Wordsworth, Coleridge, Keats, Shelley, and Byron

 Born in the Late District of England  Mother died when he was 8 years old  Father died when he was 13  He and his brothers were left a large inheritance  College at Cambridge  “Walking Tours” (also known as hiking!)  French Alps and Wales

 Ardent supporter of the French Revolution  Spent time in France; fell in love with Annette Vallon, and had an affair  She got pregnant  Money problems forced Wordsworth back to England  War between England and France kept them apart  Never reconnected

 Became disillusioned (relationally, politically)  Had a near breakdown  A friend died and left him a sum of money that allowed WW to live and write poetry.  Lived with his sister, who functioned as his closest friend and secretary.

 Became close friends with Samuel Taylor Coleridge  Worked closely together, writing some of the important early works of Romanticism  Married later in life  Older life marred by tragedy  Death of son  Quarrel with Coleridge  Physical and mental decline of his sister, Dorothy

 Considered the father of the Romantic movement  Named Poet Laureate in 1843  Died at 80  His masterpiece, The Prelude, published posthumously.

 Went to college at Cambridge  Not intellectually stimulated, left  Enlisted in a cavalry called the Light Dragoons under an alias :  Silas Comberbache  Rescued by brothers, went back to college. Image borrowed from: disp.htm#

 Had several physical problems that were painful and debilitating  Prescribed laudanum (opium dissolved in alcohol)  Becomes opium addict

 Worked closely with Wordsworth  Produced some poetry  What poetry he wrote was influential  Gave memorable public lectures  Sense that he never reached his potential  Wrote in spasms of great poetic energy

 Later life is plagued by guilt and shame for his addiction  In his pain and sadness, produces some of his greatest poetry  Late life is more calm and contented, though he lamented the loss of his strong poetic voice.

 Born in 1795  Father dies when Keats is 9; mother at 14 of TB.  Apprenticed to a surgeon; licensed as an apothecary.  1817: gives up medicine for poetry.  Close friend of Leigh Hunt, editor of The Examiner who publishes Keats Poems.

 1818: His brother Tom dies of TB.  1819: Writes his collection of great Odes and several sonnets.  1819: Keats meets and falls in love Fanny Brawne.  1820: Suffers his first major bout of TB.

 Asks that the words “Here lies one whose name was writ in water” to be inscribed as his epitaph.  1821: dies in Italy at the age of 25.

 Radical thinker  Thought of schoolmasters as tyrants  Became disciple of William Godwin – the father of philosophical anarchism  Elopes with Mary Shelley—publicly seen as immoral man  Becomes an exile Image borrowed from:

 Opposed to social morality— kind of a “free love” proponent  Hope is redemptive  Despair is self-fulfilling  Lack of intellectual certainty

 He and his wife experienced a period of great artistic productivity  Collaborated with Lord Byron  Relationship was contentious  Mary lost 5 children in infancy  Shelley seems to have had visions of his death

A superstar celebrity of his day (due to his writing) “mad, bad, and dangerous to know” Adventuresome journeys The “Byronic hero” Wife left him Died young, age 36, while in Greece

Had a club foot; bullied as a child Inherited a title “Lord” Attended college in Cambridge Ran up debt, pursued elicit relationships with men and women

Early publications were not well-received Earns Master’s degree, travels for two years Writes about his travels Becomes wildly famous

“I awoke one morning and found myself famous.” 1815: Marries. 1816: Has a daughter Separates from wife Scandal about apparent relationship with ½ sister Forced to leave England

Settles in Switzerland near Percy Shelley and Mary Shelley Becomes intimately involved with Mary’s ½ sister. Fathers another daughter

Leaves Switzerland (without his lover or daughter) Moves to Venice lives a wild and debaucherous life Has another affair with a countess.

Byron was politically active and supportive of liberal causes and national independence. Joined the cause for Greek independence Died just after his 36 th birthday