discovering literature: romantics and victorians the...
TRANSCRIPT
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 112
The Romantics
Discovering Literature Romantics andVictorians
Article by Stephanie ForwardTheme Romanticism
Dr Stephanie Forward explains the key ideas and influences of Romanticismand considers their place in the work of writers including Wordsworth Blake PB Shelley and KeatsToday the word lsquoromanticrsquo evokes images of love and sentimentality but theterm lsquoRomanticismrsquo has a much wider meaning It covers a range ofdevelopments in art literature music and philosophy spanning the late 18thand early 19th centuries The lsquoRomanticsrsquo would not have used the termthemselves the label was applied retrospectively from around the middle of the19th centuryIn 1762 JeanshyJacques Rousseau declared in The Social Contract lsquoMan is born free andeverywhere he is in chainsrsquo During the Romantic period major transitions took place in societyas dissatisfied intellectuals and artists challenged the Establishment In England the Romanticpoets were at the very heart of this movement They were inspired by a desire for liberty andthey denounced the exploitation of the poor There was an emphasis on the importance of theindividual a conviction that people should follow ideals rather than imposed conventions andrules The Romantics renounced the rationalism and order associated with the precedingEnlightenment era stressing the importance of expressing authentic personal feelings They hada real sense of responsibility to their fellow men they felt it was their duty to use their poetry toinform and inspire others and to change society
RevolutionWhen reference is made to Romantic verse the poets who generally spring tomind are William Blake (1757shy1827) William Wordsworth (1770shy1850) SamuelTaylor Coleridge (1772shy1834) George Gordon 6th Lord Byron (1788shy1824)Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792shy1822) and John Keats (1795shy1821) These writershad an intuitive feeling that they were lsquochosenrsquo to guide others through thetempestuous period of changeThis was a time of physical confrontation of violent rebellion in parts of Europe and the NewWorld Conscious of anarchy across the English Channel the British government feared similar
By using this site you agree we can set and use cookies OK For more details of these cookiesand how to disable them see our cookie policy[httpwwwblukaboutustermsprivacywebsitescookies]
x
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 212
outbreaks The early Romantic poets tended to be supporters of the French Revolution hopingthat it would bring about political change however the bloody Reign of Terror shocked themprofoundly and affected their views In his youth William Wordsworth was drawn to theRepublican cause in France until he gradually became disenchanted with the Revolutionaries
Painting of the storming of the Bastille 1789
Depiction of the storming of the Bastille Paris shy the event that triggered the French Revolution
Copyright copy De Agostini Picture Library
The imaginationThe Romantics were not in agreement about everything they said and did farfrom it Nevertheless certain key ideas dominated their writings Theygenuinely thought that they were prophetic figures who could interpret realityThe Romantics highlighted the healing power of the imagination because theytruly believed that it could enable people to transcend their troubles and theircircumstances Their creative talents could illuminate and transform the worldinto a coherent vision to regenerate mankind spiritually In A Defence of Poetry(1821) Shelley elevated the status of poets lsquoThey measure the circumferenceand sound the depths of human nature with a comprehensive and allshypenetrating spirithelliprsquo[1] He declared that lsquoPoets are the unacknowledgedlegislators of the worldrsquo This might sound somewhat pretentious but it servesto convey the faith the Romantics had in their poetry Manuscript of P B Shelleys The Masque of Anarchy
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 312
P B Shelleyrsquos manuscript of lsquoThe Masque of Anarchyrsquo 1819 was a reaction of furious outrage atthe Peterloo Massacre An avowedly political poem it praises the nonshyviolence of theManchester protesters when faced with the aggression of the state
Free from known copyright restrictionsThe marginalised and oppressedWordsworth was concerned about the elitism of earlier poets whose highbrowlanguage and subject matter were neither readily accessible nor particularlyrelevant to ordinary people He maintained that poetry should be democraticthat it should be composed in lsquothe language really spoken by menrsquo (Preface toLyrical Ballads [1802]) For this reason he tried to give a voice to those whotended to be marginalised and oppressed by society the rural poor dischargedsoldiers lsquofallenrsquo women the insane and childrenBlake was radical in his political views frequently addressing social issues in his poems andexpressing his concerns about the monarchy and the church His poem lsquoLondonrsquo draws attentionto the suffering of chimneyshysweeps soldiers and prostitutes
Lyrical Ballads 1800 edition
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 412
In the Preface to the Lyrical Ballads Wordsworth writes that he has lsquotaken as much pains toavoid [poetic diction] as others ordinarily take to produce itrsquo trying instead to lsquobring [his] languagenear to the language of menrsquo
Free from known copyright restrictionsWilliam Blakes Songs of Innocence and Experience
lsquoLondonrsquo from William Blakersquos Songs of Innocence and Experience 1794 Blake emphasises theinjustice of late 18thshycentury society and the desperation of the poor
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 512
Free from known copyright restrictionsChildren nature and the sublimeFor the world to be regenerated the Romantics said that it was necessary tostart all over again with a childlike perspective They believed that children werespecial because they were innocent and uncorrupted enjoying a preciousaffinity with nature Romantic verse was suffused with reverence for the naturalworld In Coleridgersquos lsquoFrost at Midnightrsquo (1798) the poet hailed nature as thelsquoGreat universal Teacherrsquo Recalling his unhappy times at Christrsquos HospitalSchool in London he explained his aspirations for his son Hartley who wouldhave the freedom to enjoy his childhood and appreciate his surroundings TheRomantics were inspired by the environment and encouraged people toventure into new territories ndash both literally and metaphorically In their writingsthey made the world seem a place with infinite unlimited potentialSamuel Taylor Coleridge A Walking Tour of Cumbria
In August 1802 Samuel Taylor Coleridge set out from his home at Greta Hall Keswick for aweekrsquos solo walkingshytour in the nearby Cumbrian mountains He kept detailed notes of thelandscape around him drawing rough sketches and maps These notes and sketches are inNotebook No 2 one of 64 notebooks Coleridge kept between 1794 and his death
Free from known copyright restrictionsA key idea in Romantic poetry is the concept of the sublime This term conveysthe feelings people experience when they see awesome landscapes or findthemselves in extreme situations which elicit both fear and admiration Forexample Shelley described his reaction to stunning overwhelming scenery inthe poem lsquoMont Blancrsquo (1816)Burkes A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of ourIdeas of the Sublime and Beautiful
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 612
In this 1757 essay the philosopher Edmund Burke discusses the attraction of the immense theterrible and the uncontrollable The work had a profound influence on the Romantic poets
Free from known copyright restrictionsThe secondshygeneration RomanticsBlake Wordsworth and Coleridge were firstshygeneration Romantics writingagainst a backdrop of war Wordsworth however became increasinglyconservative in his outlook indeed secondshygeneration Romantics such asByron Shelley and Keats felt that he had lsquosold outrsquo to the Establishment In thesuppressed Dedication to Don Juan (1819shy1824) Byron criticised the PoetLaureate Robert Southey and the other lsquoLakersrsquo Wordsworth and Coleridge(all three lived in the Lake District) Byron also vented his spleen on the EnglishForeign Secretary Viscount Castlereagh denouncing him as an lsquointellectualeunuchrsquo a lsquobunglerrsquo and a lsquotinkering slavemakerrsquo (stanzas 11 and 14) Althoughthe Romantics stressed the importance of the individual they also advocated acommitment to mankind Byron became actively involved in the struggles forItalian nationalism and the liberation of Greece from Ottoman ruleNotorious for his sexual exploits and dogged by debt and scandal Byron quitted Britain in 1816Lady Caroline Lamb famously declared that he was lsquoMad bad and dangerous to knowrsquo Similaraccusations were pointed at Shelley Nicknamed lsquoMad Shelleyrsquo at Eton he was sent down fromOxford for advocating atheism He antagonised the Establishment further by his criticism of themonarchy and by his immoral lifestyle
Letter from Lord Byron about his memoirs 1819
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 712
In this letter to his publisher John Murray Byron notes the poor reception of the first two cantosof Don Juan but states that he has written a hundred stanzas of a third canto He also statesthat he is leaving his memoirs to his friend George Moore to be read after his death but that thistext does not include details of his love affairs
Copyright copy GG Byron
Female poetsFemale poets also contributed to the Romantic movement but their strategiestended to be more subtle and less controversial Although Dorothy Wordsworth(1771shy1855) was modest about her writing abilities she produced poems of herown and her journals and travel narratives certainly provided inspiration for herbrother Women were generally limited in their prospects and many foundthemselves confined to the domestic sphere nevertheless they did manage toexpress or intimate their concerns For example Mary Alcock (c 1742shy1798)penned lsquoThe Chimney Sweeperrsquos Complaintrsquo In lsquoThe BirthshyDayrsquo Mary Robinson(1758shy1800) highlighted the enormous discrepancy between life for the rich andthe poor Gender issues were foregrounded in lsquoIndian Womanrsquos Death Songrsquo byFelicia Hemans (1793shy1835)The GothicReaction against the Enlightenment was reflected in the rise of the Gothicnovel The most popular and wellshypaid 18thshycentury novelist Ann Radcliffe(1764ndash1823) specialised in lsquothe hobgoblinshyromancersquo Her fiction held particularappeal for frustrated middleshyclass women who experienced a vicarious frissonof excitement when they read about heroines venturing into aweshyinspiringlandscapes She was dubbed lsquoMother Radcliffersquo by Keats because she hadsuch an influence on Romantic poets The Gothic genre contributed toColeridgersquos Christabel (1816) and Keatsrsquos lsquoLa Belle Dame Sans Mercirsquo (1819)Mary Shelley (1797shy1851) blended realist Gothic and Romantic elements toproduce her masterpiece Frankenstein (1818) in which a number of Romantic
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 812
aspects can be identified She quotes from Coleridgersquos Romantic poem TheRime of the Ancyent Marinere In the third chapter Frankenstein refers to hisscientific endeavours being driven by his imagination The book raises worryingquestions about the possibility of lsquoregeneratingrsquo mankind but at several pointsthe world of nature provides inspiration and solaceThe Mysteries of Udolpho
The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) by Ann Radcliffe was one of the most popular and influentialGothic novels of the late 18th century
Free from known copyright restrictionsThe Byronic heroRomanticism set a trend for some literary stereotypes Byronrsquos Childe Harold(1812shy1818) described the wanderings of a young man disillusioned with hisempty way of life The melancholy dark brooding rebellious lsquoByronic herorsquo asolitary wanderer seemed to represent a generation and the image lingeredThe figure became a kind of role model for youngsters men regarded him aslsquocoolrsquo and women found him enticing Byron died young in 1824 aftercontracting a fever This added to the lsquoappealrsquo Subsequently a number ofcomplex and intriguing heroes appeared in novels for example Heathcliff inEmily Bronteumlrsquos Wuthering Heights and Edward Rochester in Charlotte BronteumlrsquosJane Eyre (both published in 1847)Illustrations to Wuthering Heights by Clare Leighton
