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Romanticism Essay | Essay on Romanticism for Students and Children in English

February 13, 2024 by Prasanna

Romanticism Essay:  Romanticism was an artistic, intellectual, literary and musical movement that took place in Europe towards the end of the eighteenth century and mid-nineteenth century. This artistic movement was at its peak in most areas in the approximate period of 1800 to 1850.

The prominence can characterise Romanticism it gave to emotional sensitivity and individual subjectivity along with the glorification of all the nature and past preferring the medieval rather than the classical. For Romantics, imagination was the most important creative faculty, rather than reason.

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Long and Short Essays on Romanticism for Students and Kids in English

We are providing students with essay samples on a long essay of 500 words and a short essay of 150 words on the topic Romanticism for reference.

Long Essay on Romanticism 500 Words in English

Long Essay on Romanticism is usually given to classes 7, 8, 9, and 10.

Romanticism was an artistic period of attitude or intellectual orientation that was characterised by several works of literature music, painting, architecture, criticism and historiography in the Western Civilisation over a time period from the late 18th century to the mid-19th century.

Romanticism was first defined as the aesthetic in literary criticism around the 1800s, and it gained momentum as an artistic movement in Britain and France. Romanticism was partly a reaction to the Industrial Revolution, the political norms and noble social of the Age of Enlightenment and the scientific rationalisation of nature – all elements of modernity. It was embodied most strongly in literature, visual arts and music but had a major impact on chess, natural sciences, social sciences and education. It also had a remarkable and complex effect on politics with the romantic thinkers influencing nationalism, liberalism, conservatism and radicalism.

Romanticism can be seen as a rejection of the perception of harmony, order, calm, idealisation, balance and rationality. This typified Classism in general and Neoclassicism in particular in the late 18th century. Romanticism was also an aftermath of the French Revolution that took place in 1789. Even though often predicted as the opposition of Neoclassicism, early stages of Romanticism was shaped largely by artists trained in Jacques Louis David’s studio, including Anne Louis Girodet-Trioson, Baron Antoine Jean Gros and Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres.

The movement emphasised on intense emotions serving as an authentic source of an aesthetic experience. It gave a new emphasis to emotions such as horror, terror, apprehension and awe – especially those experienced in confronting the unique aesthetic characteristics of sublimity and nature’s beauty. Contrasting to Classicism and Rationalism of the Enlightenment, Romanticism brought back medievalism. It also brought back the elements of art and narrative perceived as truthfully medieval in the attempt at escaping population growth, industrialism and early urban sprawl. Although this artistic movement was rooted in German Sturm and Drang movement, in which emotion and intuition were preferred to the rationalism of Enlightenment, the ideologies and events of the French Revolution also served as proximate factors. It elevated ancient customs and folklore to something noble but also spontaneity as a helpful characteristic.

Romanticism gave a high value to the achievements of ‘heroic’ artists and individualists, whose example it maintained would raise the quality of the society. It also helped in promoting the individual an individual’s imagination as a critical authority gave the freedom of classical notions of forms in art. The period of Romanticism had a few elements which stood out in the Western Civilisation. Romantics had belief in individuals and the common man, and they shared their love for nature. Romanticism showed interest in the past, supernatural, gothic and bizarre things. They had great faith in the inner experience and the power of imagination.

There was a strong recourse to the natural and historical inevitability – a spirit o the age in the representation of its ideas. In the second half of the nineteenth century, Realism was offered, which served as the polar opposite of Romanticism. The decline of Romanticism started during this time which was associated with multiple processes, including political and social changes and spread of nationalism.

Short Essay on Romanticism 150 Words in English

Short Essay on Romanticism is usually given to classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Romanticism was an intellectual as well as an artistic movement that occurred in Europe between the period of the late eighteenth and mid-nineteenth centuries. Recognised broadly as a break from the Enlightenment’s guiding principles – which confirmed reason as the foundation of all the knowledge – the Romantic Movement emphasised on the importance of individual subjectivity and emotional sensitivity.

The nature of the Romantic Movement may be approached with the primary importance of free expression of the artist’s feelings. To express the feelings of the artists, Romantics believed that the content of the art should come from the imagination of the artist. Not specifically for Romanticism, there was widespread strong belief importance give to nature. This particularly affected the nature of the artist’s work, when the artist was surrounded by it – preferably alone. Contrary to the very social art of the Enlightenment, the Romantics were distrustful of the world, tended to be in close connection with nature.

10 Lines on Romanticism in English

  • Romanticism is not an era that can be easily defined by its techniques.
  • The principles of the age characterise this movement.
  • Over science, reason and industrialisation Romanticism gave importance to spiritualism, emotions and nature.
  • This period of artistic movement focused on freedom from authority over a traditional focus on society.
  • The period of Neoclassicism corresponds with Romanticism only in the period.
  • The ideals of the two movements Romanticism and Neoclassicism, were the direct opposite.
  • Romantic music was technically adventurous and highly innovative.
  • Along with showing the power of nature, many Romantic artists used their paintings to showcase natural disasters.
  • Most famous Romantic art depicting natural disaster was The Raft of Medusa – a masterpiece by Theodore Gericault’s.
  • Several paintings of the era dipped into fairy tales folklore and mythology for inspiration.

FAQ’s on Romanticism Essay

Question 1. Which is the largest defining painting of the era?

Answer: Francisco Goya’s painting El Tres de Mayo 1808 (May 3) is considered one of the largest defining paintings of the era.

Question 2.  What did Romanticism focus on?

Answer: Romanticism emphasised nature, emotions, individuality and spiritualism over industrialisation, science and reasoning.

Question 3. When did Romanticism begin?

Answer: The Romantic Movement began approximately in the year 1770.

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Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History Essays

  • Romanticism

Boxers

Théodore Gericault

Evening: Landscape with an Aqueduct

Evening: Landscape with an Aqueduct

Alfred Dedreux (1810–1860) as a Child

Alfred Dedreux (1810–1860) as a Child

The Start of the Race of the Riderless Horses

The Start of the Race of the Riderless Horses

Horace Vernet

Jean-Louis-André-Théodore Gericault (1791–1824)

Jean-Louis-André-Théodore Gericault (1791–1824)

Inundated Ruins of a Monastery

Inundated Ruins of a Monastery

Karl Blechen

Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop's Grounds

Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop's Grounds

John Constable

Faust

Eugène Delacroix

Royal Tiger

Royal Tiger

Stormy Coast Scene after a Shipwreck

Stormy Coast Scene after a Shipwreck

French Painter

Mother and Child by the Sea

Mother and Child by the Sea

Johan Christian Dahl

The Natchez

The Natchez

Wanderer in the Storm

Wanderer in the Storm

Julius von Leypold

The Abduction of Rebecca

The Abduction of Rebecca

Jewish Woman of Algiers Seated on the Ground

Jewish Woman of Algiers Seated on the Ground

Théodore Chassériau

Sunset

The Virgin Adoring the Host

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres

Ovid among the Scythians

Ovid among the Scythians

Kathryn Calley Galitz Department of European Paintings, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

October 2004

Romanticism, first defined as an aesthetic in literary criticism around 1800, gained momentum as an artistic movement in France and Britain in the early decades of the nineteenth century and flourished until mid-century. With its emphasis on the imagination and emotion, Romanticism emerged as a response to the disillusionment with the Enlightenment values of reason and order in the aftermath of the French Revolution of 1789. Though often posited in opposition to Neoclassicism , early Romanticism was shaped largely by artists trained in Jacques Louis David’s studio, including Baron Antoine Jean Gros, Anne Louis Girodet-Trioson, and Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres. This blurring of stylistic boundaries is best expressed in Ingres’ Apotheosis of Homer and Eugène Delacroix’s Death of Sardanapalus (both Museé du Louvre, Paris), which polarized the public at the Salon of 1827 in Paris. While Ingres’ work seemingly embodied the ordered classicism of David in contrast to the disorder and tumult of Delacroix, in fact both works draw from the Davidian tradition but each ultimately subverts that model, asserting the originality of the artist—a central notion of Romanticism.

In Romantic art, nature—with its uncontrollable power, unpredictability, and potential for cataclysmic extremes—offered an alternative to the ordered world of Enlightenment thought. The violent and terrifying images of nature conjured by Romantic artists recall the eighteenth-century aesthetic of the Sublime. As articulated by the British statesman Edmund Burke in a 1757 treatise and echoed by the French philosopher Denis Diderot a decade later, “all that stuns the soul, all that imprints a feeling of terror, leads to the sublime.” In French and British painting of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the recurrence of images of shipwrecks ( 2003.42.56 ) and other representations of man’s struggle against the awesome power of nature manifest this sensibility. Scenes of shipwrecks culminated in 1819 with Théodore Gericault’s strikingly original Raft of the Medusa (Louvre), based on a contemporary event. In its horrifying explicitness, emotional intensity, and conspicuous lack of a hero, The Raft of the Medusa became an icon of the emerging Romantic style. Similarly, J. M. W. Turner’s 1812 depiction of Hannibal and his army crossing the Alps (Tate, London), in which the general and his troops are dwarfed by the overwhelming scale of the landscape and engulfed in the swirling vortex of snow, embodies the Romantic sensibility in landscape painting. Gericault also explored the Romantic landscape in a series of views representing different times of day; in Evening: Landscape with an Aqueduct ( 1989.183 ), the dramatic sky, blasted tree, and classical ruins evoke a sense of melancholic reverie.

