Characteristics of romantic poetry [The poetry of the early 19th century] (2023)

Updated June 22, 2022

Romantic poetry developed as a movement against neoclassical poetry. Therefore, the characteristics of romantic poetry are very diverse. Poets such as William Wordsworth, P. B. Shelley, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, John Keats, Lord Byron, and several others introduced a type of poetry different in style, subject matter, and sensibility to that of John Dryden and Alexandr Pope.

Literary legends also refer to Romantic poetry as "the return to nature," which lasted from about 1800 to 1850. Romantic poets emphasized imagination, passion, emotion, nature, and the life of the common man, who they became characteristics of romantic poetry. Although the neoclassical poets emphasized reason and diction, they were in contrast to the romantic poets.

Romantic poetry of this period also placed special emphasis on humanity, brotherhood, equality, liberty, and the freedom of the individual. Seeking relief from the turmoil of the 18th century^ºCentury in the life of the Middle Ages is another important feature of romantic poetry. Many of these traits passed into later times.victorian poetry.

Characteristics of romantic poetry

Literary analysts point to certain attributes and identify them as characteristic of romantic poetry. In general, the poetry of the Romantic Era was free writing and, unlike neoclassical poetry, was not governed by set rules. Breaking the established poetic lines of neoclassicism and plunging into infinite space was the norm of romantic poetry. For the most part, you would see the following characteristics of poetry in the romantic era:

(a) Reaction against neoclassicism

The beginning of romantic poetry was the movement against neoclassical poetry. It was marked by a strong backlash and protest against being subject to established norms and customs. Neoclassical poetry was a product of intellect and reason, while romantic poetry is more a product of emotion. Therefore, romantic poetry is in stark contrast to neoclassical poetry.

(b) Emotions were the key to romantic poetry

Romantic poetry is rich in emotion. Romantic poets emphasized the expression of subjective feelings, and it is usually the poets' personal experience and intuition that take the form of a poem. For example,WordsworthsThe description of a lonely, beautiful girl who sings a popular song while mowing the lawn becomes her famous poem, The Solitary Reaper.

Likewise, "Daffodils" is a poem by Wordsworth, describing the beauty of a variety of pretty flowers, which the poet remembers sitting in his room many days after visiting this place. Romantic poets chose to express emotions of various kinds through their poems, which was completely absent during neoclassical poetry.

(c) Gloomy Ton

It is one of the essential elements of romantic poetry. Romantic poets often put it in their poems. It is also an important source of inspiration for romantic poets. In Ode to a Nightingale, Keats wrote:

…………………………………………… many times
I was half in love with easy death
She called him sweet names in many wise rhymes,
take my breath still in the air;
Now more than ever it seems to die rich,
Surrender at midnight without pain.

(d) Imagination was paramount in romantic poetry.

In addition to emotions, the poets of the romantic period also indulged in much fantasy and mysticism in their poems. Coleridge is appreciated for his intense imagination. The poet called this "the willing suspension of disbelief," which led him to write poetry about the strange, the supernatural, and the dark.

Samuel Coleridge's works such as The Rime of Ancient Mariners and Kubla Khan show the poet's brilliance in recreating a fantasy world with fascinating characters and incredible settings. In the words of John Keats: "What the imagination apprehends as beauty must be true.„

Romantic poets used "a certain coloring of the imagination" to portray ordinary subjects as unusual, mystical, and sometimes supernatural.

(e) Nature was central to romantic poetry

Another important feature of romantic poetry is nature. The romantic poets moved away from the congested concrete streets of the city towards meadows, seas, mountains and valleys. The poets touch on different aspects of nature and each time bring them into a new form. But nature remains the spirit of all romantic poetry.Wordsworthhe is popularly known as the "nature poet".

Wordsworth's poetry represents a spiritual connection to Mother Nature, who is a kind and nurturing force for all humanity. Keats sees a sense of beauty in nature and his many 'odes' reflect his poetic sensibility. The natural world in Shelley's poetry is wilder and sometimes crueler. In general, romantic poets looked to nature for inspiration, guidance, and imagination.

(f) Supernatural

You can easily trace the supernatural element in most romantic poetry. For example, Samuel Taylor Coleridge is the main romantic poet and the Kubla Khan of him is full of supernatural elements.

(f) Common expression (easy to understand)

Romantic poetry is also distinguished by its diction. The poets wrote "in a variety of languages ​​actually used by men." Romantic poetry is usually written in a melancholic tone and is characterized by "simplicity of expression". The poets made liberal use of personification, imagery, and similes, but language was easily understood by the common man.

Romantic poets argued that the diction of neoclassical poetry was incomprehensible to commoners and became very prosaic. So the romantic poets discarded the redundant language of Dryden and Pope and began to use language and meter directly. But the poets made sure that the peasant language was not inferior or vulgar, but rhythmically expressive.

Romantic poetry at the end.

In conclusion, it can be said that it was an attempt to flee from the pretentious intellectualism of the August era. The poets included "the primary laws of our nature" to emphasize the "essential passions of the heart" using "low and rustic life." Added to this were the liberal ideologies of the French Revolution (1789). Thus, romantic poetry ushered in a new era of simplistic, mystical, and lyrical poems designed to bring "immediate pleasure" to the reader.

The publication of William Wordsworth's Lyrical Ballad in 1798 marked the beginning of Romantic poetry. The Lyrical Ballads was a collection of new style poetry composed by Wordsworth and Coleridge. These poems were written in everyday language and covered a wide range of topics, including birds, sailors, landscapes, and others.

In the preface to Lyrical Ballads, Wordsworth referred to poetry: "Poetry is a spontaneous overflow of strong feelings: it springs from emotions collected in stillness.Obviously, Wordsworth's comments say a lot about the romance.

Frequently asked questions about the characteristics of romantic poetry

OutsideCharacteristics of romantic poetrySobliteraturepublications

• Early 19th century prose or romantic prose
• The legendary John Keats as a prolific romantic poet
• Wiki Biography of PB Shelley as a famous poet of the Romantic era
• The legendary William Wordsworth as a nature poet in the age of the novel
• Anglo-Indian Henry Louis Vivian Derozio as Romantic poet