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 912
The Byronic hero influenced Emily Bronteumls portrayal of Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights This1931 edition of Bronteumls novel is illustrated with wood engravings by Clare Leighton
Some rights reservedCopyright copy By arrangement with the Estate of Clare Leighton
ContrariesRomanticism offered a new way of looking at the world prioritising imagination above reasonThere was however a tension at times in the writings as the poets tried to face up to lifersquosseeming contradictions Blake published Songs of Innocence and of Experience Shewing theTwo Contrary States of the Human Soul [httpwwwblukworkssongsshyofshyinnocenceshyandshyexperience](1794) Here we find two different perspectives on religion in lsquoThe Lambrsquo and lsquoTheTygerrsquo The simple vocabulary and form of lsquoThe Lambrsquo suggest that God is the beneficent lovingGood Shepherd In stark contrast the creator depicted in lsquoThe Tygerrsquo is a powerful blacksmithfigure The speaker is stunned by the exotic frightening animal posing the rhetorical questionlsquoDid he who made the Lamb make theersquo In The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1790shy1793) Blakeasserted lsquoWithout contraries is no progressionrsquo (stanza 8)
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell by William Blake
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1012
In The Marriage of Heaven and Hell William Blake explores ideas of contraries which alsofeature in Songs of Innocence and of Experience
Free from known copyright restrictionsWordsworthrsquos lsquoTintern Abbeyrsquo (1798) juxtaposed moments of celebration andoptimism with lamentation and regret Keats thought in terms of an oppositionbetween the imagination and the intellect In a letter to his brothers inDecember 1817 he explained what he meant by the term lsquoNegative Capabilityrsquolsquothat is when a man is capable of being in uncertainties Mysteries doubtswithout any irritable reaching after fact and reasonrsquo (22 December) Keatssuggested that it is impossible for us to find answers to the eternal questions weall have about human existence Instead our feelings and imaginations enableus to recognise Beauty and it is Beauty that helps us through lifersquos bleakmoments Life involves a delicate balance between times of pleasure and painThe individual has to learn to accept both aspects lsquoldquoBeauty is truth truthbeautyrdquo ndash that is allYe know on earth and all ye need to knowrsquo (lsquoOde on aGrecian Urnrsquo [1819])Manuscript of lsquoOde on a Grecian Urnrsquo by John Keats
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1112
Written by Stephanie ForwardDr Stephanie Forward is an Associate Lecturer with the Open University She specializes inEnglish Literature and has been involved in two important collaborative projects between theOpen University and the BBCThe Big Read and the television series The Romantics Stephaniehas an extensive publications record She also edited the anthology Dreams Visions andRealities coshyedited (with Ann Heilmann) Sex Social Purity and Sarah Grand and penned thescript for the CD Blenheim Palace The Churchills and their PalaceThe text in this article is available under the Creative Commons License[httpcreativecommonsorglicensesbyshync40]
Romantics and VictoriansAuthorsWorksThemesArticlesVideosCollection items
lsquoOde on a Grecian Urnrsquo from a manuscript copy believed to be in the hand of George Keats thepoets brother
Free from known copyright restrictionsThe premature deaths of Byron Shelley and Keats contributed to theirmystique As time passed they attained iconic status inspiring others to maketheir voices heard The Romantic poets continue to exert a powerful influenceon popular culture Generations have been inspired by their promotion of selfshyexpression emotional intensity personal freedom and social concernFootnotes[1] Percy Bysshe Shelley Shelleyrsquos poetry and prose authoritative texts criticisms ed byDonald H Reiman and Sharon B Powers (New York London Norton c1977) p485
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1212
Teaching resourcesAbout the projectSupported by
Desktop siteMobile siteTerms of useAbout the British LibraryPrivacyCookiesAccessibilityContact usAll text is copy British Library Board and is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence[httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40] except where otherwise stated
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 212
outbreaks The early Romantic poets tended to be supporters of the French Revolution hopingthat it would bring about political change however the bloody Reign of Terror shocked themprofoundly and affected their views In his youth William Wordsworth was drawn to theRepublican cause in France until he gradually became disenchanted with the Revolutionaries
Painting of the storming of the Bastille 1789
Depiction of the storming of the Bastille Paris shy the event that triggered the French Revolution
Copyright copy De Agostini Picture Library
The imaginationThe Romantics were not in agreement about everything they said and did farfrom it Nevertheless certain key ideas dominated their writings Theygenuinely thought that they were prophetic figures who could interpret realityThe Romantics highlighted the healing power of the imagination because theytruly believed that it could enable people to transcend their troubles and theircircumstances Their creative talents could illuminate and transform the worldinto a coherent vision to regenerate mankind spiritually In A Defence of Poetry(1821) Shelley elevated the status of poets lsquoThey measure the circumferenceand sound the depths of human nature with a comprehensive and allshypenetrating spirithelliprsquo[1] He declared that lsquoPoets are the unacknowledgedlegislators of the worldrsquo This might sound somewhat pretentious but it servesto convey the faith the Romantics had in their poetry Manuscript of P B Shelleys The Masque of Anarchy
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 312
P B Shelleyrsquos manuscript of lsquoThe Masque of Anarchyrsquo 1819 was a reaction of furious outrage atthe Peterloo Massacre An avowedly political poem it praises the nonshyviolence of theManchester protesters when faced with the aggression of the state
Free from known copyright restrictionsThe marginalised and oppressedWordsworth was concerned about the elitism of earlier poets whose highbrowlanguage and subject matter were neither readily accessible nor particularlyrelevant to ordinary people He maintained that poetry should be democraticthat it should be composed in lsquothe language really spoken by menrsquo (Preface toLyrical Ballads [1802]) For this reason he tried to give a voice to those whotended to be marginalised and oppressed by society the rural poor dischargedsoldiers lsquofallenrsquo women the insane and childrenBlake was radical in his political views frequently addressing social issues in his poems andexpressing his concerns about the monarchy and the church His poem lsquoLondonrsquo draws attentionto the suffering of chimneyshysweeps soldiers and prostitutes
Lyrical Ballads 1800 edition
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 412
In the Preface to the Lyrical Ballads Wordsworth writes that he has lsquotaken as much pains toavoid [poetic diction] as others ordinarily take to produce itrsquo trying instead to lsquobring [his] languagenear to the language of menrsquo
Free from known copyright restrictionsWilliam Blakes Songs of Innocence and Experience
lsquoLondonrsquo from William Blakersquos Songs of Innocence and Experience 1794 Blake emphasises theinjustice of late 18thshycentury society and the desperation of the poor
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 512
Free from known copyright restrictionsChildren nature and the sublimeFor the world to be regenerated the Romantics said that it was necessary tostart all over again with a childlike perspective They believed that children werespecial because they were innocent and uncorrupted enjoying a preciousaffinity with nature Romantic verse was suffused with reverence for the naturalworld In Coleridgersquos lsquoFrost at Midnightrsquo (1798) the poet hailed nature as thelsquoGreat universal Teacherrsquo Recalling his unhappy times at Christrsquos HospitalSchool in London he explained his aspirations for his son Hartley who wouldhave the freedom to enjoy his childhood and appreciate his surroundings TheRomantics were inspired by the environment and encouraged people toventure into new territories ndash both literally and metaphorically In their writingsthey made the world seem a place with infinite unlimited potentialSamuel Taylor Coleridge A Walking Tour of Cumbria
In August 1802 Samuel Taylor Coleridge set out from his home at Greta Hall Keswick for aweekrsquos solo walkingshytour in the nearby Cumbrian mountains He kept detailed notes of thelandscape around him drawing rough sketches and maps These notes and sketches are inNotebook No 2 one of 64 notebooks Coleridge kept between 1794 and his death
Free from known copyright restrictionsA key idea in Romantic poetry is the concept of the sublime This term conveysthe feelings people experience when they see awesome landscapes or findthemselves in extreme situations which elicit both fear and admiration Forexample Shelley described his reaction to stunning overwhelming scenery inthe poem lsquoMont Blancrsquo (1816)Burkes A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of ourIdeas of the Sublime and Beautiful
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 612
In this 1757 essay the philosopher Edmund Burke discusses the attraction of the immense theterrible and the uncontrollable The work had a profound influence on the Romantic poets
Free from known copyright restrictionsThe secondshygeneration RomanticsBlake Wordsworth and Coleridge were firstshygeneration Romantics writingagainst a backdrop of war Wordsworth however became increasinglyconservative in his outlook indeed secondshygeneration Romantics such asByron Shelley and Keats felt that he had lsquosold outrsquo to the Establishment In thesuppressed Dedication to Don Juan (1819shy1824) Byron criticised the PoetLaureate Robert Southey and the other lsquoLakersrsquo Wordsworth and Coleridge(all three lived in the Lake District) Byron also vented his spleen on the EnglishForeign Secretary Viscount Castlereagh denouncing him as an lsquointellectualeunuchrsquo a lsquobunglerrsquo and a lsquotinkering slavemakerrsquo (stanzas 11 and 14) Althoughthe Romantics stressed the importance of the individual they also advocated acommitment to mankind Byron became actively involved in the struggles forItalian nationalism and the liberation of Greece from Ottoman ruleNotorious for his sexual exploits and dogged by debt and scandal Byron quitted Britain in 1816Lady Caroline Lamb famously declared that he was lsquoMad bad and dangerous to knowrsquo Similaraccusations were pointed at Shelley Nicknamed lsquoMad Shelleyrsquo at Eton he was sent down fromOxford for advocating atheism He antagonised the Establishment further by his criticism of themonarchy and by his immoral lifestyle
Letter from Lord Byron about his memoirs 1819
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 712
In this letter to his publisher John Murray Byron notes the poor reception of the first two cantosof Don Juan but states that he has written a hundred stanzas of a third canto He also statesthat he is leaving his memoirs to his friend George Moore to be read after his death but that thistext does not include details of his love affairs
Copyright copy GG Byron
Female poetsFemale poets also contributed to the Romantic movement but their strategiestended to be more subtle and less controversial Although Dorothy Wordsworth(1771shy1855) was modest about her writing abilities she produced poems of herown and her journals and travel narratives certainly provided inspiration for herbrother Women were generally limited in their prospects and many foundthemselves confined to the domestic sphere nevertheless they did manage toexpress or intimate their concerns For example Mary Alcock (c 1742shy1798)penned lsquoThe Chimney Sweeperrsquos Complaintrsquo In lsquoThe BirthshyDayrsquo Mary Robinson(1758shy1800) highlighted the enormous discrepancy between life for the rich andthe poor Gender issues were foregrounded in lsquoIndian Womanrsquos Death Songrsquo byFelicia Hemans (1793shy1835)The GothicReaction against the Enlightenment was reflected in the rise of the Gothicnovel The most popular and wellshypaid 18thshycentury novelist Ann Radcliffe(1764ndash1823) specialised in lsquothe hobgoblinshyromancersquo Her fiction held particularappeal for frustrated middleshyclass women who experienced a vicarious frissonof excitement when they read about heroines venturing into aweshyinspiringlandscapes She was dubbed lsquoMother Radcliffersquo by Keats because she hadsuch an influence on Romantic poets The Gothic genre contributed toColeridgersquos Christabel (1816) and Keatsrsquos lsquoLa Belle Dame Sans Mercirsquo (1819)Mary Shelley (1797shy1851) blended realist Gothic and Romantic elements toproduce her masterpiece Frankenstein (1818) in which a number of Romantic