Another facet of the Romantic attitude toward nature emerges in the landscapes of John Constable , whose art expresses his response to his native English countryside. For his major paintings, Constable executed full-scale sketches, as in a view of Salisbury Cathedral ( 50.145.8 ); he wrote that a sketch represents “nothing but one state of mind—that which you were in at the time.” When his landscapes were exhibited in Paris at the Salon of 1824, critics and artists embraced his art as “nature itself.” Constable’s subjective, highly personal view of nature accords with the individuality that is a central tenet of Romanticism.

This interest in the individual and subjective—at odds with eighteenth-century rationalism—is mirrored in the Romantic approach to portraiture. Traditionally, records of individual likeness, portraits became vehicles for expressing a range of psychological and emotional states in the hands of Romantic painters. Gericault probed the extremes of mental illness in his portraits of psychiatric patients, as well as the darker side of childhood in his unconventional portrayals of children. In his portrait of Alfred Dedreux ( 41.17 ), a young boy of about five or six, the child appears intensely serious, more adult than childlike, while the dark clouds in the background convey an unsettling, ominous quality.

Such explorations of emotional states extended into the animal kingdom, marking the Romantic fascination with animals as both forces of nature and metaphors for human behavior. This curiosity is manifest in the sketches of wild animals done in the menageries of Paris and London in the 1820s by artists such as Delacroix, Antoine-Louis Barye, and Edwin Landseer. Gericault depicted horses of all breeds—from workhorses to racehorses—in his work. Lord Byron’s 1819 tale of Mazeppa tied to a wild horse captivated Romantic artists from Delacroix to Théodore Chassériau, who exploited the violence and passion inherent in the story. Similarly, Horace Vernet, who exhibited two scenes from Mazeppa in the Salon of 1827 (both Musée Calvet, Avignon), also painted the riderless horse race that marked the end of the Roman Carnival, which he witnessed during his 1820 visit to Rome. His oil sketch ( 87.15.47 ) captures the frenetic energy of the spectacle, just before the start of the race. Images of wild, unbridled animals evoked primal states that stirred the Romantic imagination.

Along with plumbing emotional and behavioral extremes, Romantic artists expanded the repertoire of subject matter, rejecting the didacticism of Neoclassical history painting in favor of imaginary and exotic subjects. Orientalism and the worlds of literature stimulated new dialogues with the past as well as the present. Ingres’ sinuous odalisques ( 38.65 ) reflect the contemporary fascination with the exoticism of the harem, albeit a purely imagined Orient, as he never traveled beyond Italy. In 1832, Delacroix journeyed to Morocco, and his trip to North Africa prompted other artists to follow. In 1846, Chassériau documented his visit to Algeria in notebooks filled with watercolors and drawings, which later served as models for paintings done in his Paris studio ( 64.188 ). Literature offered an alternative form of escapism. The novels of Sir Walter Scott, the poetry of Lord Byron, and the drama of Shakespeare transported art to other worlds and eras. Medieval England is the setting of Delacroix’s tumultuous Abduction of Rebecca ( 03.30 ), which illustrates an episode from Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe .

In its stylistic diversity and range of subjects, Romanticism defies simple categorization. As the poet and critic Charles Baudelaire wrote in 1846, “Romanticism is precisely situated neither in choice of subject nor in exact truth, but in a way of feeling.”

Galitz, Kathryn Calley. “Romanticism.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/roma/hd_roma.htm (October 2004)

Further Reading

Brookner, Anita. Romanticism and Its Discontents . New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux; : , 2000.

Honour, Hugh. Romanticism . New York: Harper & Row, 1979.

Additional Essays by Kathryn Calley Galitz

  • Galitz, Kathryn Calley. “ The Legacy of Jacques Louis David (1748–1825) .” (October 2004)
  • Galitz, Kathryn Calley. “ Gustave Courbet (1819–1877) .” (May 2009)
  • Galitz, Kathryn Calley. “ The French Academy in Rome .” (October 2003)

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Visual arts

Eugène Delacroix: Liberty Leading the People

Romanticism

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Eugène Delacroix: Liberty Leading the People

Romanticism , attitude or intellectual orientation that characterized many works of literature, painting , music, architecture , criticism , and historiography in Western civilization over a period from the late 18th to the mid-19th century. Romanticism can be seen as a rejection of the precepts of order, calm, harmony , balance, idealization, and rationality that typified Classicism in general and late 18th-century Neoclassicism in particular. It was also to some extent a reaction against the Enlightenment and against 18th-century rationalism and physical materialism in general. Romanticism emphasized the individual, the subjective, the irrational, the imaginative, the personal, the spontaneous, the emotional, the visionary, and the transcendental.

Travel to the turn of the 19th century to experience the Romantic musical, literary, and artistic movement

Among the characteristic attitudes of Romanticism were the following: a deepened appreciation of the beauties of nature; a general exaltation of emotion over reason and of the senses over intellect; a turning in upon the self and a heightened examination of human personality and its moods and mental potentialities; a preoccupation with the genius , the hero, and the exceptional figure in general and a focus on his or her passions and inner struggles; a new view of the artist as a supremely individual creator, whose creative spirit is more important than strict adherence to formal rules and traditional procedures; an emphasis upon imagination as a gateway to transcendent experience and spiritual truth; an obsessive interest in folk culture , national and ethnic cultural origins, and the medieval era; and a predilection for the exotic, the remote, the mysterious, the weird, the occult, the monstrous, the diseased, and even the satanic.

Romanticism proper was preceded by several related developments from the mid-18th century on that can be termed Pre-Romanticism . Among such trends was a new appreciation of the medieval romance, from which the Romantic movement derives its name. The romance was a tale or ballad of chivalric adventure whose emphasis on individual heroism and on the exotic and the mysterious was in clear contrast to the elegant formality and artificiality of prevailing Classical forms of literature, such as the French Neoclassical tragedy or the English heroic couplet in poetry. This new interest in relatively unsophisticated but overtly emotional literary expressions of the past was to be a dominant note in Romanticism.

an essay about romanticism

Romanticism in English literature began in the 1790s with the publication of the Lyrical Ballads of William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge . Wordsworth’s “Preface” to the second edition (1800) of Lyrical Ballads , in which he described poetry as “the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings,” became the manifesto of the English Romantic movement in poetry. William Blake was the third principal poet of the movement’s early phase in England. The first phase of the Romantic movement in Germany was marked by innovations in both content and literary style and by a preoccupation with the mystical, the subconscious, and the supernatural. A wealth of talents, including Friedrich Hölderlin , the early Johann Wolfgang von Goethe , Jean Paul , Novalis , Ludwig Tieck , August Wilhelm and Friedrich von Schlegel , Wilhelm Heinrich Wackenroder , and Friedrich Schelling , belong to this first phase. In Revolutionary France , François-Auguste-René, vicomte de Chateaubriand , and Madame de Staël were the chief initiators of Romanticism, by virtue of their influential historical and theoretical writings.

an essay about romanticism

The second phase of Romanticism, comprising the period from about 1805 to the 1830s, was marked by a quickening of cultural nationalism and a new attention to national origins, as attested by the collection and imitation of native folklore , folk ballads and poetry, folk dance and music, and even previously ignored medieval and Renaissance works. The revived historical appreciation was translated into imaginative writing by Sir Walter Scott , who is often considered to have invented the historical novel . At about this same time English Romantic poetry had reached its zenith in the works of John Keats , Lord Byron , and Percy Bysshe Shelley .

an essay about romanticism

A notable by-product of the Romantic interest in the emotional were works dealing with the supernatural , the weird, and the horrible, as in Mary Shelley ’s Frankenstein and works by Charles Robert Maturin , the Marquis de Sade , and E.T.A. Hoffmann . The second phase of Romanticism in Germany was dominated by Achim von Arnim , Clemens Brentano , Joseph von Görres , and Joseph von Eichendorff .

