Introduction To Literary Studies

Assignment By Laiba Karim Khan

BS English 1st Semester
Submitted To Miss Shehla Anwer

Dated: 4th’ May’ 2021

1

THE ROMANTIC AGE {1798-1824}

IMAGES USED ARE SUBJECT TO COPYWRIGHT

2

Introduction

The Romantic age is supposedly the most productive era of English literature.
From 1798 to 1824, this period was a revolt against classicism and a retreat from classical perspective of
literature.
Although classical school was, previously, hugely preferred and was started by some of great literary
figures, it didn't succeed that greatly in Romantic Age.
The start of this period is marked by publication of Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge.
Wordsworth and Coleridge introduced a new form of poetry as a manifesto, through the infamous Preface to
lyrical ballads. It was an opposition to the classical poetry.
At the same time the French Revolution and the American War of Independence were in domination. The
liberty of an individual was the agenda of French revolution, liberty of a Nation was of the American
Independence war just like that the liberty of poet from tyrannical rules of Literature was the agenda of this
movement that we call "Romantic movement". Because of which this time period is known as Romantic
Age.
It is also known as Romantic Revival because the perspective that writer should have the liberty to choose
what to produce actually belonged to the Elizabethan Age. Hence why Elizabethan Age is considered first
Romantic age in the history of English literature.

The Romantic age has two generation of poets Wordsworth, Coleridge, Southey and Scott belongs to the
first generation. Byron, Shelley, Keats, Leigh Hunt and Hazlitt belongs to the second generation of
Romantic. The poets of both if the generation had similar literary ideals, principles and beliefs. They were

IMAGES USED ARE SUBJECT TO COPYWRIGHT

3

all pioneers in their literary production and they revolted against heroic couplet being the only format for
poetry. They valued blank verse, stanzas and other variety of short lyrical poetry.
The prose writers of this time weren't far behind, they broke the traditions of writing too. Prose writers, such
as Lamb and De Quincey, dismissed the short writing style of eighteenth century and introduced a poetic
style of prose, which was prevalent in Renaissance.
The writers of Romantic age opened up a treasure, introducing new ways to study literature. The poets of
them, conveyed the message of influence of nature on our minds and our mind on the nature.
The classical age was the age of prose, whereas the Romantic age was the age of poetry.

Poets of Romantic age

It is said that no age, in the history of English literature, ever produced such gem-like poets as in Romantic
Age. Hence it is also called the age of revolutionary change.
The poets of Romantic Age are divided into three groups:

1. The lake Poets

This group of poets include William Wordsworth, Samuel Coleridge and Robert Southey. They are called
lake poets because they spent longer or shorter period of their lives in the lake district. Three of them were
bounded by friendship. Wordsworth and Coleridge even wrote Lyrical Ballads together in 1798.

William Wordsworth
1770-1850

Wordsworth is known to be the greatest poet of the Romantic Era.

Wordsworth experimented a lot with poetry.
Wordsworth appointed the language of common people as a component
of his poetry, because it is most sincere and pure form of human
expression.
Wordsworth using such language was the first attack on the previous
formal styled poetry of classical school.
His second attack was on the persistent topics of artificial way of town
life in the classical poetry. Wordsworth elected rural life, hills and
valleys, woods, mountains– away from town– to be the subject of his
poetry.
He also went against the prevailing hegemony of Heroic Couplet being
the only form of poetry, and replaced it with simple and natural phrasing. He used imagination and emotions
to replace dry intellectualism of classical school.

IMAGES USED ARE SUBJECT TO COPYWRIGHT

4

His famous poetic works are:

 Lucy Poems
 The Solitary Reaper
 To Milton Westminster Bridge
 The Prelude
 Lyrical Ballads
 The World Is Too Much with Us
 Ode: Intimations of Immortality
 Peter Bell
 The Excursion
 Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey
 The Recluse

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

1772-1834

Coleridge is known to be the contemporary of Wordsworth though he

is also known greatly by his supernaturalism as compared to
Wordsworth's naturalism. Coleridge is one of those genius poets of
Romantic Age, but because of his addiction to alcohol and insufficient
will power kept him from accomplishing much in the field of poetry.
He made supernaturalism his unique domain. Although he, like many
writers, came under the influence of French revolution but he soon
made it out and his change of perspective can be vividly seen in his
poem called France: An Ode. His poetry often touches the emotions
and grace, many of them having, profound details of natural scenes.
His famous works are:

 The Ancient Mariner

 Religious Musings
 Ode to Departing Year
 France: An Ode
 Christabel
 Kubla Khan
 The Dark Ladies
 Dejection: An Ode
 Youth and Age

IMAGES USED ARE SUBJECT TO COPYWRIGHT

5

Robert Southey
1774-1843

Southey is the third poet from the lake poets’ group. He didn't have the
higher qualities for producing poetry like his group members,
Wordsworth and Coleridge. He had an unquenchable thirst for reading
and was a voluminous writer.
His greatest poetry Thalaba, the curse of Kehama, Roderick and Madoc
are based on myths that belong to different nations. He wrote short
poems and numerous ballads. He was named the Poet Laureate in 1813.
He also worked on prose, which is said to be better than his poetry.
His famous works are:

 Thalaba, the Curse of Kehama

 Madoc
 Roderick
 Life of Nelson
 My days among the Dead are past

2. The Scott Group

The second group of Romantic poets include Sir Walter Scott, Thomas Campbell and Thomas
Moore. They were the driving force of the second outburst of creativity in the Romantic Period.
Sir Walter Scott
1771-1832

Romantic poetry became popular because of him. His certain poems

coined more fame than Wordsworth and Coleridge's. 
His poetry didn't have imagination as the main element like other
poetry of his time.
His poetry was more inclined towards narrative and storytelling and
that is what made it popular. 
Moreover, his poetry had a youthful sense, heroic characters and vivid
pictures and succession of adventures. Some of his poems even
displays a spirit of Middle Ages.
Scott turned to prose and wrote few poems after 1815.

His famous works are:

 Marmion
 Lady of the Lake
 The Lay of the Last Minstrel 
 Rokeby

IMAGES USED ARE SUBJECT TO COPYWRIGHT

6

 The Lord of the Isles

Thomas Campbell
1774-1844

Campbell was one of the prominent poets who followed the footsteps
of Scott in writing poetry. There isn't much popular about him today
but his patriotic songs are still well-known among the masses, called,
Ye Mariners of England, Hohenlinden, The battle of the Baltic and
more.
His famous works are:
 Ye Mariners of England
 Hohenlinden
 The battle of the Baltic
 Lord Ullin's Daughter
 Gertrude of Wyoming (1809)

Thomas Moore
1779-1852

Thomas Moore wasn't as famous as Scott but his few poems are
notable. His style is lengthy which makes the modern-day reader less
interested in his works. 
Even though he is not considered a major poet, his works have
amazing imagery which maybe the reason why he had great fame
during his time.
His famous works are:
 Lalla Rookh
 The Minstrel Boy
 The Last Rose of Summer
 Memoirs of Captain Rock

3. The Younger Group

IMAGES USED ARE SUBJECT TO COPYWRIGHT
7

The third generation of poets belong to Byron, Shelley and Keats. They are called the younger group
because all three of them died at a young age and the youthful energy and vibe is evident in their works.
Though they weren't as excellent as the older group, they had unique qualities which made them different
from others. Three of them weren't patriotic or national, and Byron and Shelley even produced their greatest
works in Italian peninsula. 

Lord George Gordon Byron

1788-1824

He is known to be the most popular among the Romantic poets. 

His poetic impact, mostly because of his charming personality and
profession, made its way across Europe and lasted for a long time.
But Byron's position in the hierarchy of poets comes after Shelley and
Keats. 
He was a careless writer and would often not edit or revise his work.
He was the only poet of Romantic age who did not rebel against
eighteenth century poets, but rather he was a critique of the poets of
his own time, his contemporaries. This is why he is known as
"Romantic Paradox" (A.H–Mullik. B.R– A Critical History of English literature– pg.
144)

Certain people of the Noble English families criticized him to the

point that he left England and settled in Italy. During his time in Italy,
he produced greatest of his works. 

His greatest works are:

 Cantos of Childe Harold Pilgrimage (1812)
 The Giaor (1813)
 3rd and 4th Cantos of Childe Harold (1816-1818)
 Manfred and Cain
 Beppo (1818)
 The Vision of Judgement (1822)
 Don Juan (1819-1824)

Percy Bysshe Shelley

1792-1822

Percy Shelley is famous because of his idealistic approach and

perspective. Love was his driving force to produce poetry. 