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 812
aspects can be identified She quotes from Coleridgersquos Romantic poem TheRime of the Ancyent Marinere In the third chapter Frankenstein refers to hisscientific endeavours being driven by his imagination The book raises worryingquestions about the possibility of lsquoregeneratingrsquo mankind but at several pointsthe world of nature provides inspiration and solaceThe Mysteries of Udolpho
The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) by Ann Radcliffe was one of the most popular and influentialGothic novels of the late 18th century
Free from known copyright restrictionsThe Byronic heroRomanticism set a trend for some literary stereotypes Byronrsquos Childe Harold(1812shy1818) described the wanderings of a young man disillusioned with hisempty way of life The melancholy dark brooding rebellious lsquoByronic herorsquo asolitary wanderer seemed to represent a generation and the image lingeredThe figure became a kind of role model for youngsters men regarded him aslsquocoolrsquo and women found him enticing Byron died young in 1824 aftercontracting a fever This added to the lsquoappealrsquo Subsequently a number ofcomplex and intriguing heroes appeared in novels for example Heathcliff inEmily Bronteumlrsquos Wuthering Heights and Edward Rochester in Charlotte BronteumlrsquosJane Eyre (both published in 1847)Illustrations to Wuthering Heights by Clare Leighton
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 912
The Byronic hero influenced Emily Bronteumls portrayal of Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights This1931 edition of Bronteumls novel is illustrated with wood engravings by Clare Leighton
Some rights reservedCopyright copy By arrangement with the Estate of Clare Leighton
ContrariesRomanticism offered a new way of looking at the world prioritising imagination above reasonThere was however a tension at times in the writings as the poets tried to face up to lifersquosseeming contradictions Blake published Songs of Innocence and of Experience Shewing theTwo Contrary States of the Human Soul [httpwwwblukworkssongsshyofshyinnocenceshyandshyexperience](1794) Here we find two different perspectives on religion in lsquoThe Lambrsquo and lsquoTheTygerrsquo The simple vocabulary and form of lsquoThe Lambrsquo suggest that God is the beneficent lovingGood Shepherd In stark contrast the creator depicted in lsquoThe Tygerrsquo is a powerful blacksmithfigure The speaker is stunned by the exotic frightening animal posing the rhetorical questionlsquoDid he who made the Lamb make theersquo In The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1790shy1793) Blakeasserted lsquoWithout contraries is no progressionrsquo (stanza 8)
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell by William Blake
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1012
In The Marriage of Heaven and Hell William Blake explores ideas of contraries which alsofeature in Songs of Innocence and of Experience
Free from known copyright restrictionsWordsworthrsquos lsquoTintern Abbeyrsquo (1798) juxtaposed moments of celebration andoptimism with lamentation and regret Keats thought in terms of an oppositionbetween the imagination and the intellect In a letter to his brothers inDecember 1817 he explained what he meant by the term lsquoNegative Capabilityrsquolsquothat is when a man is capable of being in uncertainties Mysteries doubtswithout any irritable reaching after fact and reasonrsquo (22 December) Keatssuggested that it is impossible for us to find answers to the eternal questions weall have about human existence Instead our feelings and imaginations enableus to recognise Beauty and it is Beauty that helps us through lifersquos bleakmoments Life involves a delicate balance between times of pleasure and painThe individual has to learn to accept both aspects lsquoldquoBeauty is truth truthbeautyrdquo ndash that is allYe know on earth and all ye need to knowrsquo (lsquoOde on aGrecian Urnrsquo [1819])Manuscript of lsquoOde on a Grecian Urnrsquo by John Keats
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1112
Written by Stephanie ForwardDr Stephanie Forward is an Associate Lecturer with the Open University She specializes inEnglish Literature and has been involved in two important collaborative projects between theOpen University and the BBCThe Big Read and the television series The Romantics Stephaniehas an extensive publications record She also edited the anthology Dreams Visions andRealities coshyedited (with Ann Heilmann) Sex Social Purity and Sarah Grand and penned thescript for the CD Blenheim Palace The Churchills and their PalaceThe text in this article is available under the Creative Commons License[httpcreativecommonsorglicensesbyshync40]
Romantics and VictoriansAuthorsWorksThemesArticlesVideosCollection items
lsquoOde on a Grecian Urnrsquo from a manuscript copy believed to be in the hand of George Keats thepoets brother
Free from known copyright restrictionsThe premature deaths of Byron Shelley and Keats contributed to theirmystique As time passed they attained iconic status inspiring others to maketheir voices heard The Romantic poets continue to exert a powerful influenceon popular culture Generations have been inspired by their promotion of selfshyexpression emotional intensity personal freedom and social concernFootnotes[1] Percy Bysshe Shelley Shelleyrsquos poetry and prose authoritative texts criticisms ed byDonald H Reiman and Sharon B Powers (New York London Norton c1977) p485
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1212
Teaching resourcesAbout the projectSupported by
Desktop siteMobile siteTerms of useAbout the British LibraryPrivacyCookiesAccessibilityContact usAll text is copy British Library Board and is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence[httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40] except where otherwise stated
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 312
P B Shelleyrsquos manuscript of lsquoThe Masque of Anarchyrsquo 1819 was a reaction of furious outrage atthe Peterloo Massacre An avowedly political poem it praises the nonshyviolence of theManchester protesters when faced with the aggression of the state
Free from known copyright restrictionsThe marginalised and oppressedWordsworth was concerned about the elitism of earlier poets whose highbrowlanguage and subject matter were neither readily accessible nor particularlyrelevant to ordinary people He maintained that poetry should be democraticthat it should be composed in lsquothe language really spoken by menrsquo (Preface toLyrical Ballads [1802]) For this reason he tried to give a voice to those whotended to be marginalised and oppressed by society the rural poor dischargedsoldiers lsquofallenrsquo women the insane and childrenBlake was radical in his political views frequently addressing social issues in his poems andexpressing his concerns about the monarchy and the church His poem lsquoLondonrsquo draws attentionto the suffering of chimneyshysweeps soldiers and prostitutes
Lyrical Ballads 1800 edition
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 412
In the Preface to the Lyrical Ballads Wordsworth writes that he has lsquotaken as much pains toavoid [poetic diction] as others ordinarily take to produce itrsquo trying instead to lsquobring [his] languagenear to the language of menrsquo
Free from known copyright restrictionsWilliam Blakes Songs of Innocence and Experience
lsquoLondonrsquo from William Blakersquos Songs of Innocence and Experience 1794 Blake emphasises theinjustice of late 18thshycentury society and the desperation of the poor
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 512
Free from known copyright restrictionsChildren nature and the sublimeFor the world to be regenerated the Romantics said that it was necessary tostart all over again with a childlike perspective They believed that children werespecial because they were innocent and uncorrupted enjoying a preciousaffinity with nature Romantic verse was suffused with reverence for the naturalworld In Coleridgersquos lsquoFrost at Midnightrsquo (1798) the poet hailed nature as thelsquoGreat universal Teacherrsquo Recalling his unhappy times at Christrsquos HospitalSchool in London he explained his aspirations for his son Hartley who wouldhave the freedom to enjoy his childhood and appreciate his surroundings TheRomantics were inspired by the environment and encouraged people toventure into new territories ndash both literally and metaphorically In their writingsthey made the world seem a place with infinite unlimited potentialSamuel Taylor Coleridge A Walking Tour of Cumbria
In August 1802 Samuel Taylor Coleridge set out from his home at Greta Hall Keswick for aweekrsquos solo walkingshytour in the nearby Cumbrian mountains He kept detailed notes of thelandscape around him drawing rough sketches and maps These notes and sketches are inNotebook No 2 one of 64 notebooks Coleridge kept between 1794 and his death
Free from known copyright restrictionsA key idea in Romantic poetry is the concept of the sublime This term conveysthe feelings people experience when they see awesome landscapes or findthemselves in extreme situations which elicit both fear and admiration Forexample Shelley described his reaction to stunning overwhelming scenery inthe poem lsquoMont Blancrsquo (1816)Burkes A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of ourIdeas of the Sublime and Beautiful
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 612
In this 1757 essay the philosopher Edmund Burke discusses the attraction of the immense theterrible and the uncontrollable The work had a profound influence on the Romantic poets
Free from known copyright restrictionsThe secondshygeneration RomanticsBlake Wordsworth and Coleridge were firstshygeneration Romantics writingagainst a backdrop of war Wordsworth however became increasinglyconservative in his outlook indeed secondshygeneration Romantics such asByron Shelley and Keats felt that he had lsquosold outrsquo to the Establishment In thesuppressed Dedication to Don Juan (1819shy1824) Byron criticised the PoetLaureate Robert Southey and the other lsquoLakersrsquo Wordsworth and Coleridge(all three lived in the Lake District) Byron also vented his spleen on the EnglishForeign Secretary Viscount Castlereagh denouncing him as an lsquointellectualeunuchrsquo a lsquobunglerrsquo and a lsquotinkering slavemakerrsquo (stanzas 11 and 14) Althoughthe Romantics stressed the importance of the individual they also advocated acommitment to mankind Byron became actively involved in the struggles forItalian nationalism and the liberation of Greece from Ottoman ruleNotorious for his sexual exploits and dogged by debt and scandal Byron quitted Britain in 1816Lady Caroline Lamb famously declared that he was lsquoMad bad and dangerous to knowrsquo Similaraccusations were pointed at Shelley Nicknamed lsquoMad Shelleyrsquo at Eton he was sent down fromOxford for advocating atheism He antagonised the Establishment further by his criticism of themonarchy and by his immoral lifestyle
Letter from Lord Byron about his memoirs 1819
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 712
In this letter to his publisher John Murray Byron notes the poor reception of the first two cantosof Don Juan but states that he has written a hundred stanzas of a third canto He also statesthat he is leaving his memoirs to his friend George Moore to be read after his death but that thistext does not include details of his love affairs
Copyright copy GG Byron
