The Romantic Movement in English Literature free essay sample

In literature, Romanticism found recurrent themes in the evocation or criticism of the past, the cult of sensibility with its emphasis on women and children, the heroic isolation of the artist or narrator, and respect for a new, wilder, untrammeled and pure nature. Furthermore, several romantic authors based their writings on the supernatural/occult and human psychology. Romanticism also helped in the emergence of new ideas and in the process led to the emergence of positive voices that were beneficial for the marginalized sections of the society. The Romantic movement in literature began around the end of the 18th century in Western Europe and flourished in the first half of the 19th century. It was in part a rebellion against the Enlightenment of the previous century and its focus on scientific and rational thought. Romantic literature is characterized by an emphasis on emotion, passion, and the natural world. Nationalism was an important factor in the Romantic movement, and many authors turned to folk tales and native mythologies as source material. We will write a custom essay sample on The Romantic Movement in English Literature or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page A return to the aesthetics and ethos of the medieval period also featured strongly in the Romantic sensibility.Fired by ideas of personal and political liberty and of the energy and sublimity of the natural world, artists and intellectuals sought to break the bonds of 18th-century convention. Although the works of Jean Jacques Rousseau and William Godwin had great influence, the French Revolution and its aftermath had the strongest impact of all. In England initial support for the Revolution was primarily utopian and idealist, and when the French failed to live up to expectations, most English intellectuals renounced the Revolution.However, the romantic vision had taken forms other than political, and these developed apace. Some of the earliest examples of Romantic literature emerged in Germany, where the most important literary figure of the period was Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. His first novel, The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774), about a young, sensitive artist, was popular throughout Europe. Goethe also used myth and local folklore as subjects for his poetry and helped inspire a sense of German nationalism in the decades before a unified Germany.The American and French Revolutions in the late 18th century added to the popularity of such romantic ideals as freedom, liberty, and national pride. Romanticism dominated English literature throughout the 19th century. Romantic poetry, in particular, is among the most important work of the period. Notable Romantic poets from Britain include William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Blake, Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and John Keats. Common themes in their work include religious fervor, nature, Ancient Greek aesthetics, and emotional response to beauty.