The English Romantic Period

The English Romantic Period and It’s Politics The Romantic era was one full of promise, imagination, inquisitiveness and advancement. This era marked a time period of literary, musical, artistic and intellectual developments as things and ideals began to rapidly change. With Romanticism, a new emphasis on the emotional and on imaginative spontaneity was rushed in. Feelings and the importance of expressing oneself were exemplified, and the simple capacity for wonder had greatly increased. Lastly, a realization of the caste systems and hierarchies was realized, as beggars, the prostitutes, the child laborers and the impoverished were finally recognized, and genuine concern and interest was stirred up for the well-being of ALL people. With the

In the year 1762, Jean-Jacques Rousseau made a statement that set the tone for the coming Romantic Period of 1789. He declared in The Social Contract: “Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains.” This small quote in this small pamphlet of literature forever changed how intellectuals and artists viewed society. The Romantic Period was one of transition and the dissatisfied intellectuals believed that it was their duty to bring the rest of the world into the very heart of the movement of liberty. “In England, the Romantic poets were at the very heart of this movement. They were inspired by a desire for liberty, and they denounced the exploitation of the poor. There was an emphasis on the importance of the individual; a conviction that people should follow ideals rather than imposed conventions and rules. The Romantics renounced the rationalism and order associated with the preceding Enlightenment era, stressing the importance of expressing authentic personal feelings. They had a real sense of responsibility to their fellow men: they felt it was their duty to use their poetry to inform and inspire others, and to change society,” (British Library). An prime example of this, was Wordsworth, who wrote and collaborated on Lyrical Ballads with Coleridge and they published it in 1798. Wordsworth wrote this with a desire to give a voice to those who were often marginalized and oppressed by society. Finally, writers were standing up for social injustices and writing works for the common man to read and relate too. In his preface he stated that, “the language really spoken by men” is what poetry was supposed to be and was scared of the elitism of previous poets. Blake, however, was a little more radical in his political views and frequently addressed social issues in his poetry. In one of his more famous poems he addresses what he sees in his