Female poetsFemale poets also contributed to the Romantic movement but their strategiestended to be more subtle and less controversial Although Dorothy Wordsworth(1771shy1855) was modest about her writing abilities she produced poems of herown and her journals and travel narratives certainly provided inspiration for herbrother Women were generally limited in their prospects and many foundthemselves confined to the domestic sphere nevertheless they did manage toexpress or intimate their concerns For example Mary Alcock (c 1742shy1798)penned lsquoThe Chimney Sweeperrsquos Complaintrsquo In lsquoThe BirthshyDayrsquo Mary Robinson(1758shy1800) highlighted the enormous discrepancy between life for the rich andthe poor Gender issues were foregrounded in lsquoIndian Womanrsquos Death Songrsquo byFelicia Hemans (1793shy1835)The GothicReaction against the Enlightenment was reflected in the rise of the Gothicnovel The most popular and wellshypaid 18thshycentury novelist Ann Radcliffe(1764ndash1823) specialised in lsquothe hobgoblinshyromancersquo Her fiction held particularappeal for frustrated middleshyclass women who experienced a vicarious frissonof excitement when they read about heroines venturing into aweshyinspiringlandscapes She was dubbed lsquoMother Radcliffersquo by Keats because she hadsuch an influence on Romantic poets The Gothic genre contributed toColeridgersquos Christabel (1816) and Keatsrsquos lsquoLa Belle Dame Sans Mercirsquo (1819)Mary Shelley (1797shy1851) blended realist Gothic and Romantic elements toproduce her masterpiece Frankenstein (1818) in which a number of Romantic
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 812
aspects can be identified She quotes from Coleridgersquos Romantic poem TheRime of the Ancyent Marinere In the third chapter Frankenstein refers to hisscientific endeavours being driven by his imagination The book raises worryingquestions about the possibility of lsquoregeneratingrsquo mankind but at several pointsthe world of nature provides inspiration and solaceThe Mysteries of Udolpho
The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) by Ann Radcliffe was one of the most popular and influentialGothic novels of the late 18th century
Free from known copyright restrictionsThe Byronic heroRomanticism set a trend for some literary stereotypes Byronrsquos Childe Harold(1812shy1818) described the wanderings of a young man disillusioned with hisempty way of life The melancholy dark brooding rebellious lsquoByronic herorsquo asolitary wanderer seemed to represent a generation and the image lingeredThe figure became a kind of role model for youngsters men regarded him aslsquocoolrsquo and women found him enticing Byron died young in 1824 aftercontracting a fever This added to the lsquoappealrsquo Subsequently a number ofcomplex and intriguing heroes appeared in novels for example Heathcliff inEmily Bronteumlrsquos Wuthering Heights and Edward Rochester in Charlotte BronteumlrsquosJane Eyre (both published in 1847)Illustrations to Wuthering Heights by Clare Leighton
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 912
The Byronic hero influenced Emily Bronteumls portrayal of Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights This1931 edition of Bronteumls novel is illustrated with wood engravings by Clare Leighton
Some rights reservedCopyright copy By arrangement with the Estate of Clare Leighton
ContrariesRomanticism offered a new way of looking at the world prioritising imagination above reasonThere was however a tension at times in the writings as the poets tried to face up to lifersquosseeming contradictions Blake published Songs of Innocence and of Experience Shewing theTwo Contrary States of the Human Soul [httpwwwblukworkssongsshyofshyinnocenceshyandshyexperience](1794) Here we find two different perspectives on religion in lsquoThe Lambrsquo and lsquoTheTygerrsquo The simple vocabulary and form of lsquoThe Lambrsquo suggest that God is the beneficent lovingGood Shepherd In stark contrast the creator depicted in lsquoThe Tygerrsquo is a powerful blacksmithfigure The speaker is stunned by the exotic frightening animal posing the rhetorical questionlsquoDid he who made the Lamb make theersquo In The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1790shy1793) Blakeasserted lsquoWithout contraries is no progressionrsquo (stanza 8)
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell by William Blake
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1012
In The Marriage of Heaven and Hell William Blake explores ideas of contraries which alsofeature in Songs of Innocence and of Experience
Free from known copyright restrictionsWordsworthrsquos lsquoTintern Abbeyrsquo (1798) juxtaposed moments of celebration andoptimism with lamentation and regret Keats thought in terms of an oppositionbetween the imagination and the intellect In a letter to his brothers inDecember 1817 he explained what he meant by the term lsquoNegative Capabilityrsquolsquothat is when a man is capable of being in uncertainties Mysteries doubtswithout any irritable reaching after fact and reasonrsquo (22 December) Keatssuggested that it is impossible for us to find answers to the eternal questions weall have about human existence Instead our feelings and imaginations enableus to recognise Beauty and it is Beauty that helps us through lifersquos bleakmoments Life involves a delicate balance between times of pleasure and painThe individual has to learn to accept both aspects lsquoldquoBeauty is truth truthbeautyrdquo ndash that is allYe know on earth and all ye need to knowrsquo (lsquoOde on aGrecian Urnrsquo [1819])Manuscript of lsquoOde on a Grecian Urnrsquo by John Keats
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1112
Written by Stephanie ForwardDr Stephanie Forward is an Associate Lecturer with the Open University She specializes inEnglish Literature and has been involved in two important collaborative projects between theOpen University and the BBCThe Big Read and the television series The Romantics Stephaniehas an extensive publications record She also edited the anthology Dreams Visions andRealities coshyedited (with Ann Heilmann) Sex Social Purity and Sarah Grand and penned thescript for the CD Blenheim Palace The Churchills and their PalaceThe text in this article is available under the Creative Commons License[httpcreativecommonsorglicensesbyshync40]
Romantics and VictoriansAuthorsWorksThemesArticlesVideosCollection items
lsquoOde on a Grecian Urnrsquo from a manuscript copy believed to be in the hand of George Keats thepoets brother
Free from known copyright restrictionsThe premature deaths of Byron Shelley and Keats contributed to theirmystique As time passed they attained iconic status inspiring others to maketheir voices heard The Romantic poets continue to exert a powerful influenceon popular culture Generations have been inspired by their promotion of selfshyexpression emotional intensity personal freedom and social concernFootnotes[1] Percy Bysshe Shelley Shelleyrsquos poetry and prose authoritative texts criticisms ed byDonald H Reiman and Sharon B Powers (New York London Norton c1977) p485
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1212
Teaching resourcesAbout the projectSupported by
Desktop siteMobile siteTerms of useAbout the British LibraryPrivacyCookiesAccessibilityContact usAll text is copy British Library Board and is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence[httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40] except where otherwise stated
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 412
In the Preface to the Lyrical Ballads Wordsworth writes that he has lsquotaken as much pains toavoid [poetic diction] as others ordinarily take to produce itrsquo trying instead to lsquobring [his] languagenear to the language of menrsquo
Free from known copyright restrictionsWilliam Blakes Songs of Innocence and Experience
lsquoLondonrsquo from William Blakersquos Songs of Innocence and Experience 1794 Blake emphasises theinjustice of late 18thshycentury society and the desperation of the poor
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 512
Free from known copyright restrictionsChildren nature and the sublimeFor the world to be regenerated the Romantics said that it was necessary tostart all over again with a childlike perspective They believed that children werespecial because they were innocent and uncorrupted enjoying a preciousaffinity with nature Romantic verse was suffused with reverence for the naturalworld In Coleridgersquos lsquoFrost at Midnightrsquo (1798) the poet hailed nature as thelsquoGreat universal Teacherrsquo Recalling his unhappy times at Christrsquos HospitalSchool in London he explained his aspirations for his son Hartley who wouldhave the freedom to enjoy his childhood and appreciate his surroundings TheRomantics were inspired by the environment and encouraged people toventure into new territories ndash both literally and metaphorically In their writingsthey made the world seem a place with infinite unlimited potentialSamuel Taylor Coleridge A Walking Tour of Cumbria
In August 1802 Samuel Taylor Coleridge set out from his home at Greta Hall Keswick for aweekrsquos solo walkingshytour in the nearby Cumbrian mountains He kept detailed notes of thelandscape around him drawing rough sketches and maps These notes and sketches are inNotebook No 2 one of 64 notebooks Coleridge kept between 1794 and his death
Free from known copyright restrictionsA key idea in Romantic poetry is the concept of the sublime This term conveysthe feelings people experience when they see awesome landscapes or findthemselves in extreme situations which elicit both fear and admiration Forexample Shelley described his reaction to stunning overwhelming scenery inthe poem lsquoMont Blancrsquo (1816)Burkes A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of ourIdeas of the Sublime and Beautiful
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 612
In this 1757 essay the philosopher Edmund Burke discusses the attraction of the immense theterrible and the uncontrollable The work had a profound influence on the Romantic poets
Free from known copyright restrictionsThe secondshygeneration RomanticsBlake Wordsworth and Coleridge were firstshygeneration Romantics writingagainst a backdrop of war Wordsworth however became increasinglyconservative in his outlook indeed secondshygeneration Romantics such asByron Shelley and Keats felt that he had lsquosold outrsquo to the Establishment In thesuppressed Dedication to Don Juan (1819shy1824) Byron criticised the PoetLaureate Robert Southey and the other lsquoLakersrsquo Wordsworth and Coleridge(all three lived in the Lake District) Byron also vented his spleen on the EnglishForeign Secretary Viscount Castlereagh denouncing him as an lsquointellectualeunuchrsquo a lsquobunglerrsquo and a lsquotinkering slavemakerrsquo (stanzas 11 and 14) Althoughthe Romantics stressed the importance of the individual they also advocated acommitment to mankind Byron became actively involved in the struggles forItalian nationalism and the liberation of Greece from Ottoman ruleNotorious for his sexual exploits and dogged by debt and scandal Byron quitted Britain in 1816Lady Caroline Lamb famously declared that he was lsquoMad bad and dangerous to knowrsquo Similaraccusations were pointed at Shelley Nicknamed lsquoMad Shelleyrsquo at Eton he was sent down fromOxford for advocating atheism He antagonised the Establishment further by his criticism of themonarchy and by his immoral lifestyle
Letter from Lord Byron about his memoirs 1819
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 712
In this letter to his publisher John Murray Byron notes the poor reception of the first two cantosof Don Juan but states that he has written a hundred stanzas of a third canto He also statesthat he is leaving his memoirs to his friend George Moore to be read after his death but that thistext does not include details of his love affairs
Copyright copy GG Byron
Female poetsFemale poets also contributed to the Romantic movement but their strategiestended to be more subtle and less controversial Although Dorothy Wordsworth(1771shy1855) was modest about her writing abilities she produced poems of herown and her journals and travel narratives certainly provided inspiration for herbrother Women were generally limited in their prospects and many foundthemselves confined to the domestic sphere nevertheless they did manage toexpress or intimate their concerns For example Mary Alcock (c 1742shy1798)penned lsquoThe Chimney Sweeperrsquos Complaintrsquo In lsquoThe BirthshyDayrsquo Mary Robinson(1758shy1800) highlighted the enormous discrepancy between life for the rich andthe poor Gender issues were foregrounded in lsquoIndian Womanrsquos Death Songrsquo byFelicia Hemans (1793shy1835)The GothicReaction against the Enlightenment was reflected in the rise of the Gothicnovel The most popular and wellshypaid 18thshycentury novelist Ann Radcliffe(1764ndash1823) specialised in lsquothe hobgoblinshyromancersquo Her fiction held particularappeal for frustrated middleshyclass women who experienced a vicarious frissonof excitement when they read about heroines venturing into aweshyinspiringlandscapes She was dubbed lsquoMother Radcliffersquo by Keats because she hadsuch an influence on Romantic poets The Gothic genre contributed toColeridgersquos Christabel (1816) and Keatsrsquos lsquoLa Belle Dame Sans Mercirsquo (1819)Mary Shelley (1797shy1851) blended realist Gothic and Romantic elements toproduce her masterpiece Frankenstein (1818) in which a number of Romantic
