Name : Arul Taufik

Id Number : A12119059
Subject : Poetry

Characteristics of Romanticism Period in Literature

Although literary Romanticism occurred from about 1790 through 1850, not all writers of this

period worked in this style. There are certain characteristics that make a piece of literature part of

the Romantic movement. You won’t find every characteristic present in every piece of Romantic

literature; however, you will usually find that writing from this period has several of the key

characteristics.

1. Glorification of Nature
Nature, in all its unbound glory, plays a huge role in Romantic literature. Nature, sometimes

seen as the opposite of the rational, is a powerful symbol in work from this era. Romantic poets

and writers give personal, deep descriptions of nature and its wild and powerful qualities.

Natural elements also work as symbols for the unfettered emotions of the poet or writer, as in the

final stanza of “To Autumn” by John Keats. Keats was aware that he was dying of consumption

throughout much of his short life and career, and his celebration of autumn symbolizes the

beauty in the ephemeral.

Where are the songs of spring? Ay, Where are they?

Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,—

While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,

And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;

Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn

Among the river sallows, borne aloft

Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;

And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;

Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft

The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;

And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

2. Awareness and Acceptance of Emotions

A focus on emotion is a key characteristic of nearly all writing from the Romantic period. When

you read work of this period, you’ll see feelings described in all forms, including romantic and

filial love, fear, sorrow, loneliness, and more. This focus on emotion offered a counterpoint to

the rational, and it also made Romantic poetry and prose extremely readable and relatable.

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein offers a perfect example of this characteristic of

Romanticism. Here, Frankenstein’s monster shows great self-awareness of his feelings and offers

a vivid emotional description full of anger and sadness.

 I continued for the remainder of the day in my hovel in a state of utter and stupid
despair. My protectors had departed and had broken the only link that held me to the
world. For the first time the feelings of revenge and hatred filled my bosom, and I did
not strive to control them, but allowing myself to be borne away by the stream, I bent
my mind towards injury and death. When I thought of my friends, of the mild voice
of De Lacey, the gentle eyes of Agatha, and the exquisite beauty of the Arabian, these
thoughts vanished and a gush of tears somewhat soothed me. But again when I
reflected that they had spurned and deserted me, anger returned, a rage of anger, and
unable to injure anything human, I turned my fury towards inanimate objects. As
night advanced I placed a variety of combustibles around the cottage, and after having
destroyed every vestige of cultivation in the garden, I waited with forced impatience
until the moon had sunk to commence my operations.
3. Celebration of Artistic Creativity and Imagination

In contrast to the previous generations’ focus on reason, writers of the Romantic movement

explored the importance of imagination and the creative impulse. Romantic poets and prose

writers celebrated the power of imagination and the creative process, as well as the artistic

viewpoint. They believed that artists and writers looked at the world differently, and they

celebrated that vision in their work. You can see this in William Wordsworth’s poem, “The

Prelude."

Imagination—here the Power so called

Through sad incompetence of human speech,
That awful Power rose from the mind’s abyss
Like an unfathered vapour that enwraps,
At once, some lonely traveller. I was lost;
Halted without an effort to break through;
But to my conscious soul I now can say—
“I recognise thy glory:” in such strength
Of usurpation, when the light of sense
Goes out, but with a flash that has revealed
The invisible world….

4. Emphasis on Aesthetic Beauty

Romantic literature also explores the theme of aesthetic beauty, not just of nature but of people

as well. This was especially true with descriptions of female beauty. Writers praised women of

the Romantic era for their natural loveliness, rather than anything artificial or constrained.

A classic example of this characteristic is George Gordon, or Lord Byron’s, poem “She Walks in

Beauty."

She walks in beauty, like the night

Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes;
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
5. Themes of Solitude
Writers of the Romantic era believed that creative inspiration came from solitary exploration.

They celebrated the feeling of being alone, whether that meant loneliness or a much-needed quiet

space to think and create.

You’ll see solitary themes in many literary works from this period, including in this excerpt from

Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem “Frost at Midnight."

The Frost performs its secret ministry,

Unhelped by any wind. The owlet’s cry
Came loud—and hark, again! loud as before.
The inmates of my cottage, all at rest,
Have left me to that solitude, which suits
Abstruser musings: save that at my side
My cradled infant slumbers peacefully …

6. Focus on Exoticism and History

Romantic-era literature often has a distinct focus on exotic locations and events or items from

history. Poems and prose touch on antiques and the gifts of ancient cultures around the world,

and far-away locations provide the setting for some literary works of this era.

