The Romantic Age, Summary PDF

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THE ROMANTIC AGE (1760-1837) – HISTORICAL BACKGROUND It can be set in the period of time between 1760 (when George III became the King of England) and 1837 (when William IV died and his 18-years-old daughter, Victoria, became the Queen of England  beginning of the Victorian Age). Defined as “the age of Revolutions” due to the occurring of 3 important revolutions: the American Revolution (1775-1783), the French Revolution (1789-1799) and the Industrial Revolution (1760-1840).

The American Revolution (1775-1783): George III decided to impose on his subjects some new taxes (corn, paper and tea) because he had to reduce the public debt caused by the enormous militar expenses during the “7 Years War” against France. Colonies rejected these new taxes because they already had to face with the strict control on the trades (Navigation Act, 1651  every trade with colonies had to be done only by using British ships)  they started thinking they should only have payed taxes imposed by local governments (“no taxation without representation”  colonies were not included in the English Parliament). Boston Tea Party (1773): a group of rebels, dressed up like native Americans, started throwing all the tea imported from India into the sea  colonists splitted in two factions: Patriots (independentist faction) and Loyalists (wanted to remain subjected to England)  Patriots set up an army, ruled by George Washington, and the War of Independence started (1775). 4th July 1776: the 13 colonies met to sign the Declaration of Independence (written by the lawyer Thomas Jefferson), which claimes that everyone had a natural right to “life, freedom and the pursuit of happiness” (basis of modern constitutions)  the 13 colonies formed the Confederation of the United States of America and the English Government realized that trying to rule a country without the public consent was actually impossible. 1781: Washington defeated the British Army and England, through the Treaty of Versailler (1783), recognised the independence of the Confederation, which became a symbol of “new start”  where everyone could have started a new life. After the loss of America, George III asked William Pitt (the Younger) to become the Prime Minister of England (1783)  he tried to simplify the financial system, reduce the national debt and prevent other rebellions  he defeated the independentist “Society of Irishmen” (1798) and with the Act of Union (1801), Ireland and Britain formed “the New United Kingdom”.

The French Revolution (1789-1799): the spreading of the Enlightenment’s Principles (“Freedom, Equality, Fraternity) made the French people abolish the monarchy (1792)  they declared their own country as a Republic. 1793 – the Reign of Terror: the Royal Family and thousands of people linked to them started to be considered as public enemies France declared war on Britain and Holland (France had a weak navy, but was actually unbeatable on land fighting)  Napoleone Bonaparte collected several militar successes and in 1797 he had already defeated much of Europe, ruling France as a Military Dictator. After some years Napoleon’s victories started to be balanced by Britain’s supremacy at sea (Horatio Nelson and the Duke of Wellington)  Napoleon’s power, after the disastrous invasion of Russia, literally fell apart and the Duke of Wellington defeated him at the Battle of Waterloo (1815). The costs of the war were huge: soldiers and sailors returned home and found out that high taxes and industrial changes were causing misery  riots in the cities: Luddism (people who, following Ned Ludd, started destroying the machinery which ha d took away their works)  this unrest obliged the governments to control the populations strictly, for example forbidding them to met in assemblies and silencing the freedom of expression.

The Industrial Revolution (1760-1840): it changed the British economy (development) and caused a social transformation (England shifted from being an agricultural nation to an insutrialized one).

It’s caused by the presence of big capitals ready to be invested on, the availability of raw materials (from colonies and in England itself), the new inventions (James Watt’s steam engine) and an excellent trade network to move the goods produced in factories to the cities. Urbanization: people moved from countryside to citied because the farms held by poor people couldn’t afford the competition to the ones held by rich people  these rich people bought a lot of lands, enlarging their farms where they already were using machinery to work. Workers’ Life (Factories): industrial cities lacked elementary public services (water-supply, sanitation, street cleaning)  air and water became polluted by smoke and filth and the cities, due to the massive urbanization, became overcrowded.

THE ROMANTIC AGE – LITERATURE In the second half of the 18th century a new sensibility emerged: new generations of poets established new trends but without laying down a “program of rules”. Early 18th century poets dealt with impersonal subjects exposed through a noble eloquence  new poets tended to more subjective materials, moving towards the expression of a lyrical experience of life (Romantic Poets were actually less intellectual then Augustan Potes, but more emotional). Poetry became reflective: expression of the contrast between the noisy activity of industrial towns and the serenity of the countryside  growing interest in leading an humble and simple life  interest on melancholy, linked to the news tastes for desolation, graveyards and ancient castles  poets felt the necessity of escaping from the present reality. New Concept of Nature: classical view of nature as an abstract concept ruled by divine laws and controllable by man through the reason’s power replaced by the idea of nature seen as a real and living being  refuge for the poet, place to escape from the greyness of the ordinary life + source of inspiration  cult of the exotic: what is away both in space and in time. The Sublime: distintion between beautiful and sublime  Burke’s view: “the sublime is whatever which can excite the ideas of pain and fear”  strongest emotions, there is an intrinsic pleasure in such feelings. The Imagination: new poetry based on the expression of the emotional experience and individual feelings  imagination gained a primary role in the poet’s composition: through it, the poet could see beyond surface reality and discover a truth hidden over the power of reason  imagination allowed the poet to modify the external world. The Child: ideals linked to the Noble Savage Theory, of J.J. Rousseau: “everything which is primitive and natural is purer because it’s nearer to God”  interest about the childhood (considered only like a temporary state which led to the adulthood, during the Augustan Age)  the child is purer than the adult because he’s not spoilt by civilization. New Role of The Poet: seen as “a man among men”, but endued of a greater sensibility and a sharper mind  he had to follow the humans during their lifes leading them to freedom, beauty and truth. Poetic Technique: breaking free from models and rules of the Augustan Age  new individual style, characterized by the choice of a language and subjects more suitabile to poetry (constrat with the “Poetic Diction” of the Augustan Age)  symbols and images lost their decorative functions, gaining a vital roles as vehicles of visionary perceptions....