Romantic Poetry: A Revolution in English Literature

The Romantic period in English literature marked a significant shift in poetic expression and themes. This era saw poetry rise to prominence as the preferred medium for conveying emotional experiences and imaginative visions.

Highlight: Poetry became the dominant form of expression during the English Romantic period.

Romantic poets viewed themselves as visionary prophets, tasked with bridging the gap between humanity and nature while critiquing societal ills. This perspective contrasted sharply with the Augustan poets who preceded them.

Definition: Romanticismo inglese autori refers to the key writers of the English Romantic movement, who championed new ideals and forms of expression.

One of the most striking differences between Romantic and Augustan poetry was the perception of childhood. While Augustan poets saw childhood as a temporary phase necessary for reaching adulthood, Romantic poets elevated childhood to a pure and admirable state worthy of cultivation.

Quote: "To romantic poets childhood was a pure concept. It was a state to be admired and cultivated."

The Romantic view of human nature also diverged from earlier perspectives. Contrary to the Augustan view of man as a social animal, l'uomo è un animale sociale aristotele politica (man is a social animal according to Aristotle's politics), Romantic poets emphasized the solitary nature of individuals. They often exalted outcasts and solitary figures in their works.

Vocabulary: Esotismo Romanticismo refers to the fascination with exotic and distant cultures that was characteristic of the Romantic movement.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau's philosophy greatly influenced Romantic thought. He argued that the conventions of civilization were intolerable restrictions that led to corruption and evil. This idea gave rise to the concept of the noble savage, which posited that individuals uncorrupted by civilization possessed an instinctive self-knowledge.

Example: The concept of the noble savage is exemplified in works like "The Last of the Mohicans" by James Fenimore Cooper, which portrays Native Americans as having a pure and natural wisdom.

Rousseau's ideas also contributed to the development of the cult of the exotic in Romantic literature. This concept involved a veneration of distant and unfamiliar cultures, landscapes, and experiences.

Definition: Esotico significato in the context of Romanticism refers to the allure and fascination with foreign or unfamiliar elements in literature and art.

The Romanticismo inglese periodo (English Romantic period) thus represented a significant departure from earlier literary traditions, emphasizing emotion, imagination, and a return to nature. It celebrated the individual spirit and sought to explore the depths of human experience through poetry.