Evaluate the Major English Romantic Poets and their contribution to English poetry.

Question: Evaluate the Major English Romantic Poets and their contribution to English poetry.

Or, Assess the contribution of the great romantic poets to the development of English Poetry.

The year 1798 to 1830 is officially known as the age of Romanticism in English literature. A new band of poets appeared with new kinds of poetry in theme and style. At the close of the 18th century, the interest in social condition changed towards love for nature. 18th century poets wrote about man and society. Their poetry was a criticism of life and society. In 18th century poetry "nature" meant "human nature" feeling of joys, sorrows, happiness and unhappiness etc. were reflected in their poetry. But in the 19th century, the interest of the poets turned from society to nature and to them "nature" meant the world of leaves, trees and flowers. By "nature" they meant the common phenomena of earth, air and sea. The murmuring of the river, the chirping in the forest, the vast ocean, the eternal mountain, and the world of leaves, trees and flowers make one single whole - nature. The 19th century romantic poets glorify the beauty of nature. Thus, a return to nature has become the major movement of the romantic age.

The romantic poets - Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelley, Keats, Byron, explored the classical writers and appeared with freedom of imagination and scrutinized nature. Romantic poets wrote about natural and supernatural objects in their poetry. They glorified common man, common objects of nature, and the beauty of nature in their poetry. Romantic poetry shows a nostalgic feeling for the things of the past. The poets take us far from the society into the heart of nature. In other words, romantic poetry shows man's love for Mother Nature. In fact, nature is glorified and amplified in romantic poetry. Romantic poets are individual in their treatment of nature. They romanticized nature - the beauty, the colour, the smell of natural phenomena is tellingly portrayed by the romantic poets.

 In the new age of the romantic poets, their observation becomes more matured and intimate. For example, to Wordsworth nature is not only a procession of seasons and seasonal fruition, it is the eye of all things natural and supernatural, where one can behold the spirit that inhabits all things.

"I have felt a sense sublime

Of something far more deeply interfused.

Whose dwelling is the light of setting sun,

And the round ocean and the living, air,

And the blue sky, and in the mind of man.

A motion and a spirit that impels

All thinking things, all objects of all though,

And rolls through all things." [Tintern Abbey]

The romantic poets were basically poets of nature. The ingredients of romantic sensibility also existed before 1798. But the new band of poets found for it an authentic voice, touch and intensity. The novel elements in the lyrical Ballads were defined by Wordsworth in the preface. The romantic poetry was predominantly imaginative literature with emphasis on subjective experience. This subjectivity is amply amplified by the romantic poets. The romantic poets gave importance to their imagination and feeling. They had faith in their imagination. Wordsworth super-naturalised the natural and Coleridge naturalised the supernatural. In fact, the significant features of romanticism like sensuousness, love for beauty, escapism, nostalgia, medievalism etc found a romantic expression in the works of the romantic poets. Romantic opened a new chapter in the history of English poetry. They brought about an alternative poetry to the traditional English poetry. They could create a new taste in the readers regarding poets and poetry. As poetry became more subjective, literature began to be defined as imaginative. Thus the post romantic prose of Carlyle, Ruskin and Newman is more literary than the rational prose of J. S. Mill. Even in fiction the key note is often set by imaginative natural description as in the novel of the Brontes