Romanticism in English Literature of the Beginning of the 19th Century

From around 1750 to 1900 Britain went through major changes or transformation in industry, agriculture and transportation that affected everybody’s lives. For some it generally improved their lives, however not all were so lucky. The industrial revolution brought with it many changes good for some and bad for others.

The Industrial Revolution was a time period of rapid growth in society. Referring to the 1700’s century in England where the output of machine made goods greatly increased. Prior to the changes made during the Industrial Revolution, workers often manufactured products in their homes using handtools and basic machinery. However, industrialization marked a shift of labor from small farms in rural areas to large factories in cities and was a time of new products, inventions and methods of work.The results of the Industrial Revolution led to many positive outcomes because new cultivation methods spread rapidly around the world. The Industrial Revolution made a significant political, economical, and social change throughout Europe. The Industrial

George Gordon, Lord Byron, born in 1788 and died in 1824, was a known author and supporter of the English Romantics. Lord Byron has many pieces of work that have been studied throughout history but none as infamous as his poem titled “Prometheus”. To truly understand “Prometheus” one must first understand the author. Byron’s interpretation of Prometheus is highly reflective of his involvement and support of Romanticism. Romanticism can be defined as an intellectual and cultural reaction to the Enlightenment; without the Enlightenment there would be no Romanticism. English Romantics, such as Lord Byron, were men of action, solitude and imagination. Romantics viewed the individual as isolated from the rest of man. The idea of the “citizen”

There are many turning points in history that can be examined with none exceeding in importance that which took place during the 18th century. For much of the 17th century, and into the early 18th century the primary economic system was the domestic method, utilizing merchants and skilled craftsmen. However, as the 18th century progressed the world began to undergo a revolution that is now known as the Industrial Revolution. Because of its resources, geography, and beneficial governmental policy, England led the way in this new age where the factory replaced rural work. While this was a time of great technological advancement, not everything was a positive result of the Industrial Revolution. Nonetheless, the Industrial Revolution brought a

Since the beginning of man, the human race has gone through many changes throughout history. One of the most significant and critical changes was the Industrial Revolution of Great Britain. Characterized by the development of new manufacturing processes, the Industrial Revolution was a period between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that spurred extensive changes in almost every aspect of society. These changes stimulated a major transformation in the way of life and created a modern urban society based on industrial manufacturing and not agricultural production. The Industrial Revolution debuted in England because of changes in the textile industry and agriculture leading to a more stable economic platform, an ever-increasing demand for coal, and international success in the trading market, resulting in the development and improvement of daily

The start of the Romantic Age coincided with the start of the French Revolution in 1789. It ends in 1837. Just as the revolution was changing the social order, the romantic poets were taking literature in a whole new direction. The mechanical reason that pervaded the work of the previous era was replaced by strong emotions and a return to nature. Animals and respect for nature were frequently used subjects in works of his period. The first generation of poets included William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Sir Walter Scott. Their primary contribution to literature was with their lyrical ballads. They used the typical romantic themes of respect for nature and all of its creatures. Wordsworth is above all the poet

The Romantic Period centered on creative imagination, nature, mythology, symbolism, feelings and intuition, freedom from laws, impulsiveness, simplistic language, personal experiences, democracy, and liberty, significant in various art forms including poetry. The development of the self and self-awareness became a major theme as the Romantic Period was seen as an unpredictable release of artistic energy, new found confidence, and creative power found in the writings of the Romantic poets Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Keats, and Shelley, who made a substantial impact on the world of poetry. Two of the Romantic poets, William Blake, and Percy Bysshe Shelley rebelled against convention and authority in search of personal, political and artistic freedom. Blake and Shelley attempted to liberate the subjugated people through the contrary state of human existence prevalent throughout their writings, including Blake’s “The Chimney Sweepers,” from “Songs of Innocence”, “London,” from “Songs of Experience” and Shelley’s A Song: “Men of England.”

In the 1700s England went through a major change which would soon spread to the rest of Europe and finally the rest of the world. This major change was referred to as The Industrial Revolution which signaled a shift from agriculture to industry. People were pushed out the of the farms and into factories. This major change effected all types of people from farmers and peasants to inventors. The Industrial Revolution began in England because of its location and resources, their innovations and the new tools they created, the labor force of farmers and peasants working in the factories along with no political interference.

By the eighteenth century all of Western Europe had begun to industrialize rapidly, but in England the process

The era known as the Industrial Revolution was a periodic of fundamental and phenomenal changes to the agriculture, textile, and social structure in England. The year 1760, was said to be the eve of the Industrial Revolution. The Revolution took place from 1760 to 1850 and in fact, occurred gradually. Advances in agricultural techniques demanded for an increased supply of food, raw materials. This also included changes to the increased production, profit, and increase in commerce.

During the late 1700’s and early 1800’s a major development in society took place known as the industrial revolution. The industrial revolution brought new modernization to the production of agricultures and textiles. The industrialization had an impact on Britain and its agriculture, settlement, employment and the social positions during the time. Before the industrial revolution manufacturing goods were made using either the basic hand-made tools or just simple machinery that had been developed during the time and was predominately done in the homes of citizens.

Romanticism started during the end of the 18th century as politics and society were changing in Europe. Gaps were growing farther and farther apart between the rich and the poor, which created changes for the time period (Class notes). Paul Brians, a English Professor at Washington State, says that Romanticism:

First, Britain had some tremendous natural attributes. It was naturally endowed with many deposits of coal and iron ore, which were used heavily in the early stages of factory production. In addition, Britain was situated at a critical point for international trade. Its position between the United States and the rest of Europe allowed them to have a serious impact in all matters of trade.

Since the Romantic Movement began only a few years after Burns’ death, you can argue that he inspired romantic poets. However he was not considered a Romanticist because he did not write the bulk of his poems in the main time period in which the movement was occurring, the 1800s to about 1850. Rather than being influenced by a movement, which often sets the tone for the topic or style of a written work, Burns was influenced by his life and his personal experiences. At age 15, Robert Burns wrote his first song, “Once I Loved a Bonnie Lass,” also called, “Handsome Nell.” This poem was inspired by a girl named Nelly Kilpatrick. Burns clearly shows that he was influenced by others in his poems specifically in this poem. Burns noted in a letter, “The subject of it was a young girl who really deserved all the praises I have bestowed on her. I not only had this opinion of Her then—but I actually think so still, now that the spell is long since broken, and the enchantment at an end.” (The Songs of Robert Burns, 48). With Burns stating this, he clearly describes what this song was about and how the love he had for this girl moved him to write this song. This is only one example of many inspirations for his poetry. Another example is that his poem, “A Red, Red Rose,” could be about his wife, Jean Armour, or his many love affairs, depending on how you interpret the poem using careful

The major writers in Romanticism are Percy Shelly, Lord Byron, John Keats, William Blake, William Wordsworth, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. I will be examining two second generation Romantic poets Lord Byron, Percy Shelly, I have chosen to examine the poems; She walks in beauty, and A Lament based on the ideas most valued by Romantic poets; Love and beauty, and youth and inevitable death.