an essay about romanticism

By the 1820s Romanticism had broadened to embrace the literatures of almost all of Europe . In this later, second, phase, the movement was less universal in approach and concentrated more on exploring each nation’s historical and cultural inheritance and on examining the passions and struggles of exceptional individuals. A brief survey of Romantic or Romantic-influenced writers would have to include Thomas De Quincey , William Hazlitt , and Charlotte , Emily , and Anne Brontë in England; Victor Hugo , Alfred de Vigny , Alphonse de Lamartine , Alfred de Musset , Stendhal , Prosper Mérimée , Alexandre Dumas , and Théophile Gautier in France; Alessandro Manzoni and Giacomo Leopardi in Italy; Aleksandr Pushkin and Mikhail Lermontov in Russia; José de Espronceda and Ángel de Saavedra in Spain; Adam Mickiewicz in Poland; and almost all of the important writers in pre-Civil War America .

an essay about romanticism

In the 1760s and ’70s a number of British artists at home and in Rome, including James Barry , Henry Fuseli , John Hamilton Mortimer, and John Flaxman , began to paint subjects that were at odds with the strict decorum and classical historical and mythological subject matter of conventional figurative art. These artists favoured themes that were bizarre, pathetic, or extravagantly heroic, and they defined their images with tensely linear drawing and bold contrasts of light and shade. William Blake , the other principal early Romantic painter in England, evolved his own powerful and unique visionary images.

an essay about romanticism

In the next generation the great genre of English Romantic landscape painting emerged in the works of J.M.W. Turner and John Constable . These artists emphasized transient and dramatic effects of light, atmosphere, and colour to portray a dynamic natural world capable of evoking awe and grandeur.

Francisco Goya's Saturn Devouring His Son, explained

In France the chief early Romantic painters were Baron Antoine Gros , who painted dramatic tableaus of contemporary incidents of the Napoleonic Wars , and Théodore Géricault , whose depictions of individual heroism and suffering in The Raft of the Medusa and in his portraits of the insane truly inaugurated the movement around 1820. The greatest French Romantic painter was Eugène Delacroix , who is notable for his free and expressive brushwork, his rich and sensuous use of colour, his dynamic compositions , and his exotic and adventurous subject matter, ranging from North African Arab life to revolutionary politics at home. Paul Delaroche , Théodore Chassériau , and, occasionally, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres represent the last, more academic phase of Romantic painting in France. In Germany Romantic painting took on symbolic and allegorical overtones, as in the works of Philipp Otto Runge . Caspar David Friedrich , the greatest German Romantic artist, painted eerily silent and stark landscapes that can induce in the beholder a sense of mystery and religious awe.

Myth-making in Eugène Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People

Romanticism expressed itself in architecture primarily through imitations of older architectural styles and through eccentric buildings known as “follies.” Medieval Gothic architecture appealed to the Romantic imagination in England and Germany, and this renewed interest led to the Gothic Revival .

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Romanticism in Literature: Definition and Examples

Finding beauty in nature and the common man.

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an essay about romanticism

  • B.A., English, Rutgers University

Romanticism was a literary movement that began in the late 18th century and ended around the middle of the 19th century—although its influence continues to this day. Marked by a focus on the individual (and the unique perspective of a person, often guided by irrational, emotional impulses), a respect for nature and the primitive, and a celebration of the common man, Romanticism can be seen as a reaction to the huge changes in society that occurred during this period, including the revolutions that burned through countries like France and the United States, ushering in grand experiments in democracy.

Key Takeaways: Romanticism in Literature

  • Romanticism is a literary movement spanning roughly 1790–1850.
  • The movement was characterized by a celebration of nature and the common man, a focus on individual experience, an idealization of women, and an embrace of isolation and melancholy.
  • Prominent Romantic writers include John Keats, William Wordsworth, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Mary Shelley.

Romanticism Definition

The term Romanticism does not stem directly from the concept of love, but rather the French word romaunt (a romantic story told in verse). Romanticism focused on emotions and the inner life of the writer, and often used autobiographical material to inform the work or even provide a template for it, unlike traditional literature at the time.

Romanticism celebrated primitive and elevated "regular people" as being deserving of celebration, which was an innovation at the time. Romanticism also fixated on nature as a primordial force and encouraged the concept of isolation as necessary for spiritual and artistic development.

Characteristics of Romanticism

Romantic literature is marked by six primary characteristics: celebration of nature, focus on the individual and spirituality, celebration of isolation and melancholy, interest in the common man, idealization of women, and personification and pathetic fallacy.

Celebration of Nature

Romantic writers saw nature as a teacher and a source of infinite beauty. One of the most famous works of Romanticism is John Keats’ To Autumn (1820):

Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they? Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,– While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day, And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue; Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn Among the river sallows, borne aloft Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;

Keats personifies the season and follows its progression from the initial arrival after summer, through the harvest season, and finally to autumn’s end as winter takes its place.

Focus on the Individual and Spirituality

Romantic writers turned inward, valuing the individual experience above all else. This in turn led to a heightened sense of spirituality in Romantic work, and the addition of occult and supernatural elements.

The work of Edgar Allan Poe exemplifies this aspect of the movement; for example, The Raven tells the story of a man grieving for his dead love (an idealized woman in the Romantic tradition) when a seemingly sentient Raven arrives and torments him, which can be interpreted literally or seen as a manifestation of his mental instability.

Celebration of Isolation and Melancholy

Ralph Waldo Emerson was a very influential writer in Romanticism; his books of essays explored many of the themes of the literary movement and codified them. His 1841 essay Self-Reliance is a seminal work of Romantic writing in which he exhorts the value of looking inward and determining your own path, and relying on only your own resources.

Related to the insistence on isolation, melancholy is a key feature of many works of Romanticism, usually seen as a reaction to inevitable failure—writers wished to express the pure beauty they perceived and failure to do so adequately resulted in despair like the sort expressed by Percy Bysshe Shelley in A Lament :

O world! O life! O time! On whose last steps I climb. Trembling at that where I had stood before; When will return the glory of your prime? No more—Oh, never more!

Interest in the Common Man

William Wordsworth was one of the first poets to embrace the concept of writing that could be read, enjoyed, and understood by anyone. He eschewed overly stylized language and references to classical works in favor of emotional imagery conveyed in simple, elegant language, as in his most famous poem I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud :

I wandered lonely as a Cloud That floats on high o'er vales and Hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden Daffodils; Beside the Lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Idealization of Women

In works such as Poe’s The Raven , women were always presented as idealized love interests, pure and beautiful, but usually without anything else to offer. Ironically, the most notable novels of the period were written by women (Jane Austen, Charlotte Brontë, and Mary Shelley, for example), but had to be initially published under male pseudonyms because of these attitudes. Much Romantic literature is infused with the concept of women being perfect innocent beings to be adored, mourned, and respected—but never touched or relied upon.

Personification and Pathetic Fallacy

Romantic literature’s fixation on nature is characterized by the heavy use of both personification and pathetic fallacy. Mary Shelley used these techniques to great effect in Frankenstein :

Its fair lakes reflect a blue and gentle sky; and, when troubled by the winds, their tumult is but as the play of a lively infant, when compared to the roarings of the giant ocean.

Romanticism continues to influence literature today; Stephenie Meyers’ Twilight novels are clear descendants of the movement, incorporating most of the characteristics of classic Romanticism despite being published a century and a half after the end of the movement’s active life.

Encyclopaedia Britannica. " Romanticism ."

Cambridge University Press. " The Cambridge Companion to German Romanticism ."

Poetry Foundation. " William Wordsworth ."

University of Florida. " Romantic Myth Making: The Sympathetic Soulmate From Romanticism to Twilight and Beyond ."

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Literary Theory and Criticism

Home › Literature › Romanticism in England

Romanticism in England

By NASRULLAH MAMBROL on November 29, 2017 • ( 9 )

In England, the ground for Romanticism was prepared in the latter half of the eighteenth century through the economic, political, and cultural transformations mentioned in the preceding chapters. The system of absolute government crumbled even earlier in Britain than elsewhere; nationalistic sentiment sharpened, imperialistic endeavors widened, and the century saw an increasing growth of periodical literature which catered to the middle classes. The ideals of neoclassicism, such as decorum, order, normality of experience, and moderation, were increasingly displaced by an emphasis on individual experience. The moral function of literature was increasingly counterbalanced by an emphasis on aesthetic pleasure and the psychology of the reader’s response to beauty and sublimity. An emphasis on originality and genius supplanted the primacy of imitation of classical authors or nature. Thinkers such as Locke , Hume , and Burke had been instrumental in these shifts of taste and philosophical orientation. Critics such as Edward Young , William Duff , and Joseph Warton produced influential treatises: Young’s Conjectures on Original Composition (1759) and Duff’s An Essay on Original Genius (1767) stressed the claims of originality, genius, and the creative imagination. Poets and critics of this period, such as Richard Hurd , idealized the Middle Ages and expressed an admiration for primitive societies and a native literary tradition, in which the figures of Chaucer, Spenser, and Shakespeare were accorded prominence. The artist Sir Joshua Reynolds praised the genius and sublimity of the Renaissance painter Michelangelo .

