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Home , Percy Bysshe Shelley, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Wordsworth

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Subject: ENGLISH Class: B.A. Part 1 English Hons., Paper-1, Group B Topic: Romantic Lecture No: 12

By: Prof. Sunita Sinha Head, Department of English Women’s College Samastipur L.N.M.U., Darbhanga Email: [email protected] Website: www.sunitasinha.com Mob No: 9934917117

ROMANTIC POETS

Romanticism was a poetic movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries that turned towards and the interior world of feeling, in contrast to the mannered formalism and disciplined scientific inquiry of the Neo-classical Age that preceded it. , Samuel Taylor , , , , and Lord were the chief Romantic poets who produced work that expressed spontaneous feelings, found parallels to their own emotional lives in the natural world, and celebrated creativity rather than logic.

Critics normally divide the Romantic poets into two generations; the first generation includes Wordsworth and Coleridge, while the second includes Byron, Shelley and Keats, as indicated below.

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English Romantic Poets

First Generation of Romantics Second Generation of Romantics

William Wordsworth Percy Bysshe Shelley

S.T. Coleridge

John Keats

First Generation Romantic Poets:

WILLIAM WORDSWORTH (1770-1850)

William Wordsworth was at once the oldest, the greatest, and the most long-lived among the romantic poets. Written in 1798, Wordsworth’s Lyrical is considered to be the ‘manifesto of English ’, as Eliot’s on Tradition and Individual Talent is considered to be a ‘manifesto of English Classicism’. The publication of the marks the beginning of the romantic period in . It was a combined work produced together by Wordsworth and Coleridge. Wordsworth was Britain's from 1843 until his death from pleurisy on 23 April 1850.

Important Works

Wordsworth's magnum opus is generally considered to be , a semi- autobiographical poem of his early years that he revised and expanded a number of times. The Prelude, an autobiographical poem is the spiritual record of his mind, honestly recording its own intimate experiences, and endowed with a rare capacity for making the record intelligible. It is an idealized version of his spiritual growth in which he escapes into the higher reality of his imagination. In 1807, Wordsworth published Poems, in Two Volumes, including ": Intimations of Immortality 3 from Recollections of Early Childhood". In Immortality ode, he recorded a mystical intuition of a life before birth which can be recovered in a few fortunate moments in the presence of nature. Wordsworth also wrote some of the finest in which he wanted to awaken from lethargy, to condemn Napoleon and to record many of his own moods Wordsworth also wrote some famous sonnets. Wordsworth’s sonnets have been termed by Frances Meyers as ‘Sugared Sonnets.’ He wrote the sonnets to arouse England to a sense of her responsibility in international affairs, and to express memorable moment in his own experience.

Wordsworth’s

Language of Poetry is the language of Common People

During the Neo-classical Age, the language of poetry was decorated and figurative. Wordsworth considered the elevated language used by neo-classical poets, pompous and artificial. Consequently, the language Wordsworth advocated was the one used in everyday speech, simple and clear, which would be more easily understood on a universal scale. So, Wordsworth gave preference to the language of everyday speech in poetry rather than follow the ‘’ of the Neo-classical poets. For Wordsworth, poetry, which should be written in “the real language of men,” is nevertheless “the spontaneous overflow of feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility.” To Wordsworth, the language of poetry is the language of common people.

Incidents and Situations from Humble and Rustic Life

Wordsworth has chosen the incidents and situations from humble and rustic life. He also asserts to adopt the language of the people in rural life. The common people hourly communicate with the best objects from which the best part of language is originally derived. Wordsworth thinks that people in rural life convey their feelings and notions through simple and unelaborated expressions. These people are less under the influence of social vanity than the people live in cities. Such a simple and 4 common language is permanent and philosophical. It is greater than the language generally employed by poets. Hence, Wordsworth drew poetic inspiration from incidents and episodes taken from everyday life, from the common country people who lived in close contact to nature whose observation brought solace and consolation to Wordsworth.

Emphasis on ‘Imagination’ rather than on Wit

Wordsworth puts much emphasis on ‘Imagination’ in contrast to the neoclassical poets who put much emphasis on ‘Wit’. He imagination so that the common things could be made to look strange and beautiful through the play of imagination. In his famous “Intimation Ode", he says that as a child he felt that "the earth, and every common sight" seemed "apparelled in celestial light".

