why was the natural world romantic poetry's primary subject course hero

by Garrick Corkery 9 min read

What are the elements of Romanticism in literature?

The romantic elements are reverence for nature, reliance on instinct, nostalgia for the past, value on individualism, expression of strong emotions, development of everyday objects or people as subject matter, and the gothic. The favorite subjects for the Romantic poets were?

What are the characteristics of English Romantic poetry?

Majority of the representatives of English Romantic Poetry were well-known for their love for nature. The romanticists focused their poetic interest on the pure nature, particularly on its clear and often wild locality.

What is the connection between romantic poetry and Gothic literature?

As the nature itself was an imperfect, confusing and beautiful phenomenon, the poet had a mission to bravely confront the chaos nature represented and try to incorporate poetic order into it. We can make a clear connection between supernatural elements in Romantic poetry and Gothic, as both of them are closely related.

How does the poet’s contact with nature and supernatural elements evoked feelings?

The poet’s contact with the natural and the supernatural elements evoked the communication with the highest forces of the universe. Encountering nature produced the same type of feelings as encountering God.

What did romantic poets love?

Majority of the representatives of English Romantic Poetry were well-known for their love for nature. The romanticists focused their poetic interest on the pure nature, particularly on its clear and often wild locality. Contrary to the classicists which understood nature as a space in which the order was implemented by humans themselves, the romanticists reject the tiniest possibility of human intervention and transformation of nature. The natural, according to Romanticism is something beyond human reach.To romanticists, nature represented a main source of inspiration and ethical comprehension of the essence of a human being. In nature they often found comfort and sense of life, and to some of them nature represented a manifestation of divinity or divinity itself.Romanticists saw nature as a destination far away from the cities, a breath of fresh air, a possibility, the feeling of being free and able to move anywhere, an ideal of a free, natural person.There was a strong reciprocal connection between a man and nature, and the nature itself did not attract people just because of its pure beauty, but also because it offered a possibility of moral and physical health. Majority of English towns were already highly polluted at the time when romanticists revolted against that annihilation of human race and first started advocating what is today called ecological consciousness. The poet’s contact with the natural and the supernatural elements evoked the communication with the highest forces of the universe. Encountering nature produced the same type of feelings as encountering God. As the nature itself was an imperfect, confusing and beautiful phenomenon, the poet had a mission to bravely confront the chaos nature represented and try to incorporate poetic order into it.

Who was the first romantic writer?

Coleridge is widely considered as the initiator of the Romantic movement together with William Wordsworth. He was an extremely gifted and highly imaginative writer who had an appropriate mind for philosophical speculations, he was also a man of wide culture and a prominent literary critic. He had a major influence on English poetry in the generations after him.Coleridge was born in Ottery Saint Mary, Devonshire. He studied in London, at Christ’s Hospital, where he met Charles Lamb, a critic and essayist who remained his friend for the rest of his life. In 1791 he was accepted at the Cambridge University, but left after two years without graduating. After settling in London he met Robert Southey, with whom he planned on establishing an ideal society in America based on a model of communism which would be comprised of only twelve men and women. They did not realize the idea and he ended up marrying Sarah Fricker in 1789. In 1797 he established a friendship with William Wordsworth. They then went on to publish “Lyrical Ballads” in 1798, a work which is deemed as a manifest of English romanticism. Coleridge and Wordsworth travelled around Germany, where they found interest in Immanuel Kant. Coleridge had problems with his lungs which led to a high consumption of opium, which then turned into addiction he could not overcome for the rest of his life. His excessive use of opium may why his works are pervaded by supernatural elements and why they may appear as a byproduct of hallucinations that occur after opium consumption.

What is the final act of the poem "Christabel"?

In the final act poet becomes a potentially dangerous being, overwhelmed by the strength of inspiration and the people around him consider him a lunatic who lost his mind.Supernatural in the Poem “Christabel”The sole plot of this poem demonstrates Coleridge’s vocation for supernatural and fantastic.

What are some examples of Gothic and Romantic poetry?

Examples of supernatural beings include ghosts, spirits and phantoms, as well as witches, ...

Who wrote the supernatural poem?

Supernatural in the Poems of Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)Upon publishing “Lyrical Ballads” Wordsworth and Coleridge decided they will each deal with a certain task, Wordsworth was to write about natural, while Coleridge dealt with the supernatural. This meant that there were actually two tendencies present among romanticists, one towards the real world, and the other towards the transcendental, supernatural word.

Is Gothic a Romantic or Romantic?

Gothic is often considered as a subgenre of Romantic poetry. The Gothic was in a way revived with the emergence of Romanticism, especially in England, in both literature and architecture.Thanks to its compelling blend of fascinating and frightening, Gothic inspired artists and in a way paved the way for supernatural in romantic poetry, as both Gothicand the supernatural referred to beings and events that do not fit within the excepted confines of nature. One of the most recognizable features of Gothic which is also present in the Romantic poetry are castles. Their frightening exteriors, candlelit corridors and haunted hallways provide an ideal background for constructing so many Gothic and Romantic plots. Examples of supernatural beings include ghosts, spirits and phantoms, as well as witches, goblins and poltergeists, and may refer to any other occurrences that defy easy explanation or classification. Some poets seem to require readers to believe wholeheartedly in ghosts and spirits, while others offered logical explanations for seemingly supernatural events. The supernatural has of course been exploited for centuries, for examples texts such as “Macbeth” had the presence of witches and “Doctor Faustus” the devil himself.”That Gothicism is closely related to Romanticism is perfectly clear, but it is easier to state the fact than to prove it tidily and convincingly. There is a persistent suspicion that Gothicism is a poor and probably illegitimate relation of Romanticism, and a consequent tendency to treat it that way. There are those, indeed, who would like to deny the relationship altogether.

Who did William Wordsworth marry?

They did not realize the idea and he ended up marrying Sarah Fricker in 1789. In 1797 he established a friendship with William Wordsworth. They then went on to publish “Lyrical Ballads” in 1798, a work which is deemed as a manifest of English romanticism.

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