Characteristics and Features of Romantic Age

        For over a century the classical convention are apply to the English poetry, but with the publication of Lyrical Ballads in 1798, there was a new trend in the English poetry. The new tendency called ‘Romanticism’. Before this the Elizabethan Age [1558-1603] was known as first Romantic Period. The age of Wordsworth [1798-1830] was known as Romantic Revival.  The word Romanticism has been defined variously by various writers –

 

“The addition of strangeness to Beauty.” – Walter Pater

“The Renaissance of wonder.” ¬– Dunton

“Liberalism in Literature.” – Victor Hugo 

“Liberty of imagination.” – Herford 

CLICK HERE to Find other Definition of Romanticism.

CLICK HERE for Romanticism as “The addition of strangeness to Beauty.” Or “The Renaissance of wonder.”

Subjectivity:

        All the romantic literature is subjective. It is an expression of the urges (feeling) of the soul of an artist. The poet does not care for the rules and regulations, but gives free expression to his emotions. It is a freedom of individual soul from bondage of custom. In Romanticism emphases is laid inspiration and intuition rather than observance of set rules. The romantic poetry is fanciful and introspective. Such tendency gives us a lot of various Romantic Poetry.

Spontaneity:

      Romantic poetry is – “a spontaneous overflow of powerful passions.” The Romantic Poets are gifted with a strong organic sensibility. They Feels more than there are to see. Even an ordinary object or incidents excite theirs imagination. They set up in him powerful passions. Poetry for him is not a craft but inspiration. Even the form also not important for them. Wordsworth’s poetry is full of spontaneity and imagination.

Love of Nature:

       The notable feature of this movement is love of nature. We find zest for the beauties of the external world in the poetry of the period. The Romantics carry us away from the suffocating atmosphere of the cities to the fresh and beautiful world of nature. Wordsworth was a sincere devotee of nature. To him ‘nature was the teacher.’ 

Revolt against Classicism or Simplicity in theme and treatment:

    The romantic period is a strong revolt against the Neo-Classicism. The common men are the centre of interest of new poetry. The Romantic treats the common men with all sympathy. They also use his language for their purposes. They hate poetic diction or artificial style of Pope. Wordsworth believes that there is no essential difference between the language of poetry and of prose.

Emphases on Inherent dignity and nobility of Men:

     Those love of nature leads to love of those who live in her lap. The Romantics have instinct for the elemental simplicities of life. Their hearts overflow with the sympathy for the poor and downtrodden. They glorify the innocence simplicity of common men. They find divine in man. They plea for equal rights for the himself. Therefore the Romantic movement became a part of general democratic movement. Wordsworth’s ‘The solitary Reaper’ is an ideal example. Even P. B. Shelly also favors the spirit of freedom and equality.

Love of Supernatural:

       This feature is especially related with Coleridge. Before Coleridge during the Elizabethan Age Spencer, Marlowe and Shakespeare also try to deal with supernatural. The Romantics are very much alive to wonder, mystery and beauty of universe. He feels presence of unseen powers in nature. To him unseen world is more real than the world of scenes. The supernatural has a special charm for him. He is attracted by the stories of ferries, ghosts and whitchcrast. Coleridge has given us fine poems containing these elements. His ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ ‘Kubla Khan’ and ‘Christabel’ all belong to it.

Melancholy:

        A Romantic is dissatisfied individual (person).  He may be dissatisfied with:

(1) The circumstances of his own life.

(2) Literary convention and tradition of the day.

(3) The general fate of humanity.

      Therefore, romantic poetry is often pessimistic in tone. A Romantic poet may be revolt against the present conditions. He may be tried to escape in to an imaginative world of his own creation. Shelley’s ‘Ode to Westwind’ suggests the feeling. Coleridge escapes in to the Middle Ages and creates his own world of imagination. Thus, the remote and distance and unknown delight him for this very reason.

Craving for Past:

      We find the craving for the past I the poetry of Romantic poetry. It leads the poets to experiment with the meters and poetic forms. The Spenserians Stanza, the ballad meter, the blank verse, the lyric, the odes, the sonnets are all revived. Shelly, Keats, Byron wrote a beautiful lyric, odes, ballads etc.

Conclusion:

     Thus English romanticism is born as a revolt and revival. It is a revolt against eighteenth century traditions and conventions and it is revival of ancient meters and ancient masters of poetry.