The early British practitioners of Romanticism included Thomas Gray , Oliver Goldsmith , and Robert Burns . The English movement reached its most mature expression in the work of William Wordsworth , who saw nature as embodying a universal spirit, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge who, drawing on the work of Kant, Fichte, and Schelling, gave archetypal formulation to the powers of the poetic imagination. Like their European counterparts, the English Romantics reacted at first favorably to the French Revolution and saw their own cultural and literary program as revolutionary. As many critics, ranging from Lukács to Abrams and Raymond Williams , have noted, the Romantics saw themselves as inheriting a world disfigured by the squalor of bourgeois economic and political practice, a world fragmented by dualisms such as individual and society, past and present, sensation and intellect, reason and emotion; their task was to seek once again a unifying vision, usually through the aesthetic and cultural realms.

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Shelley ’s A Defence of Poetry is a powerful and beautifully expressed manifesto of fundamental Romantic principles, detailing the supremacy of imagination over reason, and the exalted status of poetry. Keats’ brief literary-critical insights are centered around the notion of “ negative capability .” In a letter to Benjamin Bailey , Keats suggests that, in poetic creation, the poet acts as a catalyst for the reaction of other elements, stating that “Men of Genius are great as certain ethereal Chemicals operating on the Mass of neutral intellect . . . they have not any individuality, any determined Character.”1 Writing to Richard Woodhouse , Keats distances himself from “the wordsworthian or egotistical sublime”: “the poetical Character . . . has no self – it is every thing and nothing – It has no character . . . A Poet . . . has no Identity – he is continually in for – and filling some other Body” ( Letters , 386–387). The idea behind this “annihilation” of character is that the poet’s mentality infuses, and is infused by, everything. Deploying what Keats calls the “negative capability” of abstaining from particular positions or dogmas, it loses itself wholly among the objects and events of the external world which are its poetic material ( Letters , 184, 386–387). The ego, then, should not interpose itself between the poet and his “direct” sensations. Keats ’ apparent identification of beauty with truth in his Ode on a Grecian Urn has received much critical attention. Though the Romantics are often viewed as writing confessional poetry and expressing personality, it is significant that both Keats and Shelley rejected this notion. Like Shelley, Byron rebelled against conventional beliefs, and in his poems such as Don Juan engaged in pungent satire of the hypocrisy and corruption of those in power. His stormy and eccentric life ended in the struggle for Greek independence.

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Guide to Exam

200, 300, 350, & 400 Word Essay on Romanticism with Examples in English

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Table of Contents

200 Words Argumentative Essay on Romanticism in English

Romanticism is a complex and multifaceted movement that has lasting impacts on literature and art worldwide. It is a movement that began in the late 18th century and continued into the 19th century. It is characterized by a focus on emotions, individualism, and nature. It was a reaction to the Enlightenment and neoclassical ideals of rationality and order.

Romanticism was a reaction to the Industrial Revolution and its effects on society. It was a celebration of the individual and a rejection of mechanization and commercialization. Romanticism saw nature as a refuge from modern artificiality and idealized the rural and the wilderness. Nature was seen as a source of inspiration, healing, and solace.

Romanticism also celebrated individualism and imagination. It encouraged people to explore their own feelings and emotions and express them creatively. It rejected the Enlightenment’s emphasis on reason and order, and instead embraced emotion and creativity. Romanticism also emphasized the power of the imagination to create new realities and shape the world.

Romanticism was a revolutionary and conservative movement. It was revolutionary in its rejection of traditional values and embrace of individualism and imagination. At the same time, it was conservative in its celebration of nature and rejection of the Industrial Revolution.

Romanticism profoundly affected literature and art. It is responsible for some of the greatest Romanticism literature works, such as William Wordsworth, Mary Shelley, and Lord Byron. It also had a major influence on art development, with painters such as Caspar David Friedrich and J.M.W. Turner creating works that embraced romantic ideals of emotion, nature, and individualism.

Romanticism was a movement of remarkable complexity and diversity. It celebrated individualism and imagination, rejected modern mechanization, and embraced nature. It was a movement that had a lasting impact on literature and art and continues to influence our worldview today.

300 Words Descriptive Essay on Romanticism in English

Romanticism was a major literary, artistic, and philosophical movement that began in the late 18th century and lasted until the mid-19th century. It was a period of intense creativity and imagination. It was characterized by a focus on personal expression and emotion, a celebration of nature, and a belief in the power of the individual.

Romanticism was a reaction to the rationalism of the Enlightenment. Instead of relying on reason and logic, Romanticism embraced emotion, intuition, and imagination. It was a celebration of individual and personal expression. Writers, poets, and artists were encouraged to explore their innermost feelings and express them freely.

Romanticism also celebrated nature. The Romantics believed that nature was a source of beauty and inspiration, and they sought to capture its beauty in their works. They wrote about nature in a passionate and spiritual way, expressing their awe and reverence for the natural world.

Romanticism also believed in the individual’s power. Rather than accepting the status quo, the Romantics sought to challenge society’s norms and create their own paths. They believed in the power of the individual to make a difference and shape the world.

Romanticism influenced literature, art, and philosophy. Writers like Wordsworth, Shelley, and Keats utilized the romantic style to explore their innermost feelings and express their love for nature. Artists like Turner and Constable used the same style to capture the natural world’s beauty. Philosophers like Rousseau and Schiller used the romantic style to express their ideas about the power of the individual and the importance of personal expression.

Romanticism has lasting effects on the world. Its focus on emotion, imagination, and nature has inspired generations of writers, artists, and philosophers. Its celebration of the individual is a source of hope and strength for those who challenge the status quo. Romanticism has been a powerful force in shaping the world, and it will continue to be a source of inspiration for many years to come.

350 Words Expository Essay on Romanticism in English

Romanticism is an artistic and intellectual movement that began in the late 18th century and has had lasting impacts on literature, art, and culture. It was a reaction to the Enlightenment, which saw reason and science as the only valid forms of knowledge. The Romantics sought to focus on emotion, passion, and intuition as valid forms of knowledge and celebrate the power of the individual.

Romanticism emphasizes emotion, imagination, and individualism. It is associated with a deep appreciation for nature and a belief in the power of the individual to create art and beauty. It was a reaction to the Enlightenment’s rationalism, which sought to explain the natural world through science and reason.

Romanticism is often associated with the arts, particularly literature and music. Writers such as William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge were some of the most influential figures in the Romantic era. Their poetry is still widely read and studied today. Similarly, composers such as Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert wrote works profoundly influenced by the Romantic spirit.

Romanticism also had a profound effect on visual art, with painters such as Eugene Delacroix and Caspar David Friedrich creating works inspired by Romantic ideals. These works often featured nature scenes and sought to evoke awe and wonder.

Romanticism is also associated with social and political movements, such as the French Revolution and slavery abolition. The Romantics saw these movements as a sign of hope and progress and sought to contribute to them through their art and writing.

In conclusion, Romanticism was a movement that had a profound impact on the arts, literature, and culture. It was a reaction to the Enlightenment and its focus on reason and science and sought to emphasize emotion, imagination, and individualism. The works of Romantic writers, painters, and musicians are still widely read and studied today, and their influence can be seen in many aspects of modern culture.

400 Words Persuasive Essay on Romanticism in English

Romanticism is a movement that deeply influences literature, music, and art throughout the centuries. It is an aesthetic sensibility that emphasizes the beauty and power of emotion, imagination, and nature. It is a passionate, emotive, and revolutionary style of art and expression.

Romanticism is a vital movement to understand to appreciate the literature, music, and art of the period. It is a style of writing characterized by personal experience and emotion. It is a reaction to the Enlightenment’s rationalism and the emphasis on reason and logic in the period’s work. Romanticism is a rebellion against the limits of the established order and a celebration of individualism and the potential of the human spirit.

Romanticism also emphasizes nature’s beauty and power. Nature is a source of inspiration and healing. This idea of nature as a source of solace and comfort can be observed in Romantic poets such as William Wordsworth and John Keats. Nature is seen as a reflection of the divine and a source of spiritual renewal.

Romanticism also focuses on the supernatural and the spiritual. It is an aesthetic that emphasizes the idea of the sublime, which is an experience of awe and wonder in the face of the infinite. This idea of the sublime can be seen in the work of Romantic painters such as Caspar David Friedrich and J.M.W. Turner.

Romanticism is an aesthetic sensibility that emphasizes emotion, imagination, and nature. It is a passionate, emotive, and revolutionary style of art and expression. It is a vital movement to understand to appreciate the period’s literature, music, and art. It is a rebellion against the limits of the established order and a celebration of individualism and the potential of the human spirit.

