Scarica the romantic age e la rivoluzione industriale in inghilterra nel 1700/1800 e più Appunti in PDF di Inglese solo su Docsity! The Romantic Age The period extended from the first publication of Lyrical Ballads (1798) to the death of Walter Scott (1832). It represented a reaction against the neo-classical and rationalist ideas of the 18th century and was characterized by the “rediscovery of imagination”. It was mainly an age of poetry: it became spontaneous and individual, and the language used became simpler; in fact poets were persuaded that true poetry should be free from any classical rules. The free use of language was not only the result of a reaction against Neo-classicism but also a consequence of the spread of the revolutionary ideals of “liberty, fraternity and equality”. Poetry was to become popular and not only for the better educated. It was to reach a greater number of readers. Romantic poets conveyed their emotions and feelings in their works. The lyric poem written in the first person became a major Romantic form. Romantic poetry often dealt with nature but nature was not described for its own sake but as stimulus to thinking so Romantic “nature poems” were meditative poems. Nature was seen as a living entity which shared the feelings of the observer. Many Romantic writers agreed that man’s mind had access to the infinite through a special faculty they called imagination. The Romantic poets had the tendency to look inside their souls and to project their emotions on nature. They had an elevated conception of poetry, which must help to understand the mystery beyond the real or to spread a message of regeneration and freedom. The poets of the first generation thought that poetry should have a didactic purpose and that the poet’s task was to be a guide for mankind and to help people create a better world. The poets of the second generation thought that the poet could improve society but they rejected conventional moral rules and couldn’t come to terms with society. They felt alienated from it and challenged any form of authority. Their alienation takes the form of titanism or of victimization. Another feature of Romantic poetry was the tension between the real and the ideal in a continuous search for perfection which, being impossible, leads to melancholy and a feeling of disillusionment and dissatisfaction. They had the cult of feeling seen in opposition to reason, which was not seen as a source of truth. Romantic poets idealized childhood as the best period in man’s life and used symbols and images to convey their inner visionary perception.
