The Romantic Period in British Literature

The Romantic Era in British Literature

• 1798-1832

What does it mean to call something Romantic?

• Take a few minutes and jot down your thoughts on a sheet of notebook paper. Brainstorm a list, or write a paragraph of your ideas about the word Romantic.

For each statement, write down “A” if you agree or “D” if you disagree

• 1. The answers to life’s most puzzling questions can be found through discussions with a simple person who lives in the country close to nature—not with a sophisticated, well-educated person from the city.
• 2. The answer to life’s most puzzling questions can be found through a connection with nature.
• 3. The use of one’s imagination is more important than rational (based on reason or fact) thought.
• 4. Subjectivity (personally biased) is more important than objectivity (unbiased).

5. Knowledge is gained through gut reactions and subjective hunches rather than level-headed, objective, rational thought.

• 5. Knowledge is gained through gut reactions and subjective hunches rather than level-headed, objective, rational thought.
• 6. Nature is more important than art.
• 7. Experimental trial and error is a better process than the conventional scientific method.
• 8. Poetry should be spontaneous and full of emotion, not planned and straightforward.
• 9. Sensitivity, feelings, and spontaneity are more important than intellectualism.
• 10. “Dare to be” is a better motto than “dare to know.”

Are you Romantic?

• Tally up your number of As:
• 3 or fewer As = not romantic
• 4 or 5 As = sort of romantic
• 6 or 7 As = highly romantic
• 8-10 As = extremely romantic
• Has your idea of the word Romantic changed in
• any way? If so, how?

Romanticism

• The words Romantic or Romance originally referred to Medieval tales of knights written in the original Roman language - Latin. These tales often included love stories between a knight and his lady - resulting in the modern meaning of romance.
• When talking about the Romantic Era in literature, we are actually referring to romantic as “freely imaginative fiction” and not romantic as in “romantic love”