It is a source of solace, comfort, and spiritual renewal. It is an aesthetic that emphasizes the sublime, and it is an experience of awe and wonder in the face of the infinite. Romanticism is a movement that has deeply influenced literature, music, and art throughout the centuries, and it is still relevant today.

Romanticism and Art Characteristics

Romanticism was an artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that emerged in the late 18th century and reached its peak during the 19th century. It was a reaction to the Enlightenment’s rationalism and order, emphasizing emotion, individualism, and nature. Romanticism greatly influenced various art forms, including painting, literature, music, and sculpture. Here are some key characteristics of Romanticism in art:

  • Emotion and Expression: Romantic artists sought to evoke deep emotions and feelings through their work. They aimed to move the viewer or audience emotionally, often focusing on themes such as love, passion, awe, fear, and nostalgia.
  • Individualism: Romantic artists celebrated the individual and emphasized the uniqueness of each person’s experiences and emotions. They often depicted heroic figures, outcasts, or individuals in moments of intense personal contemplation.
  • Nature: Nature played a significant role in Romantic art. Artists were fascinated by the beauty and power of the natural world, portraying landscapes, storms, mountains, and wild environments to evoke a sense of the sublime and the awe-inspiring.
  • Imagination and Fantasy: Romantic artists embraced the power of imagination and fantasy. They explored dreamlike and surreal scenes, mythological themes, and supernatural elements to create an otherworldly atmosphere.
  • Medievalism and Nostalgia: Many Romantic artists drew inspiration from medieval art and literature, seeing it as a time of heroism and chivalry. This longing for the past and a sense of nostalgia can be seen in their works.
  • Nationalism and Patriotism: In a time of political and social upheaval, Romantic artists often expressed a strong sense of national identity and pride in their works. They celebrated their native cultures, folklore, and history.
  • Exoticism: As travel and exploration expanded during the 19th century, Romantic artists became intrigued by foreign lands and cultures. This fascination with the exotic is evident in some of their works.
  • Symbolism and Allegory: Romantic artists frequently used symbols and allegorical elements to convey deeper meanings and hidden messages in their artworks.
  • Introspection and the Sublime: The Romantic movement encouraged introspection and contemplation of the human condition. They explored themes related to the human psyche, the sublime, and the vastness of the universe.
  • Emotional Intensity and Drama: Romantic artists often depicted dramatic and emotionally charged scenes, creating a sense of tension and intensity in their works.

Notable Romantic artists include J.M.W. Turner, Caspar David Friedrich, Francisco Goya, Eugène Delacroix, and William Blake. These artists, along with many others, left a profound impact on art development during the Romantic period.

Romanticism Examples

Certainly! Here are some notable examples of Romanticism in various art forms:

  • “Wanderer above the Sea of Fog” by Caspar David Friedrich: This iconic painting portrays a lone figure standing on a rocky precipice, gazing into a misty landscape, symbolizing the Romantic fascination with nature’s vastness and the individual’s contemplation.
  • “Liberty Leading the People” by Eugène Delacroix: This painting depicts a powerful and allegorical figure of Liberty leading the people during the July Revolution of 1830 in France. It represents the Romantic themes of liberty, nationalism, and political upheaval.
  • “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley: This Gothic novel, published in 1818, explores themes of science, creation, and the consequences of playing god, while also delving into the complexities of human emotions and the darker aspects of human nature.
  • “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Brontë: A classic novel known for its passionate and intense depiction of love and revenge, set against the backdrop of the desolate and wild Yorkshire moors.
  • “Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125” (commonly known as “Choral Symphony”) by Ludwig van Beethoven: This monumental symphony is known for its final movement, featuring the “Ode to Joy,” expressing the ideals of universal brotherhood and joy, reflecting the Romantic emphasis on emotions and humanity.
  • “Nocturnes” by Frédéric Chopin: Chopin’s compositions, particularly his Nocturnes, are famous for their lyrical, emotional, and introspective qualities, capturing the essence of Romanticism in music.
  • “Ode to a Nightingale” by John Keats: This poem explores themes of mortality, escape, and the beauty of nature, showcasing the Romantic fascination with the natural world and the expression of intense emotions.
  • “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe: This Gothic poem is a haunting exploration of grief, loss, and the macabre, illustrating the darker side of Romanticism.

These examples provide a glimpse into Romanticism’s diversity and richness across different art forms. Each contributes to the movement’s lasting impact on the 19th-century cultural and artistic landscape.

Why is it called the Romantic period?

The term “Romantic period” or “Romanticism” refers to the artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that emerged in the late 18th century and reached its peak during the 19th century. The movement was given this name because of its association with the concept of “romance,” which, in this context, doesn’t refer to love stories as we commonly understand it today.

The word “romance” in this context has its roots in ancient literature, where “romances” were tales of heroism, chivalry, and adventure. Medieval romances focused on individual experiences, emotions, and wonderment. The Romantic movement drew inspiration from these medieval romances and embraced similar themes. However, it expanded them to include a broader range of emotions and experiences.

During the Romantic period, artists, writers, and intellectuals sought to break away from the rationalism and order of the Enlightenment era that came before it. They emphasized the importance of emotion, imagination, individualism, and nature in contrast to the Enlightenment’s focus on reason, science, and societal conventions.

As the movement gained momentum, critics and scholars called it “Romanticism” to capture its association with romance, individualism, and emotional expression. The term “Romantic period” has since become the standard way to describe this influential artistic and intellectual movement that left a profound impact on Western culture and shaped literature, art, and philosophy for years to come.

Romanticism Summary

Romanticism was a cultural, artistic, and intellectual movement that emerged in the late 18th century and flourished during the 19th century. It was a reaction to the Enlightenment’s rationalism and order, emphasizing emotion, individualism, nature, and imagination. Here’s a summary of Romanticism:

  • Emphasis on Emotion: Romanticism celebrated intense emotions and emotional expression. Artists, writers, and musicians sought to evoke deep feelings and moved away from the restrained and rational approach of the previous era.
  • Individualism: Romanticism celebrated the uniqueness and importance of the individual. It focused on the inner world of the human psyche and the expression of personal experiences and emotions.
  • Nature as a Source of Inspiration: Nature played a significant role in Romantic art and literature. Artists were captivated by the beauty, power, and mystery of the natural world, portraying landscapes and elements of nature to evoke a sense of awe and the sublime.
  • Imagination and Fantasy: Romantic artists embraced the power of imagination and explored fantastical and dreamlike elements in their works. They drew inspiration from myths, legends, and the supernatural, creating otherworldly and imaginative atmospheres.
  • Nationalism and Patriotism: In a time of political and social change, Romanticism fostered a sense of national identity and pride. Artists celebrated their native cultures, folklore, and history.
  • Medievalism and Nostalgia: Romantic artists looked back to the medieval era with a sense of nostalgia, seeing it as a time of heroism, chivalry, and simpler, more authentic values.
  • Symbolism and Allegory: Romantic artists often used symbols and allegorical elements to convey deeper meanings and messages in their artworks.
  • Rejection of Industrialization: With the advent of the Industrial Revolution, many Romantic thinkers criticized the negative impact of industrialization on nature, society, and the human spirit.
  • Contemplation of the Sublime: Romanticism explored the concept of the sublime—the overwhelming and awe-inspiring aspects of nature and human experience, which could be both beautiful and terrifying.
  • Interest in the Exotic: As travel expanded, Romantic artists were intrigued by foreign lands and cultures, and this fascination with the exotic is evident in their works.

The Romantic period produced some of the most influential and enduring works in literature, art, music, and philosophy. It challenged conventional norms and encouraged a more profound exploration of the human experience. This left a lasting impact on Western culture and artistic movements.

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The Prose of Romanticism

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Is Romantic prose a neutral instrument of representation? Does it struggle to engage questions of experience and sensation in new ways? How should prose be understood in relation to poetic expressiveness? The essays in this volume explore Romantic prose across multiple genres as a kind of performative utterance that redraws the boundaries between the private and the social.

Introduction: Occasion and Expression

The sense of an occasion is inseparable from the productivity that characterizes Romantic prose. Carl Schmitt's account of the "subjective occasionalism" of Romanticism offers us an analytical point of departure. But I argue that Romantic prose tries to deepen, extend, or formalize this sense of occasion. It tries to express, and sometimes embeds within itself, the social conditions of acts of utterance.

Concerning the Spiritual in Hogg’s Art

Is there a place for the spiritual in literature? James Hogg's long poem The Queen’s Wake and his sprawling prose narrative The Three Perils of Man appear to literalize an affirmative response by giving play to spirits and other supernatural phenomena. And yet, Hogg’s answer may actually be no, if only because “literature” as imagined by his friend and rival, Walter Scott, downgrades spiritual intensities to the status of cultural differences from everyday life.