One great example is Percy Byssche Shelley’s poem “Ozymandias."

I met a traveler from an antique land,

Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read

7. Spiritual and Supernatural Elements

The writers of the Romantic era did not turn away from the darker side of emotion and the

mysteries of the supernatural. They explored the contrast between life and death. Many pieces

have Gothic motifs, such as manor houses in disrepair, dark and stormy nights, and more.
Some of the supernatural elements serve as symbols for emotions of guilt, depression, and other

darker feelings, as you can see in this excerpt from The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar

Allan Poe.

I learned, moreover, at intervals, and through broken and equivocal hints, another
singular feature of his mental condition. He was enchained by certain superstitious
impressions in regard to the dwelling which he tenanted, and whence, for many years, he
had never ventured forth --in regard to an influence whose supposititious force was
conveyed in terms too shadowy here to be re-stated --an influence which some
peculiarities in the mere form and substance of his family mansion, had, by dint of long
sufferance, he said, obtained over his spirit-an effect which the physique of the gray walls
and turrets, and of the dim tarn into which they all looked down, had, at length, brought
about upon the morale of his existence.

8. Vivid Sensory Descriptions

Another essential characteristic of nearly all Romantic-era literature is vivid sensory

descriptions. The poems and prose of this period include examples of simile and metaphor, as

well as visual imagery and other sensory details. Poets and other writers went beyond simply

telling about things and instead gave the information readers need to feel and taste and touch the

objects and surroundings in Romantic-era writing.

Wordsworth uses vivid descriptions, including similes and metaphors, in his famous poem, “I

Wandered Lonely as a Cloud."

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze …

9. Use of Personification
Romantic poets and prose writers also used personification in their work. You can see examples

of personification of everything from birds and animals to natural events or aspects. These works

even personify feelings like love or states like death.

You can see Romantic personification in the work of the famous naturalist and writer, Karl von

Martius. Here is an excerpt about the trees of the Amazon from his book Flora Brasiliensis.

I am impelled by some inner urge to tell you, gentle reader, these thoughts of my mind,
since I am presenting to your eyes a picture of those most ancient trees which I once saw
beside the Amazon River. Even today, after many years have gone by, I feel myself
struck by the appearance of those giants of great age, in the same way as by the face of
some giant human being. Even today those trees speak to me and fill my spirit with a
certain pious fear, even today they excite in my breast that silent wonder with which my
spirit was held at that time. This wonder is like a broad and deep river; the thoughts of the
human mind are its waves; not all feelings of the heart are to be expressed with words....

10. Focus on the Self and Autobiography

Many works of Romantic-era literature are deeply personal, and they often explore the self of the

writer. You’ll see autobiographical influences in poems and prose of the period. One

characteristic of this movement was the importance placed on feelings and creativity, and the

source of much of this emotional and artistic work was the background and real-life surroundings

of the writer. This self-focus preceded confessional poetry of the mid-1900s, but you can see its

profound influence on that movement.

One key example of Romantic autobiography is Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Confessions. In this

work, he endeavored to create an unvarnished look at his own upbringing and life.

I have begun on a work which is without precedent, whose accomplishment will have no
imitator. I propose to set before my fellow-mortals a man in all the truth of nature; and
this man shall be myself.

I have studied mankind and know my heart; I am not made like any one I have been
acquainted with, perhaps like no one in existence; if not better, I at least claim originality,
and whether Nature has acted rightly or wrongly in destroying the mold in which she cast
me, can only be decided after I have been read.
The main characteristics
The characteristics of literary works that are most visible here are the love of nature, freedom

and feelings. This is very different from the existing literary works in the previous period, the

August Period. In the period of August, the most prominent feature is the system and order in

writing. This tendency gives rise to a clear, thorough and simple style of language. Another

feature is the emphasis on reason because at that time there was an "intellectual revolution" as a

result of the many rapid advances in science. In addition, many of the literary works of this era

are more representative of upper-class society. Then, the main form of poetry writing in the

Augustan period was the heroic couplet (Samekto, 1974).

