Romantic Poetry

Romanticism continued the elegant poetic forms developed by prior generations of writers, yet it offered new viewpoints and compelling themes. In this topic, you explored the main characteristics of Romantic poetry, the most of prominent of which may be the reverance for nature. Reeling from the negative effects of industrialization, Romantics sought refuge and and healing in beauty of nature, whether a humble skylark, an arresting landscape, or a blowing wind. In the presence of nature's majestic beauty, writers hoped to find truth and artistic inspiration in the release of spontaneous emotion. At the same time, Romantic poets discarded logic and reasoning in favor of the creative powers of imagination, allowing them to develop supernatural elements or set their stories in faraway, exotic locations. Never taking for granted the value of the common man and everyday life, Romantics championed social justice for all people and often supported rebellion and revolution against both traditional forms and government and social norms.

Many great writers and artists emerged from the Romantic movement, and you explored the poetry of some of the most famous ones throughout this topic. From the first wave of Romanticism, you examined poems by William Blake, who was among the first of the early Romantics. You also explored the poetry of two poets from the Lake District, William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, collaborated on the seminal Romantic anthology Lyrical Ballads. Finally, you studied works composed by the second wave of Romantic poets, including John Keats, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Lord Byron. Though their lives were cut tragically short, their poems have proven timeless.