Lesson 1

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Lesson 1, Romanticism: Historical, political, cultural and philosophical background 
Goals: 
Have an overview of the Romantic period as regards its historical, political, cultural and philosophical background; 2. recognize some of its cultural representations. 
Introduction 
The Romantic age is one of the most fruitful eras in the literary history. Having started as a reaction to the age of Enlightenment, it produced most of the most renowned artists of all times in all cultural fields. You will have the opportunity of studying the Romantic period in three lessons and will have the opportunity of having a broad view of this movement which had a significant impact in the history of mankind.
The Romantic Period is the name given to the artistic, literary, and intellectual Century to the early years of the 18th Century. The Norton Anthology of English Literature places it between the years 1785–1832, but there is a lot of controversy as to the time in which it actually took place. 
Generally speaking, Romanticism was a reaction to the Age of Enlightenment which came beforehand. While Enlightenment thinkers valued logic, reason, and rationality, Romantics valued emotion, passion, and individuality. 
Activity
Match the Romantic traits to their opposing traits in the Enlightenment period.
1- Reason, common sense
2- Senses
3- Moderation
4- Order
5- City, humanly cultivated gardens
6- Objective (mind as passive recorder of sense impressions emanating from the external world)
7- Realism (the text that reflects reality)
8- Artist as the voice of reason
9- Precision of thought, clarity of diction
(7) Symbolism (the text that reveals the spiritual world that shines through reality)
(6) Subjective (mind as creative faculty which imposes order and coherence on the external world)
(9) Mystery, enigma: use of symbolism
(2) Intuition, vision
(3) Excess
(1) Emotion, feeling, passion
(4) Disorder, spontaneity
(5) Country, divinely created natural phenomena
(8) Artist as a visionary
Romanticism: Historical Background
The Romantic Age was a moment of revolution. Two major revolutions occurred and had a profound effect on that time: the first one was The Independence of the USA in 1776 and the second was The French Revolution. Although the first movement took place outside Europe it had a direct impact on the British and was enough to blow up their confidence as they realised that they were not unbeatable. This perception certainly changed people’s way of thinking at the time. The second, the French Revolution, occurred in a neighbouring country and was a complete overthrown of the government. Again, the British realised that changes like that could happen anywhere and anytime.
Besides those two revolutions, another revolution was taking place in the European society: The Industrial Revolution. Romanticism was a period of fundamental changes in agriculture, textile and metal manufacture, transportation, economic policies and the social structure in England. These changes originated a shift from hand labor to machines.
The Industrial Revolution also brought about technological, economic, and social changes, amongst which were the use of new basic materials for manufacture, mostly iron and steel, new transportation and communication systems and the application of scientific principles to industry among others. It was a very important moment that transformed all the European society and led to radical and often abrupt social changes. It created an effect both on urban and country lives.
Let’s have a look at the poem London, by William Blake, which was written during the French Revolution and in which he describes the city life.
London
BY WILLIAM BLAKE
 
I wander thro' each charter'd street,[1: Chartered /ˈtʃɑːr.tɚd/ rented for a particular purpose]
Near where the charter'd Thames does flow.
And mark in every face I meet
Marks of weakness, marks of woe.[2: [uncountable] great unhappiness → synonym: misery]
 
In every cry of every Man,
In every Infants cry of fear,
In every voice: in every ban,
The mind-forg'd manacles I hear[3: [usually plural] one of two metal bands joined by a chain, used for fastening a prisoner’s ankles or wrists together]
How the Chimney-sweepers cry
Every blackning Church appalls,
And the hapless Soldiers sigh[4: /ˈhæp.ləs/ US ​ formal unlucky and usually unhappy]
Runs in blood down Palace walls
But most thro' midnight streets I hear
How the youthful Harlots curse
Blasts the new-born Infants tear
And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse[5: blight something to spoil or damage something, especially by causing a lot of problems][6: /hɜrs/ a large car that is used to take a dead body to a funeral]
 
Click here for the video/ audio of the poem.[7: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12z2a1L1pk4 ]
In this poem, Blake focuses on the social and political background of London and highlights differences between the wealth of the ruling classes and the poverty of the common man. Free speech is curtailed as a way to prevent Londoners from following the example of their French counterparts. The people of London are described as being weak and full of woe revealed by the marks on their faces. There is a repetition on the word "marks" which again stresses the despair and tiredness that they seem to be going through because of their oppressed way of life.[8: /kɚˈteɪl/ to stop something before it is finished, or to reduce or limit something.]
Romanticism: Political Background
 
As already pointed out, The French Revolution was a movement that inspired the Romanticism, and poets and other artists were caught by the democratic spirit this movement brought. However, as the movement became more and more violent, the British started to react against it, and when Napoleon was finally defeated in 1814, the British leaders were determined not to let it trouble them again. For this reason, the government reacted harshly against the urban working-class demonstrations, and killed several unarmed people at Saint Peter's Fields.
Another important political aspect is related to the urbanization-led movements brought up by the Industrial revolution, amongst which can be included urban poverty and class dissatisfaction. Some of the British Romantic poets showed their dissatisfaction to the changing in the human relationships and landscapes, as Nature was seen as an element in extinction.
Cultural Background
 Besides placing great value on the beauty of nature and the wilderness and often stressing a feeling of nostalgia for a bygone past, the Romantic Movement also glorified the medieval period and folk culture. These concepts were expressed in literature, art, music, theater, architecture and nationalism and politics.
 
Art in the Age of Enlightenment was an expression of the refined tastes of the aristocracy. To these people, life was beautiful and joyful. They wanted more than anything to enjoy themselves, to give pleasure to their friends, and to collect the luxurious objects which made them feel happy, rich, and important. This can be sensed in the following work of Nicolas Lancret, entitled Spring and dated from 1738.
Romantics, on the other hand, believed in the power of nature and their expression. In his painting entitled Fishermen at Sea, dated from 1794, JMW Turner portrays the mood of nature and its ever-changing effects.[9: Joseph Mallord William]
Music was expressed through an increased use of folk melodies. The artist was also important, and society expected composers and performers to exercise their creative powers, especially as soloists. The major composers of the era include Wolfgang von Beethoven, Frederic Chopin, Richard Wagner, Franz Liszt, Hector Berlioz, Giuseppe Verdi and Peter Tchaikovsky.
Due to the improvements brought about by the Industrial Revolution, instrument makers were able to revise key mechanisms and overall design of the different instruments and these changesallowed players to improve their technique and execute sounds that would not be performable in the past. This helped composers make music that expressed the bold freedom and emotion which was characteristic of the era. Besides that, the performances were made for everyone and not only for the elite.
Listen the two pieces of music below and decide which belongs to the enlightenment and which belongs to the Romanticism:
Romanticism
Enlightenment
( 1 ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef-4Bv5Ng0w 
( 2 ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsGlckg8gq0 
During Romanticism, there was an ongoing reaction against the philosophy of the era of Enlightenment, which gave emphasis to science, empirical evidence and rational thought among others. The Romantics went against the idea that reason was one of the paths to truth and judged it inadequate to understand the great mysteries of life.
They believed that these emotions could be uncovered with emotion, imagination and intuition. Besides that, they believed that Nature should be celebrated as a place for self-discovery and spiritual learning, and should be regarded as a place where the mysteries of life could be revealed to the minds of man. They emphasized a life filled with deep feeling, spirituality, and free expression, seeing these as virtues against the dehumanizing effects of industrialization. They also celebrated the value of human beings, which they believed to have infinite, godlike potential.
Activity
Read the poem “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” by William Wordsworth and match the interpretation to the lines of the poem.  
THE IMPORTANCE OF NATURE: 2, 3, 4, 5, 8
THE INDIVIDUAL SUPREMACY: 1, 6, 7
 I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud 
by William Wordsworth 
I wandered lonely as a cloud (1) 
That floats on high o'er vales and hills, (2) 
When all at once I saw a crowd, 
A host, of golden daffodils; (3) [10: /ˈdæf·əˌdɪl/ a yellow flower that usually grows in the spring = narciso]
Beside the lake, beneath the trees, (4) 
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. [11: [intransitive, transitive] to move lightly and quickly; to make something move in this way]
Continuous as the stars that shine (5) 
And twinkle on the milky way, 
They stretched in never-ending line 
Along the margin of a bay: 
Ten thousand saw I at a glance, 
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. 
The waves beside them danced; but they 
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: [12: delight]
A poet could not but be gay, 
In such a jocund company: 
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought 
What wealth the show to me had brought: (6) 
For oft, when on my couch I lie 
In vacant or in pensive mood, 
They flash upon that inward eye (7) 
Which is the bliss of solitude; 
And then my heart with pleasure fills, 
And dances with the daffodils. (8) 
In this class, you:
Had an overview of the Romantic period as regards its historical, political, cultural and philosophical background; recognized some of its cultural representations.
Next class: Next class you will learn about Poetry in the Romantic Movement and study the works of Blake, Byron and Keats.