Quoted from the book by Samekto (1974), the majority of literary works in the romantic era got

their inspiration from nature. Love for nature is closely related to a deep sense of sympathy for

rural people and low-income groups. Then, the writers of this period tended to no longer use the

writing rules that were made as writing standards in the previous era, August. The choice of

literary form is determined by conscience. The poems are written in a blank verse, a poem that

has no rhyme, and is no longer in a heroic couplet, a poem that uses an iambic pentameter
rhyme. In addition, the writers here also tend to choose materials (inspiration) from within the

country to be used as their literary works. This tendency creates an interest in the past and its

own culture as well as in regional dialects.

Other example
Odes have a life far beyond ancient Greece. “Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections

of Early Childhood” by William Wordsworth is a good example of a more modern poem in

Pindaric style.

"There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream,

The earth, and every common sight
To me did seem
Apparelled in celestial light,
The glory and the freshness of a dream.
It is not now as it hath been of yore;
Turn wheresoe'er I may,
By night or day,
The things which I have seen I now can see no more."
 Characteristics of Victorian age

Victorian Era Literature Characteristics As is quite evident from the title the kind of

literature that evolved during the reign of Queen Victoria is famously known as the Victorian era

literature.

The literature of the Victorian age (1837-1901) entered a new period after the

Characteristics of Victorian novels

romantic revival. The literature of this era was preceded by romanticism and was followed by

modernism or realism.

Victorian novels tend to be idealized portraits of difficult lives in which hard work, perseverance,

love and luck win out in the end. They were usually inclined towards being of improving nature

with a central moral lesson at heart. While this formula was the basis for much of earlier

Victorian fiction, the situation became more complex as the century progressed.

Characteristics of Victorian poetry

Victorian Poetry was also indifferent from the already stated style. Much of the work of the time

is seen as a bridge between the romantic era and the modernist poetry of the next century.

Alfred Lord Tennyson held the poet laureateship for over forty years. The husband and wife

poetry team of Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning conducted their love affair

through verse and produced many tender and passionate poems.

The reclaiming of the past was a major part of Victorian literature and was to be found in both

classical literature and also the medieval literature of England. The Victorians loved the heroic,
chivalrous stories of knights of old and they hoped to regain some of that noble, courtly

behaviour and impress it upon the people both at home and in the wider empire. In dramatic,

farces, musical burlesques, extravaganzas, and comic operas competed with Shakespeare

productions and serious drama by the likes of James Planche’ and Thomas William Robertson.

The discoveries of science seem to reflect considerable and particular effects upon the literature

of the age. The Victorians had a mission to describe and classify the entire natural world. Much

of this writing was not regarded as literature but one book, in particular, Charles Darwin’s On the

Origin of Species, remains famous.

The theory of evolution contained within the work shook many of the ideas the Victorians had

about themselves. Although it took a long time to be widely accepted, completely changed

following thoughts and literature.

The old Gothic tales that came out of the late 19th century are the first examples of the genre of

fantastic fiction. These tales often centred on larger-than-life characters such as Sherlock

Holmes, the famous detective of the times, Barry Lee, big time gang leader, Sexton Blake,

Phileas Fogg, and other fictional characters of the era, such as Dracula, Edward Hyde.

Common themes in Victorian Literature

If one studies possibly, all the great writers of this period, you will mark three general

characteristics, Firstly, literature in the Victorian age tended to come face to face with realism.
This reflected more on practical problems and interests. It becomes a powerful instrument for

human progress. Secondly, the Victorian literature seems to deviate from the strict principle of

“art for art’s sake” and asserts its moral purpose.

Alfred Lord Tennyson, Robert Browning – all were the teachers of England with the faith in

their moral message to instruct the world. Thirdly, this was more like the age of pessimism and

confusion. The influence of science was strongly felt here.

Alfred Lord Tennyson’s some immature works seem to hold doubtful and despairing stains but

his In Memoriam comes out as a hope after despair. Although characterized as practical and

materialistic, the literature of the Victorian age portrays a completely ideal life. It was an

idealistic age where the great ideals like truth, justice, love, brotherhood were emphasized by

poets, essayists and novelists of the age.

Influence of Victorian Literature

The persistent popular embrace of Victorian literature has had a profound influence on modern

literature and media. Writers such as Charles Dickens and the Bronte sisters still sell robustly on

most book resellers’ lists and are frequently adapted into films and television productions, both

directly and in modernized retellings.

In addition, many modern novels such as A Great and Terrible Beauty demonstrate that the

intricate cultural mores of the Victorian era find a home in the modern cultural psyche.

