1. The Quest for Truth and Beauty
The Romantic Period
The Quest for Truth and Beauty

2. Time line 1776-1786- American Revolution
French Revolution & era of Napoleon Bonaparte
1812- Brothers Grimm
1811- Industrial Revolution in England/ Luddites
1818- Frankenstein
1819- Sir Walter Scott
1831- Charles Darwin
1832- The Right to Vote
What is going on historically at this time
Luddites- group of artisans who attack weaving machines throughout northern England; today we use the world to mean someone who opposes the development and spread of technology
Scott- Ivanhoe
Frankenstein in daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft, her novel questions the aims and methods of science
1832-upper middle class British men get the right to vote

3. You say you want a revolution?
American Revolution
French Revolution
American revolution begins the end of worldwide British Empire , Britain’s defeat in American Revolution was a huge economic blow
French Revolution and Napoleonic era ( )- storming Bastille and prison protesting against the oppressive policies of the French monarchy—lots of violent protest during this time in France, King Louis 16 executed in 1793 and rise of Napoleon– a military dictator with world conquering ambitions

4. Discuss- what vibe does this picture put out
Discuss- what vibe does this picture put out? What can you imagine about this guy and what his world is like? What is this man doing? What Romantic elements do you see?
Answer- solitary figure in dramatic natural setting, the human wanderer

5. What’s going on?
The Romantic period is PART OF the 18th century (Duh !) as the Romantic period spans from in England.
Typically begins with French Revolution in 1789 and ends with reforms in Parliament in 1832—laying the groundwork for modern England.

6. The BIG 6
POETS WHO MATTER FOR THE ROMANTIC PERIOD AND TODAY

7. Born before period began and lived through most or all of the period:
William Blake
William Wordsworth
Samuel
Taylor
Coleridge
Blake- The Tyger, The Lamb, A poison tree
Wordsworth- Tintern Abbey
Coleridge- Rime of the Ancient Mariner

8. 2nd generation poets begin career by 1820 but dead by 1825
Percy
Bysshe
Shelley
John Keats
George Gordon
(Lord Byron)
Shelley- married Mary Shelley, Ode to the West Wind, Ozymandias
Keats- Ode to a Grecian Urn
Lord Byron- She walks in Beauty

9. What does “ROMANTIC” mean?
Romanticism rejects the precepts of order, calm, harmony, balance, idealization and rationality that went with classicism in the late 1700s.
Romanticism “began” in the late 1770s and spread through Europe by 1820s.

10. What does “Romantic” mean for us as literary scholars?
From “romance” popular during Middle Ages
Used elements of romance to go back to older types of writing that were more GENUINE.
Today….romance= bad, negative term (literature wise)
Remember romance from middle ages—Le Morte D’Arthur---
Romance was a term applied to a verse narrative that traces the adventures of a brave knight or other hero who has to overcome danger for the love of a noble lady or some other high ideal. Set in a world in which the ordinary laws of nature are suspended and idealized heroes fight, and try to conquer the forces of evil.

11. “Romantic” does NOT translate to love necessarily, but has 3 useful meanings:
1. a child’s sense of wonder
Fascination with youth and innocence but not in a creepy way
Freshness and wonder of a child’s perspective of the world
“new dawn”

12. 2. social idealism
cyclical development of human cycles (haven’t we talked about this before?)
Question tradition and authority to imagine BETTER way to live (as far as happier, fairer and healthier)
Similar to IDEALISM which was popular during the late 1960s through 1975

13. 3. adaptation to change
Changing with the times
Accepting

14. Good poetry is the “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings”
Simple language
Common subjects
“mind poets”
- Wordsworth said this quote at the top of the page
- Use of simple, unadorned language to deal with common subjects

15. To summarize– ROMANTICISM
Turned away from 18th century emphasis on REASON
Embraced imagination and naturalness
Rejection of public, formal and witty works of the previous century
Romantic poetry speaks of personal experience, and has simple, unadorned language
Turning to a past or dream world to escape from ugly found in Industrial Revolution
Belief in individual liberty
Sympathy for those who rebel against tyranny
Nature as transformative
So-
A deepened appreciation of the beauties of nature
A general exaltation of emotion over reason and senses over intellect
A turning in upon self an examination of human personality and moods
Preoccupation with genius, hero and being exceptional
Focus on passion and inner struggle
Artist as creator
Emphasis on imagination as gateway to truth
Preference for exotic, weird, mysterious, monstrous…..this leads us to mention, that this is the PERFECT TIME for:

16. This period is the perfect time for

17. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley