Romanticism Romanticism (or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe at the end of the 18th century. The Romantic movement developed in western Europe and involved, not only literature, but also philosophy, science, religion and art.

It was mostly a reaction against the ideology of the Enlightenment period that dominated Europe from the mid-17th century until the close of the 18th century.

There is no generally accepted definition of the word Romantic. The term first appeared in England in 17th century in the sense of extravagant, unreal; but at the end of 18th century it had already assumed a different meaning and it was particularly connected with feelings, imagination and emotion. HISTORICAL BACKGROUNDThe period from 1776 to 1830 was marked by some important events:

1. The declaration of American Independence (1776);

2. The British colonies became free nations;

3. The French revolution (1789);

These historical events inspired ideals of freedom and democracy in many poets and writers. ROMANTICISM IN LITERATUREAs a literary movement English Romanticism presented a clear and sharp break with the rationality, common sense and realism that had characterized the Augustan Age. The Romanticism affirmed the supremacy of feeling and emotions against the faith in reason.There was a new sensibility based on introspection, nostalgia, emotionalism and individualism. The classical view of nature as an abstract and philosophical concept, was replaced by the view of nature as something real and living.

Another element typical of Romanticism was the revival of the past, opposed to the present reality. There was the rediscovery of the arts, legends and popular traditions of the Middle Ages.IMAGINATION AND CHILHOODImagination had a key-role as expression to emotional experience against the rationalism.The poet presented himself as a link between the ordinary man and the divine. Imagination was seen as the power to see beyond appearance into the real nature of things.Childhood was seen as the age of innocence, admired and cultivated because the child was considered pure and unspoilt by civilisation. INDIVIDUALRomanticism encouraged individualism and the free expression of personal feelings, and turned to emotion and imagination as sources of inspiration.

The philosophical thought of such French writers as Voltaire and Rousseau, with their attacks on privilege and social stratification and their concern with nature and mans emotional and imaginative powers, emphasized the value of the individual, opposed to rationalism.

The individual was seen in a solitary state. The hero of the romantics was, in fact, a solitary rebel, outcast and atypical.

Romantic poets didn't feel at ease in the society of their time. They lived in isolation enjoying the loneliness of the countryside, far from urban life. The country was preferred to the industrial town, because, here, they could be in relationship with nature, which filled them with pleasure and put them in strict relation with human soul.

Jean Jacques Rousseau said that the conventions of civilisation and society were evil and represented a restriction on the individual personality, because they corrupted man's natural behaviour that was, in origin, good.

POETRYThe English romantic period was dominated above all by poetry, since it was in poetry that the renewed interest in imagination and the emotions found its ideal vehicle.

Romantic poets are usually divided into two groups conventionally defined as First Generation and Second Generation.FIRST GENERATION WORDSWORTH and COLERIDGE Lake Poets (so called because they lived in the English Lake District). They emphasized the importance of the self and its relationship with Nature.The LYRICAL BALLADSThe two poets wrote together a collection of poems called LYRICAL BALLADS (1798), which also contains Wordsworths famous Preface (1800) that became the Manifesto of English Romanticism, considered the beginning of a literary revolution. SECOND GENERATION BYRON - SHELLEY - KEATS All died very young. The relationship between LIFE and ART was fundamental for their poetry. Byron and Shelley embodied the typical rebel poet who is rejected by the society he despised and against which he fights.Romantic poets only wrote for their own pleasure without worrying about the reaction of the public and disregarding any form of criticism.