Worshipper of Nature

Wordsworth is especially regarded as a poet of nature. In most of the poems of Wordsworth nature is constructed as both a healing entity and a teacher or moral guardian. Nature is considered in his poems as a living personality. He is a true worshipper of nature: nature's devotee or high priest. The critic Cazamian says, "to Wordsworth, nature appears is a formative influence superior to any other, the educator of senses or mind alike, the shower in our hearts of the deep laden seeds of our feelings and beliefs".

Subjectivity Subjectivity is the key note of Wordsworth’s poetry. He expresses his personal thoughts, feelings through his poems. In “Ode: Intimation of Immortality” the poet expresses his own/personal feelings. Here he says that he can't see the celestial light anymore which he used to see in his childhood. He says, "It is not now as it hath been of yore; -Turn wheresoever I may, by night or day, the things which I have seen I now can see on more."

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Pantheism and Mysticism

Pantheism and mysticism are almost interrelated factors in the Nature poetry of the Romantic period. Wordsworth conceives of a spiritual power running through all- natural objects- the " presence that disturbs me with the low of elevated thoughts" whose dwelling is the light of setting suns, the rolling ocean. the living air, the blue sky, and the mind of man (“”)

Humanism

The romantic poets had sincere love for man or rather the spirit of man. Wordsworth had a superabundant enthusiasm for humanity. He was deeply interested in the simple village folk and the peasant who live in contact with nature. Wordsworth showed admiration for the ideals that inspired the . Emphasis in individual freedom is another semantic characteristic. Wordsworth laments for the loss of power, freedom and virtue of human soul.

Lyricism

Wordsworth is famous for simple , bereft of artificialities and falsity of emotion. In the “Ode: Intimation of Immortality”, we see his lyricism. He writes, "Earth fills her lap with pleasures of her own: Yearnings she hath in her own natural kind, And, even, with something of a Mother's mind, And, on unworthy aim, The homely Nurse doth all she can To make her Foster-child, her Innate Man, Forget the glories he hath known, And that imperial palace whence he came."

In the conclusion, it can be said that Wordsworth was a protagonist in the Romantic Movement which was at once a revolt and a revival. He shows the positive aspects of Romanticism with its emphasis on imagination, feeling, emotion, human dignity and significance of Nature. Thus, Wordsworth stands apart as the pioneer of Romantic movement by his great contribution in English literature.

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SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE (1772 –1834)

Samuel Taylor Coleridge happens to possess the most vigorous mind amongst the English Romantics. During the he produced some of the most stirring and eloquent verse that no other poets of his generation could able to replicate. His poetry is, indeed, the supreme embodiment of all that is purest and the most ethereal in romantic spirit. One of England’s many magnificent gifts to English literature, this rather unproductive poet wrote poems that have become the priceless assets of romantic literature.

Important works

He wrote the much acclaimed poems The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and , as well as the major prose work . His critical work, especially on , was highly influential, and he helped introduce German idealist philosophy to English-speaking culture.

Coleridge’s Poetry Supernaturalism Coleridge’s contribution to reached its apex through his treatment of the supernatural. He is a master poet of the supernatural. He attempts to draw the supernatural in a convincing way, where the reader is compelled to take it for real or natural by willingly suspending disbeliefs. This environment has been created most convincingly in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Element of Mystery Coleridge’s poetry is noted mostly for its elements of mystery. Coleridge displays painstaking mastery in creating some characters and events that evoke a sense of curiosity or suspense because of an unknown, obscure or enigmatic quality. In his seminal work The Ancient Mariner, Coleridge creates a mysterious character by portraying him as a man of glittering eyes and long grey beard.

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Vivid & Convincing Imagery Coleridge has the most imaginative mind amongst the romantic poets. Coleridge is essentially good at portraying vivid imagery. He has the power to transport the audience in his realm of imagination by convincing the reader to accept no-existent as real. And this is the very quality which enables Coleridge to incorporate convincing/effective elements of mystery. For example, his description of Kubla Khan’s palace forces the reader to believe in its existence:

Dream The major poems of Coleridge have a dreamlike quality. His poems were inspired by reveries. He saw them in his dreams and visualized in the poetry. For instance, Kubla Khan is a superb example of his dream poetry. In this poem he recounts in poetic form what he saw in a vision.

Medievalism Coleridge had a strong devotion to the spirit of the Middle Ages. Coleridge’s love for the supernatural was engendered by romance and legends of the Middle Ages. provides him the opportunity to create the sense of remoteness and a mysterious setting.

Nature Coleridge’s initial attitude towards nature was pantheistic. During this stage, he treated nature as a moral teacher. Later on, he changed his attitude towards nature. He believed that it depends on our mood and temperament how we would interpret nature.

Humanism Coleridge always cared for the wellbeing of the humanity. His love for the humanity is revealed through his strong support for the French revolution. He supported the upheaval assuming that it would free the masses from the oppression of the dictators. But subsequently, Coleridge windrowed his support as the revolutionists deviated 8 from their principles. His love for the humanity is seen best in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Second Generation Romantic Poets:

LORD BYRON (1788 –1824) Lord Byron was an English poet, peer and politician who became a revolutionary in the Greek War of Independence, and is considered one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement. He is regarded as one of the greatest English poets whose poetry and personality captured the imagination of Europe. His multifaceted personality found expression in satire, verse narrative, ode, lyric, speculative drama, historical tragedy, confessional poetry, , seriocomic epic, and voluminous correspondence, written in Spenserian stanzas, heroic couplets, , , , and vigorous prose. Lord Byron, despite his writing being quite classical, is considered one of the most important Romantic poets, along with William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge. His works, however, differ in many aspects with the thematic that Wordsworth and Coleridge focused on in their poems, making himself distinct and easily recognized. Besides being famous for his longer, epic and nowadays canonical works, such as , Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage or , he also earned his fame with his good looks, character and controversial life. It is said that he wrote his poems using the poems persona to express his thoughts and beliefs and making the readers think that the speaker was actually a personification of himself, even if it was not the case, creating with this the . Lord Byron’s unique literary ideas brought new perspectives for English literature. His distinctive writing approach and experimentation with epics and lyrics made him stand out even among the best poets. His narrative and lyrical works are regarded as masterpieces and had had significant impacts on generations. He successfully documented his ideas and feelings about historical tragedies and romanticism in his writings that even today, writers try to imitate his unique style, considering him a beacon for writing plays and poetry.

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Important works Among his best-known works are the lengthy narrative poems Don Juan and Childe Harold's Pilgrimage; many of his shorter lyrics in also became popular. His popular poems include: “”, “”, “There Be None of Beauty’s Daughter”, “The Eve of Waterloo”, “When We Two Parted” and “And Thou Art Dead, As Young and Fair.”

Byron’s Poetry

Talking of Byron, Leslie A. Marchand observes, “The core of his thinking and the basis of his poetry is romantic aspiration,” and he evidences a “romantic zest for life and experience.” Lord Byron was a leading figure of the Romantic Movement. His specific ideas about life and nature benefitted the world of literature. Marked by Hudibrastic verse, blank verse, allusive imagery, heroic couplets, and complex structures, his diverse literary pieces won global acclaim. However, his early work, Fugitive Pieces, brought him to the center of criticism, but his later works made inroads into the literary world. He successfully used blank verse and satire in his pieces to explore the ideas of love and nature. Although he is known as a romantic poet, his poems, “” and “Darkness” where attempts to discuss reality as it is without adding fictional elements. The recurring themes in most of his pieces are nature, the folly of love, realism in literature, liberty and the power of art. Philosophically and stylistically, Byron stands apart from the other major Romantics. He was the most cosmopolitan of them. Poetic imagination was not for him, as for them, the medium of revelation of ultimate truth. He wished that Coleridge would “explain his Explanation” of his thought. He did not much fancy Wordsworth’s belief in the benevolence of nature, Shelley’s faith in human perfectibility or Keats’s private vision. In narrative skill, Byron has no superior in , except . 10

He was not inhibited like his contemporaries, and created verse that is exuberant, spontaneous, expansive, digressive, concrete, lucid, colloquial—in celebration of “unadorned reality.”

PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY (1792 –1822)

Percy Bysshe Shelley was a famous English romantic poet whose poetry reflects passion, beauty, imagination, love, creativity, political liberty and affinity with Nature. Being very sensitive and possessing distinctive qualities of hope, love, joy and imagination, Shelley strongly believed in realization of human happiness. Widely regarded as one of the finest lyrics and philosophical poets in the English language. A radical in his poetry as well as in his political and social views, Shelley did not see fame during his lifetime, but recognition of his achievements in poetry grew steadily following his death. Shelley became a key member of a close circle of visionary poets and writers that included Lord Byron, John Keats, , and his own second wife, .

