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