James Hogg and the Medium of Romantic Prose

A recent media turn in Romantic studies has foregrounded the ballad—and poetry more generally—as a privileged site for understanding how questions about medium and mediality feature in the writing of the period. But do such questions feature in the era’s prose genres, as well? And is it possible to talk about a medium of Romantic prose as Celeste Langan and Maureen N. McLane talk about a medium of Romantic poetry ?

Sydney Owenson’s Strange Phenomenality

This essay examines Sydney Owenson’s strange syntax—at once ornate and truncated, full of floating modifiers and attributions that remain forever unresolved—as a medium for her explorations of sensation and perception. Tracing the form of her novels in conjunction with her meditations on empiricism, it argues that Owenson’s syntax resists the ontic and formalizing claims of a Common Sense philosophy of perception.

The Privatization of Public Life: Free Direct Discourse in Persuasion

"The Privatization of Public Life: Free Direct Discourse in Persuasion " argues for the importance of other narrative techniques beyond free indirect discourse in Jane Austen’s work, such the related but in many ways opposed form, free direct discourse. Paying particular attention to such techniques, I contend, allows us to see the ways in which public discourse in a novel such as Persuasion is repeatedly converted into a medium for private feeling.

Trusting Experiments: Sociability and Transcendence in the Familiar Essay

This essay briefly explores two developments that produced a remarkable turn in the relationship between philosophy and literature between the publication of Hume’s Treatise in 1740 and the heyday of the Romantic familiar essay in the 1820s: the socialisation of experience by Scottish Enlightenment thinkers and the impact of belletristic periodical culture upon philosophical discourse. These changes were interconnected, jointly exhibiting a swerve away from systematic epistemology and towards a form of essayism.

Incapable of Being Disentangled: On De Quincey’s Impassioned Prose

This article makes the case that perlocution, a notoriously tricky species of speech act, opens up news ways of thinking about De Quincey’s autobiographical writings, particularly Suspiria de Profundis . Because its effects are indirect, uncertain and unpredictable, perlocution helps us understand language’s ability to entangle: readers, writers, memories, experience, events, other texts. That uncanny ability to entangle things—and our inability to ever fully disentangle them—is one of De Quincey’s abiding preoccupations.

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Studies in Romanticism

Adriana Craciun, Boston University

Journal Details

Peer review and submission process.

Studies in Romanticism  publishes original essays on all aspects of literature and culture of the Romantic century (1750-1850). Upon submission, articles are screened by the editor and managing editor for appropriateness for the journal. Those submissions deemed appropriate then go through a double-blind peer review process. In preparing manuscripts, contributors should consult the  Chicago Manual of Style , and specifically the “Notes and Bibliography” section appropriate for scholars in the humanities. Essays should be no more than 9,000 words in length inclusive of notes and bibliography, double-spaced in 12-point type using Times New Roman font, and should not have right justified margins. Footnotes should be at the bottom of the page and kept to a minimum. The first footnote for any source should include a full citation. Subsequent references to primary sources may by cited parenthetically in the text; other references should be cited as abbreviated footnotes. A quick version of the guidelines, with examples, appears online at  chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide . Contributions must be in English; text quoted in other languages should include an English translation. Please save your manuscript in MS Word (.doc preferred). An abstract of no more than 300 words, headed with the title of the essay and the author’s name, institutional affiliation, and contact information, should be sent as a separate attachment. The author’s name must not be identified anywhere in the essay–neither in the text itself, nor in the footnotes, nor in headers or footers. Any self-citations should be in the third person. Use images only if they are necessary for your argument, and keep the overall number to a maximum of three. The use of Chat GPT or similar AI language-generating tools in the production of submissions constitutes academic dishonesty.

The essay should be emailed as an attachment, along with the abstract, to Jennifer Reed, the managing editor, at  [email protected] .  SiR  will not consider essays already published or under consideration elsewhere.

The Hopkins Press Journals Ethics and Malpractice Statement can be found at the ethics-and-malpractice  page.

Peer Review

Studies in Romanticism  publishes original essays on all aspects of literature and culture of the Romantic century (1750–1850).  Studies in Romanticism  will not consider essays already published or under consideration elsewhere. This includes translations of articles that have previously been published in other languages. We publish book reviews but do not publish informal articles.

Essays are submitted to the managing editor and are evaluated by the editor to determine whether or not they will be sent out for review. Submissions deemed appropriate go through a double-blind peer review process. Readers provide one of the following recommendations: (1) Acceptance, (2) Conditional Acceptance, or (3) Revise and Resubmit, and (4) Rejection. If reader evaluations conflict, the editor makes a final decision, or in some cases sends the essay out to a third reader. In cases where an author has been asked to make minor revisions, the editor alone evaluates the revised essay. If revisions are more significant, the essay may be sent back to one of the initial referees for evaluation. Once the essay has been formally accepted, it enters the publication queue. In the case of Special Issues, we typically solicit one referee for the entire issue. We aim to publish articles within one year of their acceptance.

Studies in Romanticism Special Issues Guidelines

SiR  welcomes submissions of special issue topics. Successful topics would not be conference proceedings, but they may grow out of an event or collaborative project where authors worked toward a coherent and timely topic of inquiry together and then revised their essays to this end. The special issue editor/s should send a brief, abstract-length description of the topic and names of proposed contributors for initial consideration to the managing editor. If the initial fit seems good, they will be invited to submit a 6-8 page proposal similar to one for an essay collection, with project overview and argument, intended audience and significance, competing volumes/issues, abstracts of each essay, and brief details on contributors.

Special issues should consist of four to six essays of a maximum of 9000 words each including notes and bibliography. The editorial Introduction can be 5000 words maximum, and the total number of images should not exceed 15. Issue editors are responsible for submitting to the managing editor the complete manuscript conforming to the length limits, assuring the references are all according to house style, and including all images and copyright permissions per journal requirements. Special topic issues will be subject to peer review as with all manuscripts.

We also accept proposals for shorter symposia or forums focusing on the impact of a significant current scholarly work or issue within or outside literary studies, with an invited set of responses addressing this text or issue directly (similar to PMLA’s “Theories and Methodologies”). To propose a symposium or forum, follow the same procedures as for proposing a special issue (a brief initial inquiry followed by a more substantive proposal). The symposium format would consist of shorter, more polemical contributions. Interdisciplinary and/or methodologically innovative topics are particularly encouraged.

Adriana Craciun,  Boston University

Associate Editor

Ian Newman, University of Notre Dame

Managing Editor

Jennifer Reed,  Boston University

Book Review Editor

Susan Valladares, Durham University

Advisory Board

Alan Bewell,  University of Toronto      David Bromwich,  Yale University      Luisa Calè,  Birkbeck, University of London      Julie Carlson,  University of California, Santa Barbara      Manu Samriti Chander,  Rutgers University-Newark      James Chandler,  University of Chicago      Linda Colley,  Princeton University      Jeffrey N. Cox,  University of Colorado, Boulder      James Davies,  University of California, Berkeley      Mary Favret,  Johns Hopkins University      Michael Gamer,  University of Pennsylvania      Kevin Gilmartin,  California Institute of Technology      Ian Haywood,  University of Roehampton, London      Noah Heringman,  University of Missouri      Theresa Kelley,  University of Wisconsin-Madison      Jon Klancher,  Carnegie Mellon University      Greg Kucich,  University of Notre Dame      Nigel Leask,  University of Glasgow      Michelle Levy,  Simon Fraser University      Peter J. Manning,  Stony Brook University      Patricia A. Matthew,  Montclair State University      Joseph Rezek,  Boston University     Charles J. Rzepka,  Boston University      Stacey Sloboda,  University of Massachusetts, Boston

Emeritus Editors

Kenneth R. Johnston,  Indiana University, Bloomington      Jerome J. McGann,  University of Virginia      Morton D. Paley,  University of California, Berkeley     Charles J. Rzepka, Boston University      David Wagenknecht,  Boston University

The  Book Reviews  section provides concise, substantive assessments (approx. 1200-1500 words) of recently published scholarly titles in the field. While attending to all major works of scholarship, including new scholarly editions and essay collections,  SiR  takes an especial interest in reviewing first monographs and work by younger scholars.

Send all book review correspondence to:   Susan Valladares, Durham University   [email protected]

Presses should send any review copies to:   Dr Susan Valladares Department of English Studies Durham University  Elvet Riverside  Durham  DH1 3JT UNITED KINGDOM  

Please send book review copies to the contact above. Review copies received by the Johns Hopkins University Press office will be discarded.