Important Works Shelley is perhaps best known for classic poems such as "", "", "", "Music, When Soft Voices Die", "" and . His other major works include a groundbreaking verse drama, (1819), and long, visionary, philosophical poems such as (later reworked as The Daemon of the World), Alastor, The Revolt of Islam, , Unbound (1820) – widely considered his masterpiece, : A Lyrical Drama (1821) and his final, unfinished work, (1822). Shelley’s Poetry Romanticism’s major themes—restlessness and brooding, rebellion against authority, interchange with nature, the power of the visionary imagination and of poetry, the pursuit of ideal love, and the untamed spirit ever in search of freedom— all of these were evident in Shelley’s poetry. 11

Shelley is considered by critics and readers to be among the greatest of the second generation of English Romantic poets. Unlike Lord Byron though Shelley did not receive full critical and popular recognition until after his death. Shelley is also much admired for his lyrical and psychologically powerful poetry which offers a striking visceral style as well as strong messages on behalf of social justice, liberty, and non-violence. Shelley is one of the greatest successful melancholic in his age. It is this unsatisfied desire, this almost painful yearning with its recurring disappointment and disillusionment which is at the root of Shelley's melancholy. His most famous and powerful lines which reveal the melancholic strain are in Ode to the West Wind. His melancholy is thus vital to his poetry. It may be said that his music is the product of his and his melancholy. His melancholy is what the world seems to like best as, “Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thoughts.”

The themes of imagination, and emotion are unmistakably evident throughout Shelley’s poetry. Imagination, in particular, is perhaps the most prevalent of these themes in regards to Ode to the West Wind. Shelley perceives imagination as an ability to free oneself from the constraints of the human condition. Moreover, imagination is also exposed as a source of poetic inspiration, allowing the speaker to fully express his poetic capacity. This poetic capacity, throughout the poem, is metaphorically linked to the changing of seasons, likening the annual changes in climate, to that of our creative expression. Thus, poetry, in Shelley's opinion, is the expression of imagination; it is considered by the poet as a revolutionary creativity, seriously meant to change reality. The poet is bound to suffer and isolates himself from the rest of the world, projecting himself into a better future and hiding beneath a mask stubborn hope.

Shelley's idealism is also reflected in all his works. Shelley's rejection of conventional modes of thinking led him to a search for new ideals, and he embraced the theories of Godwin and neo Platonism. From Plato he derived his mystical and belief in a society ruled by and wisdom; moreover, he absorbed the idea of reality as an illusory image of the true reality of the eternity, and of an idealistic pantheism. 12

Like all Romantics, Shelley shows his great love for Nature. His apprehension of the natural world passes through the appreciation of its beauty; it is with the most intellectual part of himself that he aspires to an identification with nature. His approach to nature is also instrumental, providing him with the images and symbols for the creation of the myths and cosmic schemes. Finally, nature is the privileged refuge from the disappointment and injustice of the ordinary world.

JOHN KEATS (1795-1821) John Keats was the last born of Romantics but the first one to die. One of the greatest Romantic poets, Keats has received much critical recognition in the academic circles. Edmund Wilson counted him as ‘one of the half dozen greatest English writers,’ and T. S. Eliot has paid tribute to the Shakespearean quality of Keats’s greatness. The poetry of Keats is characterized by sensual imagery, most notably in the series of . Today his poems and letters are some of the most popular and most analyzed in English literature. Talking about Keats’s style, we may say that Keats’s diction is highly connotative. His writing style is characterized by sensual imagery and contains many poetic devices such as alliteration, personification, assonance, metaphors, and consonance. All of these devices work together to create rhythm and music in his poems. The themes of Keats’s works were love, beauty, joy, nature, music, and the mortality of human life. Keats's claim to greatness also rests upon his letters, which are among the most entertaining and perceptive of any literary figure's, and contain numerous insights into the nature of the creative process.