IMAGES USED ARE SUBJECT TO COPYWRIGHT

8

He condemned the political institutions, Priests, Rulers of the world with great vigor, because he saw the
ugly in them.
Shelley's fame and popularity resides in the lyrical essence of his poetry.
There is a unique flow of words in his poetry, that couldn't be find elsewhere in English poetry.
Shelley wrote longer poems as well as short lyrics. He was a poet of nature and was inspired by spirit love
for every living creature. (A.H–Mullik. B.R– A Critical History of English literature– pg 147)
His great poetic works are:
 Queen Mab
 Alastor (1816)
 Julian and Meddalo (1818)
 The Cenci (poetic drama)
 Hallas (lyrical drama)
 Epipsychidion
 Adonais 
 Prometheus Unbound
 The Revolt of Islam
 Ode to West Wind
 To a Skylark 
 Ozymandias 

John Keats
1795-1821

John Keats is often said to be a pure poet, because he wrote poetry solely for the purpose of poetry itself and
not for reforming or revolving. He devoted himself to poetry.
Keats belonged to a poor family and had to struggle a lot from an early age. He was doing medical studies
but that didn't come in the way of his passion for poetry.
Keats was in love with beauty and glorified nature in his Odes. 
Keats died young. But even in his precise abode he wrote exceptional art which will be remembered forever.
For a long time after his death his poetry wasn't considered profound or having a deep meaning. Soon, the
letters he wrote were found and people started to realize the main
purpose of Keats's poetry.

His notable Poetic works are:

 Endymion (1818)
 Isabella
 Hyperion 
 Lamia
 Eve of St. Agnes
 La Belle Dame Sans Merci
IMAGES USED ARE SUBJECT TO COPYWRIGHT
9

 Ode to a Nightingale
 Ode on a Grecian Urn
 The Ode to Autumn

Prose-writers of Romantic age

The Romantic Age is especially famous for its poetic productions and excellence. But there were few prose-
writers who arose, earned success and a name in the history of English literature. Prose-writers relatively
had different point of views than the poets of Romantic Period, they did not revolt against the eighteenth-
century classical school.
At the same time, they weren't so concerned with the style of prose like eighteenth century writers, but were
more concerned about the emotional expression and subjectivity in their works. (A.H–Mullik. B.R– A Critical History
of English literature– pg. 151)

Although there were many notable Novelists in the Romantic Period the writers that counts as pure prose-
writers are Charles Lamb, William Hazlitt and Thomas De Quincey because of their infamous essays.

Charles Lamb
1775-1834

Charles Lamb is the personality who is most loveable in History of

English Literature.
He was an honest man and lived a simple life full of humility. He was a
selfless person, he took care of his sister Mary, and never got married.
Charles Lamb was greatly fond of cities and crowds, he himself was born
and grew up in London. Among the crowded streets of London, he found
his inspiration.
In his essays, he depicted the happiness, sorrows, comedies and tragedies
of human life.
His style of prose is elegant and has an old-fashion spirit, it maybe so
because he idealized 17th century writers the most. His writing had a charm through which English Essay
achieved perfection.
He is also known as "The Prince among English Essayists." 

His famous Essays are:

 Tales from Shakespeare
 Last Essays of Elia

William Hazlitt

IMAGES USED ARE SUBJECT TO COPYWRIGHT

10

1778-1830

William Hazlitt was contemporary and a friend of Charles Lamb. He was

a man of strong opinions, likes and dislikes, and had really short temper.
He was straightforward while making a judgement and was never afraid
to offend anyone. Because of his blunt and aggressive nature, most of his
friends left him and as he was dying only Charles Lamb was with him.
Hazlitt was fearless and unbothered by what others think of his works,
because of this quality he was able to achieve the excellence in Essay
writing that no one can. 
His style of prose was light and simple but there was always a  profound
thought and deep perspective behind it.
He wrote many volumes of essays. His prose can never bore a reader as
he had attached a certain brightness to it.
His famous works are:
 Characters of Shakespear's Plays
 Table-Talk
 The Spirit of the Age

