about romanti age .

1. Background Information
• Neoclassical literature was written between 1660 and 1798. It was a time
of both formality and artificiality.
• Definition :
• Neoclassical literature was written between 1660 and 1798. This time
period is broken down into three parts: the Restoration period,
the Augustan period, and the Age of Johnson.
• Writers of the Neoclassical period tried to imitate the style of the Romans
and Greeks. Thus the combination of the terms 'neo,' which means 'new,'
and 'classical,' as in the day of the Roman and Greek classics. This was
also the era of The Enlightenment, which emphasized logic and reason.
• This age is followed by the Romantic era.
• The Neoclassical period ended in 1798 when Wordsworth published the
Romantic 'Lyrical Ballads'.
Introduction To Romantic Age
• Romanticism in literature, began around 1750 and lasted until 1870.
• It is different from the classical ways of Neo classical Age(1660-1798).
• It focussed on imagination, idealization of nature.
• Two men who influenced the era with their writings were William
Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
• Their edition of "Lyrical Ballads", (1798) : a collection of poems stressed
the importance of imagination.
Neo Classicism vs Romanticism
Neo Classicism Romanticism
• 1.Neo Classical writersgave
importance to thought and reason.
• 1.Romantic writers gave
importance to emotion and self
experience.
• 2. NeoClassical poetry was
manipulationof fictional real life
happeningsinto poeticcomposition
describinga fictional character.
• 2. Romantic poetry reflected
personal feelings of the poet as it is
spontaneous and not the man in
action in composition.
• 3. Human beings,asan intergral part
of the societywere the subjectof
poetry. More importance was given
to diction,focussingonvocabulary
and grammar
• 3. Nature was the subject of
poetry. More importance was
given to common man and diction
was given less importance.

2. English Poetry from Romantics to Modern
Three major schools of poetry :
 1. Romantic Poetry (1798-1837 )
 2. Victorian Poetry (1837 -1901)
 3. Modern Poetry ( 1901 onwards )
Romantic Poets
 Who are Romantic Poets ?
 Romantic poets are also called the early nineteenth- century poets.
 These poets revolted against the poetic tradition of the eighteenth
century.
 They turned to the nature. They disliked the set rules and orders of the
neo-classical poets.
 They gave too much focus on emotion, imagination, originality and
freedom in their poetry.
 The poets used simple and common language .
Origin of Romantic Movement
 Romantic Movement began in 1798 with the publication of the "Lyrical
Ballads’’. ( published by William Wordsworth & S.T. Coleridge) .
 The term 'Romanticism' (the Romantic Movement) is a literary movement
which took place in Britain and throughout Europe roughly between 1770
and 1848.
 Politically, it was inspired by the revolutions in America and France.
 English romanticism is both a revolt and a revival. It is a revolt against
18th century traditions and conventions; it is a revival of medievalism
and old English meters and masters of poetry.
Lyrical Ballads
 What are Lyrical Ballads ?
 Lyrical Ballad marks the beginning of the romantic period in English
literature .
 It was combined work produced together by Wordsworth and Coleridge
in 1798.
 Poetry was defined in a new light in this work.
 Much emphasis was given on simple language, imagination, originality
and poetic freedom.
 Nature was thought to be a proper subject matter for poetry.
 Its publication gave a shock to the traditional poets and critics of the
eighteenth century .

3. Romantic Poets :
 1. William Blake (1757-1827)
 2. William Wordsworth (1770- 1850)
 3. S.T.Coleridge (1772 -1834 )
 4. Lord Byron (1788 -1824 )
 5. P. B. Shelley ( 1792 -1822)
 6. John Keats ( 1795 -1821)
Chief characteristics of Romantic Poetry :
 1.Subjectivity
 All romantic literature is subjective.
 It is an expression of the inner urges of the soul of the artist.
 The poet gives free expression to his feelings, emotions, experiences,
thoughts and ideas and does not care for rules and regulations.
 The emphasis is laid on inspiration and intuition .
2. Love of Nature
 Romantic poetry carries us away from the suffocating atmosphere of
cities into the fresh company of the out of door world.
 All poets were lovers of nature and looked at the beautiful aspects of
nature.
 To them, nature was a friend, a lover, a mother, sister and a teacher.
 To Wordsworth, nature was both mother and sister. He spiritualizes
nature, Shelley intellectualizes nature and Keats is content to observe
nature through his senses.
3. Spontaneity
 Romantic poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.
 Poetry to romantic poets is not a craft but inspiration.
 The poet does not care for the perfection of form or clarity of expression
4. Imagination
 The phenomenon of imagination is the essence or core of romantic
poetry.
 In the words of William Wordsworth, 'poetry is the first and last of all
knowledge‘.
 According to romantic poets, it is possible to attain a transcendental
experience by means of imagination.
 It takes us near to the spiritual truth.

4. 5. Emotions
 The one thing which rules the world of romanticism is emotion.
 Romantic poetry is one of the best means to express one's emotions
through words.
 The overflow of emotions depicted through romantic poetry is beyond
the boundaries of logical reasoning.
 Spontaneity in romantic poetry arises from an emotional outflow, and
sometimes pain is the inspiration.
6. Melancholy
 Most of the romantic poems in English are full of melancholy and
pessimism.
 A romantic poet is dissatisfied individual.
 He may be dissatisfied with the circumstances of his own, with his age,
with literary conventions and traditions of the day, or with the general
fate of humanity.
7. Symbolism
 The use of symbolism in literature allows to infer / derive different
meanings from a single expression.
 Symbolism rouses the curiosity of readers and also adds a kind of enigma
to the expressions or thoughts of the poet.
 Repetitive presentation of an object or character is one of the ways in
which symbolism is depicted in poetry.
8.Supernaturalism & Mysticism
 Romanticism was a revival of medievalism.
 The romantic poet is extraordinarily alive to the wonder, mystery and
beauty of the universe.
 The unseen world is more real for him than the world of the senses.
 Romantic poetry is mystical and is removed from the everyday
experiences of life.
9. Pastoral Life
 The pastoral life, culture and traditions are mentioned on a frequent basis
in romantic poetry.
 Romantic poetry employs this feature in order to present before readers
the complexities of life in a simple manner.
 Contrasting features of country and urban life can also be depicted by the
portrayal of pastoral life.
10 . Imagination & Emotion
 The romantic poets laid emphasis on imagination and emotion.
 The 18th century neo-classical poets had emphasized on reason and
intellect.