Important Works

His most popular poems include “,” “,” “Ode ,” “,” “La Belle Dame Sans Mercy,” “Imitation of Spenser,” “,” and “Isabella.” Among his sonnets, the most popular are “Bright Stars! Would I were steadfast as Thou Art,” “ that I may Cease to be,” “Endymion,” “The Eve of St. Agnes,” and “.” Keats published his first collections of poems in March 1817, in which he used a bold and daring writing style. This early collection earned him severe criticism from 13

England’s prestigious publications “” and “Blackwood’s Magazine.” Keats duly took note of this criticism and developed his famous doctrine known as “.” This idea was a romantic ideal that permitted human beings to go beyond the contemporary social and intellectual constraints and rise above the existing norms. In 1818, he published his second volume of poems “Endymion.” He soon followed that volume up with “Isabella,” “Lamia,” and “The Eve of St Agnes,” which was published in 1820. These collections included his great odes, and also his ambitious Romantic piece “Hyperion,” that gained its inspiration from a Greek myth. The Odes, constitute the highest poetic achievement of John Keats.

Keats’ Poetry Keats’ sensuousness is the most striking characteristic of his entire poetry. All his poems including his great odes contain rich sensuous appeal. The Odes, which represent the highest poetic achievement of Keats, are replete with sensuous pictures. Now, we will discuss his sensuousness with examples of his various Odes and poems in detail.

“Ode to Nightingale” is one of the most remarkable poems describing Keats’ sensuousness. In the second stanza of this ode, there is a description of the gustatory sensation of drinking wine. There are references to the visual and auditory senses too. The poet also paints the picture of a drunken whose mouth is purple stained because of the red wine he has drunk: “With beaded bubbles winking at the brim, And purple-stained mouth,” “Ode to autumn” is considered to be the perfect embodiment of concrete sensuous experience. The poem gives a graphic description of the season with all its variety and richness. The whole atmosphere and the mood of the season are presented through sensuous imagery and descriptions: “with fruits the vines that round the thatch-eves run; To bend with apples and moss’d cottage-trees, And fill all fruits with ripeness to the core.” 14

The contains a lovely picture of lying in an embrace in the deep grass, in the midst of flowers of varied colors: “Mid hush’d, cool-rooted flowers, fragrant-eyed.”

In his eyes, the world is cruel and the only option we have is escapism. Through his poetry, he wants to prove that pains of life cannot be competed, therefore, escapism is the only choice. The world is barren and colorless, whereas imagination is full of colors. In imagination he forgets worries of life and can do anything that he wants; even such things which are impossible in real life. Escapism is the most important ingredient of romantic poetry. It is available in the poetry of John Keats and makes him the best romantic poet. When he fails to face harsh realities of life, he seeks refuge in his imagination, where he creates a world of his own. He enjoys the company of , flowers, , mountains and rivers in his imagination. For example, in “Ode to Nightingale”, he creates his imaginative world where he enjoys sweet eternal song of nightingale which provides peace to his mind and harmony to his soul. Where youth grows pale and specter-thin an dies, Where but to think if to be full of sorrows, And leaden-eyed despairs.” Thus, Keats always selects the objects of his description and imagery with a keen eye on their sensuous appeal. This sensuousness is the principal charm of his poetry.

Keats’ imagination increases the importance of beauty and in his imagination, he goes beyond the senses. He talks about those things, which he has never experienced in his life. In one of his poems, he writes: “Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter”. Further, he declares beauty a truth when he writes: “Beauty is truth and truth beauty, –that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.” Thus, undoubtedly, he is a great lover of beauty and avails every opportunity to praise it. Quests for beauty also helps John Keats to stand apart from his rival romantic poet.

Love for Ancient Greeks and medieval literature is apparent in John Keats His love for Greeks is highly appreciated by many other poets of his era. In many of his 15 poems, he talks about Greeks’ spirits and culture. Viewing the love of John Keats for Greeks, Shelley said: “Keats was a Greek”. He reads Greek classics due to which his interest in their culture increases. Besides, he also loves their art. “Ode to Grecian Urn” is a naked example of his love for Greeks. He compares art with mortality in this ode. He calls art immortal and humans mortals. Art, he says, will remain forever, whereas humans will fade and pale one day.

Like all Romantic poets, Keats also loves nature and elements related to it. He converts natural objects into beauty. An ordinary thing becomes extraordinary when it passes from the eyes of John Keats. He has an unbelievable power to create words from natural elements.

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By: Prof. Sunita Sinha Head, Department of English Women’s College Samastipur L.N.M.U., Darbhanga Email: [email protected] Website: www.sunitasinha.com