis poem is a work of art about the contemplation

of a work of art –a Grecian urn, or jar. That means the

ode is both concrete (descriptive) and

contemplative (philosophical). It moves

from rich images to abstract ideas about art versus life, permanence versus change, and body

versus spirit. Page 836

Ode on a Grecian Urn

Writing Assignment

Ode on a Grecian UrnIn the age of Facebook, Twitter, Vine, tumblr., etc., we can often tailor our lives to look ideal to others, creating our own little Grecian urn. However,

unlike the Urn, the internet is forever, so anything that goes on the internet

doesn't come back (kind of like a black hole). What is the relevancy of

our past urns today, and what do they really tell us about the past?