The Example of Poem in the Victorian Age

"Invictus"
By William Ernest Henley
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
 Twentieth Century (Abad Ke- 20)

Modern literature was an early European-dominated movement in the early 20th century

which was marked by the revival of traditional aesthetic forms. Representing the radical change

in cultural sensibilities during the period of World War I, modernist literature struggles with the

new world of subject matter brought about by an increasingly advanced and globalized world.

Modern literature is a new style in English literature that is trying to get out of the phase

of romanticism and realism. In this 20th century, the development of work after work made with

various genres and distinctive themes that are told with unique storytelling techniques, has

become one of the interesting materials to be analyzed and studied more deeply.

In the 20th century, work after work evolved from time to time, starting from poetry,

prose, and essays written by some of the most famous writers of that era, such as Dame Edith

Sitwell and Catherine Mansfield.

The literary characteristics of the 20th century

Juxtapotition, irony and satire are elements found in modern writing. The style of

storytelling that is most characteristic of modern writing is that it is often found in the first

person narration style. In contrast to classical writing which has a beginning, middle, and end,

modern writing is narrated in a complex style and usually ends with a hanging climax. This

leaves readers confused as to what they should take from the work.

Modern writing is usually very difficult to understand because of the large amount of

fragmentation and lack of conciseness of writing. The plot is made in such a way that it looks
complex and seems fragmented. Common themes that are often referred to in this period are the

rejection of history, social systems and loneliness.

Rudyard Kipling is an early twentieth century novelist featuring adventure novels set in

the British occupation of India. The figure of Mowgli in the novel entitled Jungle Books as a

child who grows up in the forest and befriends the jungle-dwelling animals is an interesting story

and this story really stirs the reader's imagination about jungle life in India. This novel has

experienced success and can last for decades, even this story has been shown on the big screen

for up to two series. The stories of heroism displayed by Rudyard Kipling were also presented

by Joseph Concard in the form of an adventure story, a sailor who has traveled to various

continents. In his novels, Concard presents the setting of the sea and places far from England.

His novels include The Nigger of the Narcissus, Youth and Lord Jim. The setting of life in India

was also shown by novelist E.M Forster, who is a romantic novelist through his work A Passage

to India. A study of psychology and interracial attitudes.

The writings in the 20th century have a variety of themes, ranging from social life and even

things that are consensual also present in the realm of literature at that era.

Poetry and prose are two types of literary genres that are widely written. In both genres there

are several famous and quite calculated names, namely Kristhine Menfield, and Dame Edith

Sittwel. Below is W.H Auden's Poem as a comparison that also exists around the century:

That night when joy began

Our narrowest veins to flush,
We waited for the flash
 Of morning’s levelled gun.
But morning let us pass,
And day by day relief
Outgrows his nervous laugh,
Grown credulous of peace,
As mile by mile is seen
No trespasser’s reproach,
And love’s best glasses reach
No fields but are his own.

November 1931

[“Five Songs” II –Collected Poems (ed. Mendelson)]

Copyright (c) 1976, 1991 The Estate of W. H. Auden

Unlike Auden, Sitwell and Menfield are more famous in the prose genre. Sitwell is best known

as a conroversial writer who wrote about queen Elizabeth while menfield was a talented writer

and considered the most talented of the century. One of his works is:

“Henry was a great fellow for books. He did not read many nor did he possess above half a

dozen. He looked at all in the Charing Cross Road during lunch-time and at any odd time in

London; the quantity with which he was on nodding terms was amazing. By his clean neat

handling of them and by his nice choice of phrase when discussing them with one or another

bookseller you would have thought that he had taken his pap with a tome propped before his
nurse’s bosom. But you would have been wrong.” (From ‘Something Childish But Very

Natural’)

Complex storytelling styles and unassuming elaboration and new themes became colors in

20th-century literature. In addition, the presence of digital intermediaries is also one of the

factors supporting the successful spread of literature at that era. In that era, the relationship

has come to a phase that is later known as the modernism phase.

The following are the characteristics of Modernism:

 Characterized by suspended and intentional death. This includes a strong reaction to

established religious, and social views.

 There is no such thing as absolute truth. Everything is relative.

 It has nothing to do with history or institutions. Their experience is that alienation,

desperate loss, and loss. Individual championships and celebrations of inner strength.