Abstracting & Indexing Databases

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  • Internationale Bibliographie der Rezensionen Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaftlicher Literatur
  • Academic Search Alumni Edition, 1/1/1995-
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  • Art & Architecture Complete, 1/1/1995-
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  • Art & Architecture Source, 9/1/1983-
  • Art Abstracts (H.W. Wilson), 1/15/1983-
  • Art Index (H.W. Wilson), 9/1/1983-
  • Biography Index: Past and Present (H.W. Wilson), vol.24, 1985-vol.48, no.2, 2009
  • Book Review Digest Plus (H.W. Wilson), Dec.1983-
  • Current Abstracts, 1/1/2000-
  • Historical Abstracts (Online), 3/1/1962-
  • Humanities & Social Sciences Index Retrospective: 1907-1984 (H.W. Wilson), 10/15/1964-7/15/1983
  • Humanities Abstracts (H.W. Wilson), 9/1/1983-
  • Humanities Index (Online), 1983/12-
  • Humanities Index Retrospective: 1907-1984 (H.W. Wilson), 10/15/1964-7/15/1983
  • Humanities International Complete, 1/1/1995-
  • Humanities International Index, 1/1/1995-
  • Humanities Source, 10/15/1964-
  • Humanities Source Ultimate, 10/15/1964-
  • International Bibliography of Theatre & Dance with Full Text, 6/1/1996-
  • Literary Reference Center Plus, 9/1/1992-
  • MLA International Bibliography (Modern Language Association)
  • OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson), 9/1/1983-
  • OmniFile Full Text Select (H.W. Wilson), 9/1/1983-
  • Poetry & Short Story Reference Center, 9/1/1992-
  • RILM Abstracts of Music Literature (Repertoire International de Litterature Musicale)
  • Russian Academy of Sciences Bibliographies
  • Social Sciences Index Retrospective: 1907-1983 (H.W. Wilson), 1964/09-1973/12
  • TOC Premier (Table of Contents), 1/1/1995-
  • Scopus, 2002-, 1977, 1964
  • Book Review Index Plus
  • Gale Academic OneFile, 03/1989-
  • Gale Academic OneFile Select, 03/1989-
  • Gale General OneFile, 03/1989-
  • Gale in Context: College
  • Gale in Context: Elementary
  • Gale OneFile: High School Edition, 03/1989-
  • Gale World Scholar: Latin America and the Caribbean, 3/1989-
  • General Reference Center Gold, 03/1989-
  • General Reference Centre International, 3/1989-
  • InfoTrac Custom, 3/1989-
  • Student Resources in Context, 03/1989-
  • Gale In Context: Canada, 03/1989-
  • Gale in Context: High School
  • ArticleFirst, vol.29, no.1, 1990-vol.49, no.4, 2010
  • Periodical Abstracts, v.28, n.2, 1989-v.49, n.4, 2010
  • Personal Alert (E-mail)
  • Literary Journals Index Full Text
  • Periodicals Index Online
  • Professional ProQuest Central, 07/01/1989-
  • ProQuest 5000, 07/01/1989-
  • ProQuest Central, 07/01/1989-
  • Research Library, 07/01/1989-
  • The Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature (ABELL)

Abstracting & Indexing Sources

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  • Index to Book Reviews in the Humanities   (Ceased)  (Print)
  • MLA Abstracts of Articles in Scholarly Journals   (Ceased)  (Print)
  • The Music Index (Print)   (Ceased)  (Print)

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — William Wordsworth — Romanticism In The Poetry Of William Wordsworth And Percy Shelley

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Romanticism in The Poetry of William Wordsworth and Percy Shelley

  • Categories: Percy Bysshe Shelley Romantic Era William Wordsworth

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Published: Apr 11, 2022

Words: 1047 | Pages: 2 | 6 min read

Works Cited

  • Byron, Lord 'She Walks in Beauty' Lord Byron (George Gordon) – Assorted Poems, 1815 https://blackboard.odessa.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-3181406-dt-content-rid-29456787_1/courses/19SP.ENGL.2323.H70HS/Byron%20-%20Assorted%20poems.pdf
  • Mcgann, Jerome. 'Rethinking Romanticism.' ELH, vol. 59, no. 3, 1992, pp. 735–754. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2873450.
  • Van O'Connor, William. 'Tension and Structure of Poetry.' The Sewanee Review, vol. 51, no. 4, 1943, pp. 555–573. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/27537456.
  • Shelley, Percy.'Ode to the West Wind' -Assorted Poems, 1815  

Should follow an “upside down” triangle format, meaning, the writer should start off broad and introduce the text and author or topic being discussed, and then get more specific to the thesis statement.

Provides a foundational overview, outlining the historical context and introducing key information that will be further explored in the essay, setting the stage for the argument to follow.

Cornerstone of the essay, presenting the central argument that will be elaborated upon and supported with evidence and analysis throughout the rest of the paper.

The topic sentence serves as the main point or focus of a paragraph in an essay, summarizing the key idea that will be discussed in that paragraph.

The body of each paragraph builds an argument in support of the topic sentence, citing information from sources as evidence.

After each piece of evidence is provided, the author should explain HOW and WHY the evidence supports the claim.

Should follow a right side up triangle format, meaning, specifics should be mentioned first such as restating the thesis, and then get more broad about the topic at hand. Lastly, leave the reader with something to think about and ponder once they are done reading.

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Exploring the Depths of Romantic Literary Theory: Insights from Patrick Parrinder’s 1991 Essay

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In his influential 1991 essay, “ The Romantic Criticism of Romantic Criticism ,” Patrick Parrinder delves into the complexities of Romantic literary theory, offering readers a deep dive into the way Romantic critics have engaged with their own era’s literary works. This essay, which you can read in the eNotes Romantic Literary Criticism section, is a critical examination of how Romanticism has shaped literature and reflected upon itself. In this blog post, we will explore the key themes of Parrinder’s analysis and discuss why understanding these themes is crucial for appreciating the Romantic era’s impact on literary criticism. But first, go read the essay, then come back, and let’s discuss!

1. The Nature of Romantic Self-Reflection

One of the central themes Parrinder addresses is the inherent self-reflection within Romantic criticism. As Parrinder points out, Romantic critics were not merely evaluating literature; they were engaging in a form of self-examination, questioning their ideals and the nature of their literary practices. This introspective quality is significant because it reveals how the Romantic movement was not only a literary phenomenon but also a period of intense self-scrutiny and philosophical inquiry.

2. The Role of the Individual in Romantic Criticism

Parrinder also explores the emphasis Romantic criticism places on individual experience and perception. Romantic critics often championed the subjective and personal aspects of literature, valuing individual emotional responses and the unique perspectives of writers. This focus on individuality reflects broader Romantic values, such as the celebration of personal intuition and the belief in the transformative power of the individual imagination.

3. The Influence of Romanticism on Literary Theory

The essay highlights how Romantic criticism has had a lasting impact on literary theory. Romantic critics laid the groundwork for modern discussions about the role of the critic, the nature of literary value, and the relationship between author and text. Parrinder’s examination shows that Romanticism’s self-referential critique helped shape subsequent literary movements and theories, influencing how later critics and theorists approached literature.

4. The Tension Between Idealism and Practical Criticism

Another important theme in Parrinder’s essay is the tension between the idealistic aspirations of Romantic critics and the practical realities of literary criticism. Romantic critics often espoused lofty ideals about the role of literature and the critic’s mission, yet they also had to contend with the practicalities of critiquing a diverse and evolving body of work. This tension underscores the challenges inherent in literary criticism and the often conflicting demands placed on critics.

In Conclusion

Patrick Parrinder’s essay offers valuable insights into the nature of Romantic literary criticism and its enduring influence. By examining the self-reflective nature of Romantic criticism, the emphasis on individual experience, and the impact on literary theory, Parrinder sheds light on the complexities of how Romantic critics engaged with their own scholarly traditions. Understanding these themes not only enhances our appreciation of Romantic literature but also deepens our grasp of the evolution of literary criticism itself.

In exploring Parrinder’s essay, we gain a clearer perspective on how Romanticism has shaped its own era and the future of literary critique. The insights provided in this essay remain relevant, reminding us of the ongoing dialogue between literature and its critics.

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Essays on romanticism?

What are some of the famous or interesting or must read or important essays on romanticism? I can only remember cleanth brooks, jacques barzun and Jonathan culler. Want to widen scope and information. Book suggestions are also welcome if you can tell me which parts to read because almost all books are inconsistent with the erudition

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As a Teenager in Europe, I Went to Nudist Beaches All the Time. 30 Years Later, Would the Experience Be the Same?

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In July 2017, I wrote an article about toplessness for Vogue Italia. The director, actor, and political activist Lina Esco had emerged from the world of show business to question public nudity laws in the United States with 2014’s Free the Nipple . Her film took on a life of its own and, thanks to the endorsement from the likes of Miley Cyrus, Cara Delevingne, and Willow Smith, eventually developed into a whole political movement, particularly on social media where the hashtag #FreeTheNipple spread at lightning speed. The same year as that piece, actor Alyssa Milano tweeted “me too” and encouraged others who had been sexually assaulted to do the same, building on the movement activist Tarana Burke had created more than a decade earlier. The rest is history.