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 812
aspects can be identified She quotes from Coleridgersquos Romantic poem TheRime of the Ancyent Marinere In the third chapter Frankenstein refers to hisscientific endeavours being driven by his imagination The book raises worryingquestions about the possibility of lsquoregeneratingrsquo mankind but at several pointsthe world of nature provides inspiration and solaceThe Mysteries of Udolpho
The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) by Ann Radcliffe was one of the most popular and influentialGothic novels of the late 18th century
Free from known copyright restrictionsThe Byronic heroRomanticism set a trend for some literary stereotypes Byronrsquos Childe Harold(1812shy1818) described the wanderings of a young man disillusioned with hisempty way of life The melancholy dark brooding rebellious lsquoByronic herorsquo asolitary wanderer seemed to represent a generation and the image lingeredThe figure became a kind of role model for youngsters men regarded him aslsquocoolrsquo and women found him enticing Byron died young in 1824 aftercontracting a fever This added to the lsquoappealrsquo Subsequently a number ofcomplex and intriguing heroes appeared in novels for example Heathcliff inEmily Bronteumlrsquos Wuthering Heights and Edward Rochester in Charlotte BronteumlrsquosJane Eyre (both published in 1847)Illustrations to Wuthering Heights by Clare Leighton
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 912
The Byronic hero influenced Emily Bronteumls portrayal of Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights This1931 edition of Bronteumls novel is illustrated with wood engravings by Clare Leighton
Some rights reservedCopyright copy By arrangement with the Estate of Clare Leighton
ContrariesRomanticism offered a new way of looking at the world prioritising imagination above reasonThere was however a tension at times in the writings as the poets tried to face up to lifersquosseeming contradictions Blake published Songs of Innocence and of Experience Shewing theTwo Contrary States of the Human Soul [httpwwwblukworkssongsshyofshyinnocenceshyandshyexperience](1794) Here we find two different perspectives on religion in lsquoThe Lambrsquo and lsquoTheTygerrsquo The simple vocabulary and form of lsquoThe Lambrsquo suggest that God is the beneficent lovingGood Shepherd In stark contrast the creator depicted in lsquoThe Tygerrsquo is a powerful blacksmithfigure The speaker is stunned by the exotic frightening animal posing the rhetorical questionlsquoDid he who made the Lamb make theersquo In The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1790shy1793) Blakeasserted lsquoWithout contraries is no progressionrsquo (stanza 8)
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell by William Blake
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1012
In The Marriage of Heaven and Hell William Blake explores ideas of contraries which alsofeature in Songs of Innocence and of Experience
Free from known copyright restrictionsWordsworthrsquos lsquoTintern Abbeyrsquo (1798) juxtaposed moments of celebration andoptimism with lamentation and regret Keats thought in terms of an oppositionbetween the imagination and the intellect In a letter to his brothers inDecember 1817 he explained what he meant by the term lsquoNegative Capabilityrsquolsquothat is when a man is capable of being in uncertainties Mysteries doubtswithout any irritable reaching after fact and reasonrsquo (22 December) Keatssuggested that it is impossible for us to find answers to the eternal questions weall have about human existence Instead our feelings and imaginations enableus to recognise Beauty and it is Beauty that helps us through lifersquos bleakmoments Life involves a delicate balance between times of pleasure and painThe individual has to learn to accept both aspects lsquoldquoBeauty is truth truthbeautyrdquo ndash that is allYe know on earth and all ye need to knowrsquo (lsquoOde on aGrecian Urnrsquo [1819])Manuscript of lsquoOde on a Grecian Urnrsquo by John Keats
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1112
Written by Stephanie ForwardDr Stephanie Forward is an Associate Lecturer with the Open University She specializes inEnglish Literature and has been involved in two important collaborative projects between theOpen University and the BBCThe Big Read and the television series The Romantics Stephaniehas an extensive publications record She also edited the anthology Dreams Visions andRealities coshyedited (with Ann Heilmann) Sex Social Purity and Sarah Grand and penned thescript for the CD Blenheim Palace The Churchills and their PalaceThe text in this article is available under the Creative Commons License[httpcreativecommonsorglicensesbyshync40]
Romantics and VictoriansAuthorsWorksThemesArticlesVideosCollection items
lsquoOde on a Grecian Urnrsquo from a manuscript copy believed to be in the hand of George Keats thepoets brother
Free from known copyright restrictionsThe premature deaths of Byron Shelley and Keats contributed to theirmystique As time passed they attained iconic status inspiring others to maketheir voices heard The Romantic poets continue to exert a powerful influenceon popular culture Generations have been inspired by their promotion of selfshyexpression emotional intensity personal freedom and social concernFootnotes[1] Percy Bysshe Shelley Shelleyrsquos poetry and prose authoritative texts criticisms ed byDonald H Reiman and Sharon B Powers (New York London Norton c1977) p485
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1212
Teaching resourcesAbout the projectSupported by
Desktop siteMobile siteTerms of useAbout the British LibraryPrivacyCookiesAccessibilityContact usAll text is copy British Library Board and is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence[httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40] except where otherwise stated
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 512
Free from known copyright restrictionsChildren nature and the sublimeFor the world to be regenerated the Romantics said that it was necessary tostart all over again with a childlike perspective They believed that children werespecial because they were innocent and uncorrupted enjoying a preciousaffinity with nature Romantic verse was suffused with reverence for the naturalworld In Coleridgersquos lsquoFrost at Midnightrsquo (1798) the poet hailed nature as thelsquoGreat universal Teacherrsquo Recalling his unhappy times at Christrsquos HospitalSchool in London he explained his aspirations for his son Hartley who wouldhave the freedom to enjoy his childhood and appreciate his surroundings TheRomantics were inspired by the environment and encouraged people toventure into new territories ndash both literally and metaphorically In their writingsthey made the world seem a place with infinite unlimited potentialSamuel Taylor Coleridge A Walking Tour of Cumbria
In August 1802 Samuel Taylor Coleridge set out from his home at Greta Hall Keswick for aweekrsquos solo walkingshytour in the nearby Cumbrian mountains He kept detailed notes of thelandscape around him drawing rough sketches and maps These notes and sketches are inNotebook No 2 one of 64 notebooks Coleridge kept between 1794 and his death
Free from known copyright restrictionsA key idea in Romantic poetry is the concept of the sublime This term conveysthe feelings people experience when they see awesome landscapes or findthemselves in extreme situations which elicit both fear and admiration Forexample Shelley described his reaction to stunning overwhelming scenery inthe poem lsquoMont Blancrsquo (1816)Burkes A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of ourIdeas of the Sublime and Beautiful
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 612
In this 1757 essay the philosopher Edmund Burke discusses the attraction of the immense theterrible and the uncontrollable The work had a profound influence on the Romantic poets
Free from known copyright restrictionsThe secondshygeneration RomanticsBlake Wordsworth and Coleridge were firstshygeneration Romantics writingagainst a backdrop of war Wordsworth however became increasinglyconservative in his outlook indeed secondshygeneration Romantics such asByron Shelley and Keats felt that he had lsquosold outrsquo to the Establishment In thesuppressed Dedication to Don Juan (1819shy1824) Byron criticised the PoetLaureate Robert Southey and the other lsquoLakersrsquo Wordsworth and Coleridge(all three lived in the Lake District) Byron also vented his spleen on the EnglishForeign Secretary Viscount Castlereagh denouncing him as an lsquointellectualeunuchrsquo a lsquobunglerrsquo and a lsquotinkering slavemakerrsquo (stanzas 11 and 14) Althoughthe Romantics stressed the importance of the individual they also advocated acommitment to mankind Byron became actively involved in the struggles forItalian nationalism and the liberation of Greece from Ottoman ruleNotorious for his sexual exploits and dogged by debt and scandal Byron quitted Britain in 1816Lady Caroline Lamb famously declared that he was lsquoMad bad and dangerous to knowrsquo Similaraccusations were pointed at Shelley Nicknamed lsquoMad Shelleyrsquo at Eton he was sent down fromOxford for advocating atheism He antagonised the Establishment further by his criticism of themonarchy and by his immoral lifestyle
Letter from Lord Byron about his memoirs 1819
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 712
In this letter to his publisher John Murray Byron notes the poor reception of the first two cantosof Don Juan but states that he has written a hundred stanzas of a third canto He also statesthat he is leaving his memoirs to his friend George Moore to be read after his death but that thistext does not include details of his love affairs
Copyright copy GG Byron
Female poetsFemale poets also contributed to the Romantic movement but their strategiestended to be more subtle and less controversial Although Dorothy Wordsworth(1771shy1855) was modest about her writing abilities she produced poems of herown and her journals and travel narratives certainly provided inspiration for herbrother Women were generally limited in their prospects and many foundthemselves confined to the domestic sphere nevertheless they did manage toexpress or intimate their concerns For example Mary Alcock (c 1742shy1798)penned lsquoThe Chimney Sweeperrsquos Complaintrsquo In lsquoThe BirthshyDayrsquo Mary Robinson(1758shy1800) highlighted the enormous discrepancy between life for the rich andthe poor Gender issues were foregrounded in lsquoIndian Womanrsquos Death Songrsquo byFelicia Hemans (1793shy1835)The GothicReaction against the Enlightenment was reflected in the rise of the Gothicnovel The most popular and wellshypaid 18thshycentury novelist Ann Radcliffe(1764ndash1823) specialised in lsquothe hobgoblinshyromancersquo Her fiction held particularappeal for frustrated middleshyclass women who experienced a vicarious frissonof excitement when they read about heroines venturing into aweshyinspiringlandscapes She was dubbed lsquoMother Radcliffersquo by Keats because she hadsuch an influence on Romantic poets The Gothic genre contributed toColeridgersquos Christabel (1816) and Keatsrsquos lsquoLa Belle Dame Sans Mercirsquo (1819)Mary Shelley (1797shy1851) blended realist Gothic and Romantic elements toproduce her masterpiece Frankenstein (1818) in which a number of Romantic
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 812
aspects can be identified She quotes from Coleridgersquos Romantic poem TheRime of the Ancyent Marinere In the third chapter Frankenstein refers to hisscientific endeavours being driven by his imagination The book raises worryingquestions about the possibility of lsquoregeneratingrsquo mankind but at several pointsthe world of nature provides inspiration and solaceThe Mysteries of Udolpho
The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) by Ann Radcliffe was one of the most popular and influentialGothic novels of the late 18th century
Free from known copyright restrictionsThe Byronic heroRomanticism set a trend for some literary stereotypes Byronrsquos Childe Harold(1812shy1818) described the wanderings of a young man disillusioned with hisempty way of life The melancholy dark brooding rebellious lsquoByronic herorsquo asolitary wanderer seemed to represent a generation and the image lingeredThe figure became a kind of role model for youngsters men regarded him aslsquocoolrsquo and women found him enticing Byron died young in 1824 aftercontracting a fever This added to the lsquoappealrsquo Subsequently a number ofcomplex and intriguing heroes appeared in novels for example Heathcliff inEmily Bronteumlrsquos Wuthering Heights and Edward Rochester in Charlotte BronteumlrsquosJane Eyre (both published in 1847)Illustrations to Wuthering Heights by Clare Leighton