Thomas De Quincey
1785-1859

Thomas De Quincey is often known as the intellectual writer whose ideas were wide. He was the writer who
wrote about the reaction and rebellion of the writers of his age against eighteenth century. 
His prose has a unique melody that isn't even found in many Poetic
works. But his prose isn't always consistent when it comes to subject of
the topic, sometimes he wanders off from the real topic by the end of the
paragraph.
He wrote articles mostly and they were about various topics including
philosophy, literature, art, religion and more.
He also wrote biographies on historical figures and essays. His most
notable essay was written about Joan of Arc.
His poetic prose has an essence which attracts the reader. He is
remembered as a fascinating prose-writer of England. (A.H–Mullik. B.R– A
Critical History of English literature– pg. 155)

His notable works are:

 Confessions of an English Opium-Eater
 On the Knocking at the Gate in Macbeth
 The Caesars

IMAGES USED ARE SUBJECT TO COPYWRIGHT

11

Novelists of Romantic age

There were two main novelists, Jane Austen and Sir Walter Scott, who emerged in the Romantic Period. But
other than them the Gothic Novel writers gained much appreciation from a rather increasing audience.

The Gothic Novelists

The theme of Gothic Novels was mystery and terror with an element of supernatural. 
Mrs. Ann Radcliffe (1764-1823) started this trend or theme, influenced by the terror stories of Horace
Walpole. Her famous works are "The Mysteries of Udolpho" and "The Italian"
Matthew Gregory Lewis (1775-1818) is another popular name in Gothic Novelists. He wrote The Monk: A
Romance, Tales of Terror and Wonder.
Charles Robert Maturin was an Irish clergyman. He is famous for his novel called Mel moth the
Wanderer.
Then comes the most popular terror tale;
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818). Mary was the wife of Percy Bysshe Shelley. Mary Shelley can be,
remarkably, considered among first science fiction novelists of the modern world.

Jane Austen
1775-1817

Jane Austen is a name in English literature that can never be forgotten. Jane Austen brought a rational
balance and a good sense in the English Novels.
The Novels of eighteenth century were very much inclined towards the
imaginary good things and romantic side of life. The last years of
eighteenth century, however saw a criminal and insane side of Novels as
Gothic Novels introduced by Mrs. Radcliff.
Jane Austen, much like Wordsworth and Lake Poets, reformed and
simplified the style of Novel writing. She lived a simple life and wrote her
six exceptional novels while staying anonymous. 
She started writing her novel Pride and Prejudice the same time
Wordsworth was working to reshape the style of poetry.
She never agreed to put her name on the title of her books and preferred to
stay anonymous, this shows her sincerity as a writer who writes for the sake
of art only.
In her time, she wasn't as appreciated as she deserved to be. Of her
contemporary only Sir Walter Scott saw the true value of her works and appreciated her greatly.
Her famous novels are:
 Pride and Prejudice
 Emma
 Sense and Sensibility
 Mansfield Park
IMAGES USED ARE SUBJECT TO COPYWRIGHT
12

 Northanger Abbey
 Persuasion

Sir Walter Scott

1771-1832

Sir Walter Scott is considered to be the first English Novel Writer who
produced historical Novels. His style and form of prose was distinctively
different from Jane Austen.
At the start of his novel writing, Scott limited his writing to certain
characters and scenes.
Even in non-historic writing, reveals a certain message of past through his
unique ways.
He is considered an exceptional story teller. Just like his poetry his prose is
revolutionary, but his novels have more wide perspective.
Scott is not only the first ever English historical Novelists but he was also
the first writer to introduce scene as an essential element in storytelling.
He belonged to Scotland and was a very patriotic man, in his works he displayed a great love for his country.
Although his character sketches were rough but he is still a genius narrator.
His notable works are:
 The Antiquary 
 Old Morality
 The Heart of Midlothian
 Ivanhoe (1819)
 Kenilworth (1821)
 Quentin Durward (1823)
 The Talisman (1825)
 The Monastery (1820)
 St. Ronan's Well (1823)

Conclusion
The Romantic Age of English literature is the one that brought about a huge change in poetry and prose.
This age cannot be left when studying the history of English literature. Because of Romantic writers we are
able to perceive such excellence in English literature. Most writers from this age were fearless, critical and
intellectual thinkers, they worked in order to reshape and reform the old forms of writing.

–The End–

IMAGES USED ARE SUBJECT TO COPYWRIGHT