Literary Features Of The Victorian Age

Introduction:

          The Victorian age was the one of the most remarkable period in the history of English literature. This age does not begin to year in which Queen Victoria Ruled in England, but Victorianism means an attitude to life and things. This age was also called as the age of Tennyson, because its limit concedes with the limit of his creative life. He is the most representative writer of his time and the mirror of his age. The age witnessed the flowery of the poetry in the hands of the most of poet. It marked the growth of English Novel. It also leads on the foundation of English prose on surer footing.

A Note of Individuality:

       A Note of Individuality is the hallmark of the Victorian Literature.   The literary figures of the period had Originality in Outlook, Character and style. Tennyson loved to sing a song of Independence. In the novels of Dickens we find Originality. The Works of the Bronte Sisters were unique in style. The writing of charlotte, Browning and others were full of enthusiasm and spirit.

The Great Age of Prose and Novel:

      Indeed the Victorian was age of prose and the novel. Though the age produced many poets. It was the remarkable Age of Prose and Novel. The novel of the age enjoyed the same status as the drama of the Elizabethan age. We don’t find that in any age of language. The novel had appeared in such a number and such perfection. There was a host of such a novelist. It includes Charles Dickens, Thackeray, George Eliot, The Bronte sisters and so on.  The prose writer was Carlyle. John Ruskin, Arnold and Others.

A Deep Moral Note:

       One of the remarkable qualities of the Victorian literature is that it had a deep moral note. The responsible reason for it was the development of science. Darwin’s theory of Evolution created doubts regarding God. Both in prose and poetry there was a departing from the purely artistic standard. It was for a certain moral purpose. Tennyson, Browning, Carlyle, Ruskin were primarily interested for their country man. They were inspired by a conscious moral purpose. They wanted to uplift their fellowmen. Even Charles Dickens, Thackeray, George Eliot also wrote with the same tendency. 

The Reflection of Social and Political Life:

       The literature of the age was co-related with the social and political life of the period. The Victorian literary artists were inspired by the social zeal.  They wanted to represent the problem of their own age. The poet of the pre Raphaelite school was an exception Because of it the Victorian literature is the literature of the realism. It becomes an instrument of social reform and social propaganda. It was purposeful and deductive. 

 Art for Art’s shake:

      Mostly the literature of the period was the full of morality and socialism. There was reaction against such a tendency. A group of poet reacted against it. They were Pre-Raphaelite poets. They got inspiration from the middle ages. They wrote about the beauty and glory of past. They were in favor of the original purpose of literature – “to give aesthetic pleasure.”

A note of Pessimism and Optimism:

       A note of pessimism, doubt and despair runs through the literature. It is especially noticed in the poetry of Matthew Arnold and A. H. Clough. Newman Carlyle, Ruskin found everything dark and despaired. Though the note of pessimism runs through the literature, it cannot be pessimistic. Some writers were optimist and associated the age with the peace, progress and prosperity. A note of optimism reflected in the poetry of Browning. Ruskin’s Writings were full of optimism. Dickens, Thackeray, George Eliot inspire us with their faith and humanity. Tennyson did not lose his faith in human virtue.

The Spirit of Patriotism and Idealism:

      The note of patriotism runs through the Victorian Age. Tennyson, Dickens and others were inspired by the national pride. There was a sense of greatness of England in their work. A note of I idealism is reflected in the poetry of Browning.

Revival of Interest in Past:

       The Victorians were interested in the contemporary social and political life, yet they were fascinated by the old ages. Some of writers and poets had an effect of romanticism. They had romantic thrust for beauty, love and art. It had affected the work of Tennyson.

    The Pre Raphaelite remained unaffected toward middle ages. Oxford movement which was based on spiritual romanticism. Keble and Newman was the pioneer of the movement. Just as romanticism went back to old tradition and feeling, in same way Oxford Movement reforms and refreshed the religious life by return to past. Walter Pater and Oscar Wild were the pioneer of esthetic movement which was the reaction against utilitarianism. 

The Age of Compromise:

      The Victorian age was the age of Compromise. The Age is of the social changes. The old and new brings compromise between the divergent tendencies and conflict forces. In the field of political life there was compromise between the democracy and monarchy. The Victorian age was the age of materialism yet people did not loss their faith in religion.  So there was compromise between the religion and materialism. Romantic Revival had shown interest in nature and art as the subject matter of art. But the Victorian age exhibits very interesting and complex mixture of opposing elements. They were Romanticism and Classicism; Idealism and Imagism. 

Conclusion:

      In short we can say that, the Victorian age was full of literary activates and compromise. It was complex and the traditions of literature were really remarkable.