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 912
The Byronic hero influenced Emily Bronteumls portrayal of Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights This1931 edition of Bronteumls novel is illustrated with wood engravings by Clare Leighton
Some rights reservedCopyright copy By arrangement with the Estate of Clare Leighton
ContrariesRomanticism offered a new way of looking at the world prioritising imagination above reasonThere was however a tension at times in the writings as the poets tried to face up to lifersquosseeming contradictions Blake published Songs of Innocence and of Experience Shewing theTwo Contrary States of the Human Soul [httpwwwblukworkssongsshyofshyinnocenceshyandshyexperience](1794) Here we find two different perspectives on religion in lsquoThe Lambrsquo and lsquoTheTygerrsquo The simple vocabulary and form of lsquoThe Lambrsquo suggest that God is the beneficent lovingGood Shepherd In stark contrast the creator depicted in lsquoThe Tygerrsquo is a powerful blacksmithfigure The speaker is stunned by the exotic frightening animal posing the rhetorical questionlsquoDid he who made the Lamb make theersquo In The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1790shy1793) Blakeasserted lsquoWithout contraries is no progressionrsquo (stanza 8)
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell by William Blake
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1012
In The Marriage of Heaven and Hell William Blake explores ideas of contraries which alsofeature in Songs of Innocence and of Experience
Free from known copyright restrictionsWordsworthrsquos lsquoTintern Abbeyrsquo (1798) juxtaposed moments of celebration andoptimism with lamentation and regret Keats thought in terms of an oppositionbetween the imagination and the intellect In a letter to his brothers inDecember 1817 he explained what he meant by the term lsquoNegative Capabilityrsquolsquothat is when a man is capable of being in uncertainties Mysteries doubtswithout any irritable reaching after fact and reasonrsquo (22 December) Keatssuggested that it is impossible for us to find answers to the eternal questions weall have about human existence Instead our feelings and imaginations enableus to recognise Beauty and it is Beauty that helps us through lifersquos bleakmoments Life involves a delicate balance between times of pleasure and painThe individual has to learn to accept both aspects lsquoldquoBeauty is truth truthbeautyrdquo ndash that is allYe know on earth and all ye need to knowrsquo (lsquoOde on aGrecian Urnrsquo [1819])Manuscript of lsquoOde on a Grecian Urnrsquo by John Keats
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1112
Written by Stephanie ForwardDr Stephanie Forward is an Associate Lecturer with the Open University She specializes inEnglish Literature and has been involved in two important collaborative projects between theOpen University and the BBCThe Big Read and the television series The Romantics Stephaniehas an extensive publications record She also edited the anthology Dreams Visions andRealities coshyedited (with Ann Heilmann) Sex Social Purity and Sarah Grand and penned thescript for the CD Blenheim Palace The Churchills and their PalaceThe text in this article is available under the Creative Commons License[httpcreativecommonsorglicensesbyshync40]
Romantics and VictoriansAuthorsWorksThemesArticlesVideosCollection items
lsquoOde on a Grecian Urnrsquo from a manuscript copy believed to be in the hand of George Keats thepoets brother
Free from known copyright restrictionsThe premature deaths of Byron Shelley and Keats contributed to theirmystique As time passed they attained iconic status inspiring others to maketheir voices heard The Romantic poets continue to exert a powerful influenceon popular culture Generations have been inspired by their promotion of selfshyexpression emotional intensity personal freedom and social concernFootnotes[1] Percy Bysshe Shelley Shelleyrsquos poetry and prose authoritative texts criticisms ed byDonald H Reiman and Sharon B Powers (New York London Norton c1977) p485
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1212
Teaching resourcesAbout the projectSupported by
Desktop siteMobile siteTerms of useAbout the British LibraryPrivacyCookiesAccessibilityContact usAll text is copy British Library Board and is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence[httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40] except where otherwise stated
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 612
In this 1757 essay the philosopher Edmund Burke discusses the attraction of the immense theterrible and the uncontrollable The work had a profound influence on the Romantic poets
Free from known copyright restrictionsThe secondshygeneration RomanticsBlake Wordsworth and Coleridge were firstshygeneration Romantics writingagainst a backdrop of war Wordsworth however became increasinglyconservative in his outlook indeed secondshygeneration Romantics such asByron Shelley and Keats felt that he had lsquosold outrsquo to the Establishment In thesuppressed Dedication to Don Juan (1819shy1824) Byron criticised the PoetLaureate Robert Southey and the other lsquoLakersrsquo Wordsworth and Coleridge(all three lived in the Lake District) Byron also vented his spleen on the EnglishForeign Secretary Viscount Castlereagh denouncing him as an lsquointellectualeunuchrsquo a lsquobunglerrsquo and a lsquotinkering slavemakerrsquo (stanzas 11 and 14) Althoughthe Romantics stressed the importance of the individual they also advocated acommitment to mankind Byron became actively involved in the struggles forItalian nationalism and the liberation of Greece from Ottoman ruleNotorious for his sexual exploits and dogged by debt and scandal Byron quitted Britain in 1816Lady Caroline Lamb famously declared that he was lsquoMad bad and dangerous to knowrsquo Similaraccusations were pointed at Shelley Nicknamed lsquoMad Shelleyrsquo at Eton he was sent down fromOxford for advocating atheism He antagonised the Establishment further by his criticism of themonarchy and by his immoral lifestyle
Letter from Lord Byron about his memoirs 1819
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 712
In this letter to his publisher John Murray Byron notes the poor reception of the first two cantosof Don Juan but states that he has written a hundred stanzas of a third canto He also statesthat he is leaving his memoirs to his friend George Moore to be read after his death but that thistext does not include details of his love affairs
Copyright copy GG Byron
Female poetsFemale poets also contributed to the Romantic movement but their strategiestended to be more subtle and less controversial Although Dorothy Wordsworth(1771shy1855) was modest about her writing abilities she produced poems of herown and her journals and travel narratives certainly provided inspiration for herbrother Women were generally limited in their prospects and many foundthemselves confined to the domestic sphere nevertheless they did manage toexpress or intimate their concerns For example Mary Alcock (c 1742shy1798)penned lsquoThe Chimney Sweeperrsquos Complaintrsquo In lsquoThe BirthshyDayrsquo Mary Robinson(1758shy1800) highlighted the enormous discrepancy between life for the rich andthe poor Gender issues were foregrounded in lsquoIndian Womanrsquos Death Songrsquo byFelicia Hemans (1793shy1835)The GothicReaction against the Enlightenment was reflected in the rise of the Gothicnovel The most popular and wellshypaid 18thshycentury novelist Ann Radcliffe(1764ndash1823) specialised in lsquothe hobgoblinshyromancersquo Her fiction held particularappeal for frustrated middleshyclass women who experienced a vicarious frissonof excitement when they read about heroines venturing into aweshyinspiringlandscapes She was dubbed lsquoMother Radcliffersquo by Keats because she hadsuch an influence on Romantic poets The Gothic genre contributed toColeridgersquos Christabel (1816) and Keatsrsquos lsquoLa Belle Dame Sans Mercirsquo (1819)Mary Shelley (1797shy1851) blended realist Gothic and Romantic elements toproduce her masterpiece Frankenstein (1818) in which a number of Romantic
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 812
aspects can be identified She quotes from Coleridgersquos Romantic poem TheRime of the Ancyent Marinere In the third chapter Frankenstein refers to hisscientific endeavours being driven by his imagination The book raises worryingquestions about the possibility of lsquoregeneratingrsquo mankind but at several pointsthe world of nature provides inspiration and solaceThe Mysteries of Udolpho
The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) by Ann Radcliffe was one of the most popular and influentialGothic novels of the late 18th century
Free from known copyright restrictionsThe Byronic heroRomanticism set a trend for some literary stereotypes Byronrsquos Childe Harold(1812shy1818) described the wanderings of a young man disillusioned with hisempty way of life The melancholy dark brooding rebellious lsquoByronic herorsquo asolitary wanderer seemed to represent a generation and the image lingeredThe figure became a kind of role model for youngsters men regarded him aslsquocoolrsquo and women found him enticing Byron died young in 1824 aftercontracting a fever This added to the lsquoappealrsquo Subsequently a number ofcomplex and intriguing heroes appeared in novels for example Heathcliff inEmily Bronteumlrsquos Wuthering Heights and Edward Rochester in Charlotte BronteumlrsquosJane Eyre (both published in 1847)Illustrations to Wuthering Heights by Clare Leighton
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 912
The Byronic hero influenced Emily Bronteumls portrayal of Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights This1931 edition of Bronteumls novel is illustrated with wood engravings by Clare Leighton
Some rights reservedCopyright copy By arrangement with the Estate of Clare Leighton
ContrariesRomanticism offered a new way of looking at the world prioritising imagination above reasonThere was however a tension at times in the writings as the poets tried to face up to lifersquosseeming contradictions Blake published Songs of Innocence and of Experience Shewing theTwo Contrary States of the Human Soul [httpwwwblukworkssongsshyofshyinnocenceshyandshyexperience](1794) Here we find two different perspectives on religion in lsquoThe Lambrsquo and lsquoTheTygerrsquo The simple vocabulary and form of lsquoThe Lambrsquo suggest that God is the beneficent lovingGood Shepherd In stark contrast the creator depicted in lsquoThe Tygerrsquo is a powerful blacksmithfigure The speaker is stunned by the exotic frightening animal posing the rhetorical questionlsquoDid he who made the Lamb make theersquo In The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1790shy1793) Blakeasserted lsquoWithout contraries is no progressionrsquo (stanza 8)
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell by William Blake
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1012
In The Marriage of Heaven and Hell William Blake explores ideas of contraries which alsofeature in Songs of Innocence and of Experience
Free from known copyright restrictionsWordsworthrsquos lsquoTintern Abbeyrsquo (1798) juxtaposed moments of celebration andoptimism with lamentation and regret Keats thought in terms of an oppositionbetween the imagination and the intellect In a letter to his brothers inDecember 1817 he explained what he meant by the term lsquoNegative Capabilityrsquolsquothat is when a man is capable of being in uncertainties Mysteries doubtswithout any irritable reaching after fact and reasonrsquo (22 December) Keatssuggested that it is impossible for us to find answers to the eternal questions weall have about human existence Instead our feelings and imaginations enableus to recognise Beauty and it is Beauty that helps us through lifersquos bleakmoments Life involves a delicate balance between times of pleasure and painThe individual has to learn to accept both aspects lsquoldquoBeauty is truth truthbeautyrdquo ndash that is allYe know on earth and all ye need to knowrsquo (lsquoOde on aGrecian Urnrsquo [1819])Manuscript of lsquoOde on a Grecian Urnrsquo by John Keats
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1112