In that Vogue article, I chatted with designer Alessandro Michele about a shared memory of our favorite topless beaches of our youth. Anywhere in Italy where water appeared—be it the hard-partying Riviera Romagnola, the traditionally chic Amalfi coast and Sorrento peninsula, the vertiginous cliffs and inlets of Italy’s continuation of the French Côte d’Azur or the towering volcanic rocks of Sicily’s mythological Riviera dei Ciclopi—one was bound to find bodies of all shapes and forms, naturally topless.

In the ’90s, growing up in Italy, naked breasts were everywhere and nobody thought anything about it. “When we look at our childhood photos we recognize those imperfect breasts and those bodies, each with their own story. I think of the ‘un-beauty’ of that time and feel it is actually the ultimate beauty,” Michele told me.

Indeed, I felt the same way. My relationship with toplessness was part of a very democratic cultural status quo. If every woman on the beaches of the Mediterranean—from the sexy girls tanning on the shoreline to the grandmothers eating spaghetti al pomodoro out of Tupperware containers under sun umbrellas—bore equally naked body parts, then somehow we were all on the same team. No hierarchies were established. In general, there was very little naked breast censorship. Free nipples appeared on magazine covers at newsstands, whether tabloids or art and fashion magazines. Breasts were so naturally part of the national conversation and aesthetic that Ilona Staller (also known as Cicciolina) and Moana Pozzi, two porn stars, cofounded a political party called the Love Party. I have a clear memory of my neighbor hanging their party’s banner out his window, featuring a topless Cicciolina winking.

A lot has changed since those days, but also since that initial 2017 piece. There’s been a feminist revolution, a transformation of women’s fashion and gender politics, the absurd overturning of Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction in New York, the intensely disturbing overturning of Roe v Wade and the current political battle over reproductive rights radiating from America and far beyond. One way or another, the female body is very much the site of political battles as much as it is of style and fashion tastes. And maybe for this reason naked breasts seem to populate runways and street style a lot more than they do beaches—it’s likely that being naked at a dinner party leaves more of a permanent mark than being naked on a glamorous shore. Naked “dressing” seems to be much more popular than naked “being.” It’s no coincidence that this year Saint Laurent, Chloé, Ferragamo, Tom Ford, Gucci, Ludovic de Saint Sernin, and Valentino all paid homage to sheer dressing in their collections, with lacy dresses, see-through tops, sheer silk hosiery fabric, and close-fitting silk dresses. The majority of Anthony Vaccarello’s fall 2024 collection was mostly transparent. And even off the runway, guests at the Saint Laurent show matched the mood. Olivia Wilde appeared in a stunning see-through dark bodysuit, Georgia May Jagger wore a sheer black halter top, Ebony Riley wore a breathtaking V-neck, and Elsa Hosk went for translucent polka dots.

In some strange way, it feels as if the trends of the ’90s have swapped seats with those of today. When, in 1993, a 19-year-old Kate Moss wore her (now iconic) transparent, bronze-hued Liza Bruce lamé slip dress to Elite Model Agency’s Look of the Year Awards in London, I remember seeing her picture everywhere and feeling in awe of her daring and grace. I loved her simple sexy style, with her otherworldly smile, the hair tied back in a bun. That very slip has remained in the collective unconscious for decades, populating thousands of internet pages, but in remembering that night Moss admitted that the nude look was totally unintentional: “I had no idea why everyone was so excited—in the darkness of Corinne [Day’s] Soho flat, the dress was not see-through!” That’s to say that nude dressing was usually mostly casual and not intellectualized in the context of a larger movement.

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But today nudity feels loaded in different ways. In April, actor and author Julia Fox appeared in Los Angeles in a flesh-colored bra that featured hairy hyper-realist prints of breasts and nipples, and matching panties with a print of a sewn-up vagina and the words “closed” on it, as a form of feminist performance art. Breasts , an exhibition curated by Carolina Pasti, recently opened as part of the 60th Venice Biennale at Palazzo Franchetti and showcases works that span from painting and sculpture to photography and film, reflecting on themes of motherhood, empowerment, sexuality, body image, and illness. The show features work by Cindy Sherman, Robert Mapplethorpe, Louise Bourgeois, and an incredible painting by Bernardino Del Signoraccio of Madonna dell’Umiltà, circa 1460-1540. “It was fundamental for me to include a Madonna Lactans from a historical perspective. In this intimate representation, the Virgin reveals one breast while nurturing the child, the organic gesture emphasizing the profound bond between mother and child,” Pasti said when we spoke.

Through her portrayal of breasts, she delves into the delicate balance of strength and vulnerability within the female form. I spoke to Pasti about my recent musings on naked breasts, which she shared in a deep way. I asked her whether she too noticed a disparity between nudity on beaches as opposed to the one on streets and runways, and she agreed. Her main concern today is around censorship. To Pasti, social media is still far too rigid around breast exposure and she plans to discuss this issue through a podcast that she will be launching in September, together with other topics such as motherhood, breastfeeding, sexuality, and breast cancer awareness.

With summer at the door, it was my turn to see just how much of the new reread on transparency would apply to beach life. In the last few years, I noticed those beaches Michele and I reminisced about have grown more conservative and, despite being the daughter of unrepentant nudists and having a long track record of militant topless bathing, I myself have felt a bit more shy lately. Perhaps a woman in her 40s with two children is simply less prone to taking her top off, but my memories of youth are populated by visions of bare-chested mothers surveilling the coasts and shouting after their kids in the water. So when did we stop? And why? When did Michele’s era of “un-beauty” end?

In order to get back in touch with my own naked breasts I decided to revisit the nudist beaches of my youth to see what had changed. On a warm day in May, I researched some local topless beaches around Rome and asked a friend to come with me. Two moms, plus our four children, two girls and two boys of the same ages. “Let’s make an experiment of this and see what happens,” I proposed.

The kids all yawned, but my friend was up for it. These days to go topless, especially on urban beaches, you must visit properties that have an unspoken nudist tradition. One of these in Rome is the natural reserve beach at Capocotta, south of Ostia, but I felt a bit unsure revisiting those sands. In my memory, the Roman nudist beaches often equated to encounters with promiscuous strangers behind the dunes. I didn’t want to expose the kids, so, being that I am now a wise adult, I went ahead and picked a compromise. I found a nude-friendly beach on the banks of the Farfa River, in the rolling Sabina hills.

We piled into my friend’s car and drove out. The kids were all whining about the experiment. “We don’t want to see naked mums!” they complained. “Can’t you just lie and say you went to a nudist beach?”

We parked the car and walked across the medieval fairy-tale woods until we reached the path that ran along the river. All around us were huge trees and gigantic leaves. It had rained a lot recently and the vegetation had grown incredibly. We walked past the remains of a Roman road. The colors all around were bright green, the sky almost fluorescent blue. The kids got sidetracked by the presence of frogs. According to the indications, the beach was about a mile up the river. Halfway down the path, we bumped into a couple of young guys in fanny packs. I scanned them for signs of quintessential nudist attitude, but realized I actually had no idea what that was. I asked if we were headed in the right direction to go to “the beach”. They nodded and gave us a sly smile, which I immediately interpreted as a judgment about us as mothers, and more generally about our age, but I was ready to vindicate bare breasts against ageism.

We reached a small pebbled beach, secluded and bordered by a huge trunk that separated it from the path. A group of girls was there, sharing headphones and listening to music. To my dismay they were all wearing the tops and bottoms of their bikinis. One of them was in a full-piece bathing suit and shorts. “See, they are all wearing bathing suits. Please don’t be the weird mums who don’t.”

At this point, it was a matter of principle. My friend and I decided to take our bathing suits off completely, if only for a moment, and jumped into the river. The boys stayed on the beach with full clothes and shoes on, horrified. The girls went in behind us with their bathing suits. “Are you happy now? my son asked. “Did you prove your point?”

I didn’t really know what my point actually was. I think a part of me wanted to feel entitled to those long-gone decades of naturalism. Whether this was an instinct, or as Pasti said, “an act that was simply tied to the individual freedom of each woman”, it was hard to tell. At this point in history, the two things didn’t seem to cancel each other out—in fact, the opposite. Taking off a bathing suit, at least for my generation who never had to fight for it, had unexpectedly turned into a radical move and maybe I wanted to be part of the new discourse. Also, the chances of me going out in a fully sheer top were slim these days, but on the beach it was different. I would always fight for an authentic topless experience.

After our picnic on the river, we left determined to make our way—and without children—to the beaches of Capocotta. In truth, no part of me actually felt very subversive doing something I had been doing my whole life, but it still felt good. Once a free breast, always a free breast.

This article was originally published on British Vogue .

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