Written by Stephanie ForwardDr Stephanie Forward is an Associate Lecturer with the Open University She specializes inEnglish Literature and has been involved in two important collaborative projects between theOpen University and the BBCThe Big Read and the television series The Romantics Stephaniehas an extensive publications record She also edited the anthology Dreams Visions andRealities coshyedited (with Ann Heilmann) Sex Social Purity and Sarah Grand and penned thescript for the CD Blenheim Palace The Churchills and their PalaceThe text in this article is available under the Creative Commons License[httpcreativecommonsorglicensesbyshync40]
Romantics and VictoriansAuthorsWorksThemesArticlesVideosCollection items
lsquoOde on a Grecian Urnrsquo from a manuscript copy believed to be in the hand of George Keats thepoets brother
Free from known copyright restrictionsThe premature deaths of Byron Shelley and Keats contributed to theirmystique As time passed they attained iconic status inspiring others to maketheir voices heard The Romantic poets continue to exert a powerful influenceon popular culture Generations have been inspired by their promotion of selfshyexpression emotional intensity personal freedom and social concernFootnotes[1] Percy Bysshe Shelley Shelleyrsquos poetry and prose authoritative texts criticisms ed byDonald H Reiman and Sharon B Powers (New York London Norton c1977) p485
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1212
Teaching resourcesAbout the projectSupported by
Desktop siteMobile siteTerms of useAbout the British LibraryPrivacyCookiesAccessibilityContact usAll text is copy British Library Board and is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence[httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40] except where otherwise stated
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 712
In this letter to his publisher John Murray Byron notes the poor reception of the first two cantosof Don Juan but states that he has written a hundred stanzas of a third canto He also statesthat he is leaving his memoirs to his friend George Moore to be read after his death but that thistext does not include details of his love affairs
Copyright copy GG Byron
Female poetsFemale poets also contributed to the Romantic movement but their strategiestended to be more subtle and less controversial Although Dorothy Wordsworth(1771shy1855) was modest about her writing abilities she produced poems of herown and her journals and travel narratives certainly provided inspiration for herbrother Women were generally limited in their prospects and many foundthemselves confined to the domestic sphere nevertheless they did manage toexpress or intimate their concerns For example Mary Alcock (c 1742shy1798)penned lsquoThe Chimney Sweeperrsquos Complaintrsquo In lsquoThe BirthshyDayrsquo Mary Robinson(1758shy1800) highlighted the enormous discrepancy between life for the rich andthe poor Gender issues were foregrounded in lsquoIndian Womanrsquos Death Songrsquo byFelicia Hemans (1793shy1835)The GothicReaction against the Enlightenment was reflected in the rise of the Gothicnovel The most popular and wellshypaid 18thshycentury novelist Ann Radcliffe(1764ndash1823) specialised in lsquothe hobgoblinshyromancersquo Her fiction held particularappeal for frustrated middleshyclass women who experienced a vicarious frissonof excitement when they read about heroines venturing into aweshyinspiringlandscapes She was dubbed lsquoMother Radcliffersquo by Keats because she hadsuch an influence on Romantic poets The Gothic genre contributed toColeridgersquos Christabel (1816) and Keatsrsquos lsquoLa Belle Dame Sans Mercirsquo (1819)Mary Shelley (1797shy1851) blended realist Gothic and Romantic elements toproduce her masterpiece Frankenstein (1818) in which a number of Romantic
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 812
aspects can be identified She quotes from Coleridgersquos Romantic poem TheRime of the Ancyent Marinere In the third chapter Frankenstein refers to hisscientific endeavours being driven by his imagination The book raises worryingquestions about the possibility of lsquoregeneratingrsquo mankind but at several pointsthe world of nature provides inspiration and solaceThe Mysteries of Udolpho
The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) by Ann Radcliffe was one of the most popular and influentialGothic novels of the late 18th century
Free from known copyright restrictionsThe Byronic heroRomanticism set a trend for some literary stereotypes Byronrsquos Childe Harold(1812shy1818) described the wanderings of a young man disillusioned with hisempty way of life The melancholy dark brooding rebellious lsquoByronic herorsquo asolitary wanderer seemed to represent a generation and the image lingeredThe figure became a kind of role model for youngsters men regarded him aslsquocoolrsquo and women found him enticing Byron died young in 1824 aftercontracting a fever This added to the lsquoappealrsquo Subsequently a number ofcomplex and intriguing heroes appeared in novels for example Heathcliff inEmily Bronteumlrsquos Wuthering Heights and Edward Rochester in Charlotte BronteumlrsquosJane Eyre (both published in 1847)Illustrations to Wuthering Heights by Clare Leighton
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 912
The Byronic hero influenced Emily Bronteumls portrayal of Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights This1931 edition of Bronteumls novel is illustrated with wood engravings by Clare Leighton
Some rights reservedCopyright copy By arrangement with the Estate of Clare Leighton
ContrariesRomanticism offered a new way of looking at the world prioritising imagination above reasonThere was however a tension at times in the writings as the poets tried to face up to lifersquosseeming contradictions Blake published Songs of Innocence and of Experience Shewing theTwo Contrary States of the Human Soul [httpwwwblukworkssongsshyofshyinnocenceshyandshyexperience](1794) Here we find two different perspectives on religion in lsquoThe Lambrsquo and lsquoTheTygerrsquo The simple vocabulary and form of lsquoThe Lambrsquo suggest that God is the beneficent lovingGood Shepherd In stark contrast the creator depicted in lsquoThe Tygerrsquo is a powerful blacksmithfigure The speaker is stunned by the exotic frightening animal posing the rhetorical questionlsquoDid he who made the Lamb make theersquo In The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1790shy1793) Blakeasserted lsquoWithout contraries is no progressionrsquo (stanza 8)
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell by William Blake
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1012
In The Marriage of Heaven and Hell William Blake explores ideas of contraries which alsofeature in Songs of Innocence and of Experience
Free from known copyright restrictionsWordsworthrsquos lsquoTintern Abbeyrsquo (1798) juxtaposed moments of celebration andoptimism with lamentation and regret Keats thought in terms of an oppositionbetween the imagination and the intellect In a letter to his brothers inDecember 1817 he explained what he meant by the term lsquoNegative Capabilityrsquolsquothat is when a man is capable of being in uncertainties Mysteries doubtswithout any irritable reaching after fact and reasonrsquo (22 December) Keatssuggested that it is impossible for us to find answers to the eternal questions weall have about human existence Instead our feelings and imaginations enableus to recognise Beauty and it is Beauty that helps us through lifersquos bleakmoments Life involves a delicate balance between times of pleasure and painThe individual has to learn to accept both aspects lsquoldquoBeauty is truth truthbeautyrdquo ndash that is allYe know on earth and all ye need to knowrsquo (lsquoOde on aGrecian Urnrsquo [1819])Manuscript of lsquoOde on a Grecian Urnrsquo by John Keats
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1112
Written by Stephanie ForwardDr Stephanie Forward is an Associate Lecturer with the Open University She specializes inEnglish Literature and has been involved in two important collaborative projects between theOpen University and the BBCThe Big Read and the television series The Romantics Stephaniehas an extensive publications record She also edited the anthology Dreams Visions andRealities coshyedited (with Ann Heilmann) Sex Social Purity and Sarah Grand and penned thescript for the CD Blenheim Palace The Churchills and their PalaceThe text in this article is available under the Creative Commons License[httpcreativecommonsorglicensesbyshync40]
Romantics and VictoriansAuthorsWorksThemesArticlesVideosCollection items
lsquoOde on a Grecian Urnrsquo from a manuscript copy believed to be in the hand of George Keats thepoets brother
Free from known copyright restrictionsThe premature deaths of Byron Shelley and Keats contributed to theirmystique As time passed they attained iconic status inspiring others to maketheir voices heard The Romantic poets continue to exert a powerful influenceon popular culture Generations have been inspired by their promotion of selfshyexpression emotional intensity personal freedom and social concernFootnotes[1] Percy Bysshe Shelley Shelleyrsquos poetry and prose authoritative texts criticisms ed byDonald H Reiman and Sharon B Powers (New York London Norton c1977) p485
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1212
Teaching resourcesAbout the projectSupported by
Desktop siteMobile siteTerms of useAbout the British LibraryPrivacyCookiesAccessibilityContact usAll text is copy British Library Board and is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence[httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40] except where otherwise stated
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 812
aspects can be identified She quotes from Coleridgersquos Romantic poem TheRime of the Ancyent Marinere In the third chapter Frankenstein refers to hisscientific endeavours being driven by his imagination The book raises worryingquestions about the possibility of lsquoregeneratingrsquo mankind but at several pointsthe world of nature provides inspiration and solaceThe Mysteries of Udolpho
The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) by Ann Radcliffe was one of the most popular and influentialGothic novels of the late 18th century
Free from known copyright restrictionsThe Byronic heroRomanticism set a trend for some literary stereotypes Byronrsquos Childe Harold(1812shy1818) described the wanderings of a young man disillusioned with hisempty way of life The melancholy dark brooding rebellious lsquoByronic herorsquo asolitary wanderer seemed to represent a generation and the image lingeredThe figure became a kind of role model for youngsters men regarded him aslsquocoolrsquo and women found him enticing Byron died young in 1824 aftercontracting a fever This added to the lsquoappealrsquo Subsequently a number ofcomplex and intriguing heroes appeared in novels for example Heathcliff inEmily Bronteumlrsquos Wuthering Heights and Edward Rochester in Charlotte BronteumlrsquosJane Eyre (both published in 1847)Illustrations to Wuthering Heights by Clare Leighton
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 912
The Byronic hero influenced Emily Bronteumls portrayal of Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights This1931 edition of Bronteumls novel is illustrated with wood engravings by Clare Leighton
Some rights reservedCopyright copy By arrangement with the Estate of Clare Leighton
ContrariesRomanticism offered a new way of looking at the world prioritising imagination above reasonThere was however a tension at times in the writings as the poets tried to face up to lifersquosseeming contradictions Blake published Songs of Innocence and of Experience Shewing theTwo Contrary States of the Human Soul [httpwwwblukworkssongsshyofshyinnocenceshyandshyexperience](1794) Here we find two different perspectives on religion in lsquoThe Lambrsquo and lsquoTheTygerrsquo The simple vocabulary and form of lsquoThe Lambrsquo suggest that God is the beneficent lovingGood Shepherd In stark contrast the creator depicted in lsquoThe Tygerrsquo is a powerful blacksmithfigure The speaker is stunned by the exotic frightening animal posing the rhetorical questionlsquoDid he who made the Lamb make theersquo In The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1790shy1793) Blakeasserted lsquoWithout contraries is no progressionrsquo (stanza 8)
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell by William Blake
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1012
In The Marriage of Heaven and Hell William Blake explores ideas of contraries which alsofeature in Songs of Innocence and of Experience
Free from known copyright restrictionsWordsworthrsquos lsquoTintern Abbeyrsquo (1798) juxtaposed moments of celebration andoptimism with lamentation and regret Keats thought in terms of an oppositionbetween the imagination and the intellect In a letter to his brothers inDecember 1817 he explained what he meant by the term lsquoNegative Capabilityrsquolsquothat is when a man is capable of being in uncertainties Mysteries doubtswithout any irritable reaching after fact and reasonrsquo (22 December) Keatssuggested that it is impossible for us to find answers to the eternal questions weall have about human existence Instead our feelings and imaginations enableus to recognise Beauty and it is Beauty that helps us through lifersquos bleakmoments Life involves a delicate balance between times of pleasure and painThe individual has to learn to accept both aspects lsquoldquoBeauty is truth truthbeautyrdquo ndash that is allYe know on earth and all ye need to knowrsquo (lsquoOde on aGrecian Urnrsquo [1819])Manuscript of lsquoOde on a Grecian Urnrsquo by John Keats
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1112
Written by Stephanie ForwardDr Stephanie Forward is an Associate Lecturer with the Open University She specializes inEnglish Literature and has been involved in two important collaborative projects between theOpen University and the BBCThe Big Read and the television series The Romantics Stephaniehas an extensive publications record She also edited the anthology Dreams Visions andRealities coshyedited (with Ann Heilmann) Sex Social Purity and Sarah Grand and penned thescript for the CD Blenheim Palace The Churchills and their PalaceThe text in this article is available under the Creative Commons License[httpcreativecommonsorglicensesbyshync40]
Romantics and VictoriansAuthorsWorksThemesArticlesVideosCollection items
lsquoOde on a Grecian Urnrsquo from a manuscript copy believed to be in the hand of George Keats thepoets brother
Free from known copyright restrictionsThe premature deaths of Byron Shelley and Keats contributed to theirmystique As time passed they attained iconic status inspiring others to maketheir voices heard The Romantic poets continue to exert a powerful influenceon popular culture Generations have been inspired by their promotion of selfshyexpression emotional intensity personal freedom and social concernFootnotes[1] Percy Bysshe Shelley Shelleyrsquos poetry and prose authoritative texts criticisms ed byDonald H Reiman and Sharon B Powers (New York London Norton c1977) p485
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1212
Teaching resourcesAbout the projectSupported by
Desktop siteMobile siteTerms of useAbout the British LibraryPrivacyCookiesAccessibilityContact usAll text is copy British Library Board and is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence[httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40] except where otherwise stated
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 912
The Byronic hero influenced Emily Bronteumls portrayal of Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights This1931 edition of Bronteumls novel is illustrated with wood engravings by Clare Leighton
Some rights reservedCopyright copy By arrangement with the Estate of Clare Leighton
ContrariesRomanticism offered a new way of looking at the world prioritising imagination above reasonThere was however a tension at times in the writings as the poets tried to face up to lifersquosseeming contradictions Blake published Songs of Innocence and of Experience Shewing theTwo Contrary States of the Human Soul [httpwwwblukworkssongsshyofshyinnocenceshyandshyexperience](1794) Here we find two different perspectives on religion in lsquoThe Lambrsquo and lsquoTheTygerrsquo The simple vocabulary and form of lsquoThe Lambrsquo suggest that God is the beneficent lovingGood Shepherd In stark contrast the creator depicted in lsquoThe Tygerrsquo is a powerful blacksmithfigure The speaker is stunned by the exotic frightening animal posing the rhetorical questionlsquoDid he who made the Lamb make theersquo In The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1790shy1793) Blakeasserted lsquoWithout contraries is no progressionrsquo (stanza 8)
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell by William Blake
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1012
In The Marriage of Heaven and Hell William Blake explores ideas of contraries which alsofeature in Songs of Innocence and of Experience
Free from known copyright restrictionsWordsworthrsquos lsquoTintern Abbeyrsquo (1798) juxtaposed moments of celebration andoptimism with lamentation and regret Keats thought in terms of an oppositionbetween the imagination and the intellect In a letter to his brothers inDecember 1817 he explained what he meant by the term lsquoNegative Capabilityrsquolsquothat is when a man is capable of being in uncertainties Mysteries doubtswithout any irritable reaching after fact and reasonrsquo (22 December) Keatssuggested that it is impossible for us to find answers to the eternal questions weall have about human existence Instead our feelings and imaginations enableus to recognise Beauty and it is Beauty that helps us through lifersquos bleakmoments Life involves a delicate balance between times of pleasure and painThe individual has to learn to accept both aspects lsquoldquoBeauty is truth truthbeautyrdquo ndash that is allYe know on earth and all ye need to knowrsquo (lsquoOde on aGrecian Urnrsquo [1819])Manuscript of lsquoOde on a Grecian Urnrsquo by John Keats
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1112
Written by Stephanie ForwardDr Stephanie Forward is an Associate Lecturer with the Open University She specializes inEnglish Literature and has been involved in two important collaborative projects between theOpen University and the BBCThe Big Read and the television series The Romantics Stephaniehas an extensive publications record She also edited the anthology Dreams Visions andRealities coshyedited (with Ann Heilmann) Sex Social Purity and Sarah Grand and penned thescript for the CD Blenheim Palace The Churchills and their PalaceThe text in this article is available under the Creative Commons License[httpcreativecommonsorglicensesbyshync40]
Romantics and VictoriansAuthorsWorksThemesArticlesVideosCollection items
lsquoOde on a Grecian Urnrsquo from a manuscript copy believed to be in the hand of George Keats thepoets brother
Free from known copyright restrictionsThe premature deaths of Byron Shelley and Keats contributed to theirmystique As time passed they attained iconic status inspiring others to maketheir voices heard The Romantic poets continue to exert a powerful influenceon popular culture Generations have been inspired by their promotion of selfshyexpression emotional intensity personal freedom and social concernFootnotes[1] Percy Bysshe Shelley Shelleyrsquos poetry and prose authoritative texts criticisms ed byDonald H Reiman and Sharon B Powers (New York London Norton c1977) p485
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1212
Teaching resourcesAbout the projectSupported by
Desktop siteMobile siteTerms of useAbout the British LibraryPrivacyCookiesAccessibilityContact usAll text is copy British Library Board and is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence[httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40] except where otherwise stated
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1012
In The Marriage of Heaven and Hell William Blake explores ideas of contraries which alsofeature in Songs of Innocence and of Experience
Free from known copyright restrictionsWordsworthrsquos lsquoTintern Abbeyrsquo (1798) juxtaposed moments of celebration andoptimism with lamentation and regret Keats thought in terms of an oppositionbetween the imagination and the intellect In a letter to his brothers inDecember 1817 he explained what he meant by the term lsquoNegative Capabilityrsquolsquothat is when a man is capable of being in uncertainties Mysteries doubtswithout any irritable reaching after fact and reasonrsquo (22 December) Keatssuggested that it is impossible for us to find answers to the eternal questions weall have about human existence Instead our feelings and imaginations enableus to recognise Beauty and it is Beauty that helps us through lifersquos bleakmoments Life involves a delicate balance between times of pleasure and painThe individual has to learn to accept both aspects lsquoldquoBeauty is truth truthbeautyrdquo ndash that is allYe know on earth and all ye need to knowrsquo (lsquoOde on aGrecian Urnrsquo [1819])Manuscript of lsquoOde on a Grecian Urnrsquo by John Keats
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1112
Written by Stephanie ForwardDr Stephanie Forward is an Associate Lecturer with the Open University She specializes inEnglish Literature and has been involved in two important collaborative projects between theOpen University and the BBCThe Big Read and the television series The Romantics Stephaniehas an extensive publications record She also edited the anthology Dreams Visions andRealities coshyedited (with Ann Heilmann) Sex Social Purity and Sarah Grand and penned thescript for the CD Blenheim Palace The Churchills and their PalaceThe text in this article is available under the Creative Commons License[httpcreativecommonsorglicensesbyshync40]
Romantics and VictoriansAuthorsWorksThemesArticlesVideosCollection items
lsquoOde on a Grecian Urnrsquo from a manuscript copy believed to be in the hand of George Keats thepoets brother
Free from known copyright restrictionsThe premature deaths of Byron Shelley and Keats contributed to theirmystique As time passed they attained iconic status inspiring others to maketheir voices heard The Romantic poets continue to exert a powerful influenceon popular culture Generations have been inspired by their promotion of selfshyexpression emotional intensity personal freedom and social concernFootnotes[1] Percy Bysshe Shelley Shelleyrsquos poetry and prose authoritative texts criticisms ed byDonald H Reiman and Sharon B Powers (New York London Norton c1977) p485
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1212
Teaching resourcesAbout the projectSupported by
Desktop siteMobile siteTerms of useAbout the British LibraryPrivacyCookiesAccessibilityContact usAll text is copy British Library Board and is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence[httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40] except where otherwise stated
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1112
Written by Stephanie ForwardDr Stephanie Forward is an Associate Lecturer with the Open University She specializes inEnglish Literature and has been involved in two important collaborative projects between theOpen University and the BBCThe Big Read and the television series The Romantics Stephaniehas an extensive publications record She also edited the anthology Dreams Visions andRealities coshyedited (with Ann Heilmann) Sex Social Purity and Sarah Grand and penned thescript for the CD Blenheim Palace The Churchills and their PalaceThe text in this article is available under the Creative Commons License[httpcreativecommonsorglicensesbyshync40]
Romantics and VictoriansAuthorsWorksThemesArticlesVideosCollection items
lsquoOde on a Grecian Urnrsquo from a manuscript copy believed to be in the hand of George Keats thepoets brother
Free from known copyright restrictionsThe premature deaths of Byron Shelley and Keats contributed to theirmystique As time passed they attained iconic status inspiring others to maketheir voices heard The Romantic poets continue to exert a powerful influenceon popular culture Generations have been inspired by their promotion of selfshyexpression emotional intensity personal freedom and social concernFootnotes[1] Percy Bysshe Shelley Shelleyrsquos poetry and prose authoritative texts criticisms ed byDonald H Reiman and Sharon B Powers (New York London Norton c1977) p485
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1212
Teaching resourcesAbout the projectSupported by
Desktop siteMobile siteTerms of useAbout the British LibraryPrivacyCookiesAccessibilityContact usAll text is copy British Library Board and is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence[httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40] except where otherwise stated
04032015 The Romantics shy The British Library
httpwwwblukromanticsshyandshyvictoriansarticlestheshyromantics 1212
Teaching resourcesAbout the projectSupported by
Desktop siteMobile siteTerms of useAbout the British LibraryPrivacyCookiesAccessibilityContact usAll text is copy British Library Board and is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence[httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40] except where otherwise stated