The English Romantics and the Theme of Nature. C.M. Bowra applies the term Romanticism to a phase of English poetry which began in 1768 with Blakes Songs of Innocence and ended with the death of Keats and Shelley:

UNIVERSITATEA PROFIL: SOCIO-PSIHOPEDAGOGIE SPECIALIZARE: INSTITUTORI-LIMBA STRAINA Lucrare de licenta Coordonator stiintific, Absolvent, Prof. Dr. Drobeta Turnu Severin 2003 The English Romantics and the Theme of Nature "Every reform, however necessary, will by weak minds be carried to an excess, that itself will need reforming" (from Biographia Literaria, 1817) CONTENTS Chapter I Introduction to Romanticism. The Romantic Movement in England.. .......................................................................................................................4 Literary Sources........................................................................................7 Aesthetic Theories Elements Of Romantic Poetry 8 A. Poetry and the Poet 9 B. Romantic Imagination 10 C. Insights of Childhood 12 D. Romantic Typology 13 E. Romantic Escapism 14 F. Mythology and Symbolism 15 G. Romanticism and Form 17 Chapter II The First Generation of Romantic Poets - The Image of Nature 19 William Wordsworth 20 The Shorter Poems of the Middle Period 32 The Longer Poems 36 Samuel Taylor Coleridge 38 Chapter III The Second Generation of Romantic Poets - Views on Nature 50 Percy Bysshe Shelly 50 George Gordon Byron 56 John Keats 58 CONCLUSION 62 BIBLIOGRAPHY 66 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION TO ROMANTICISM. THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT IN

  • Word count: 17582
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
Access this essay

NATURE, natural, and the group of words derived from them, or allied to them in etymology, have at all times filled a great pl

NATURE, natural, and the group of words derived from them, or allied to them in etymology, have at all times filled a great place in the thoughts and taken a strong hold on the feelings of mankind. That they should have done so is not surprising, when we consider what the words, in their primitive and most obvious signification, represent; but it is unfortunate that a set of terms which play so great a part in moral and metaphysical speculation, should have acquired many meanings different from the primary one, yet sufficiently allied to it to admit of confusion. The words have thus become entangled in so many foreign associations, mostly of a very powerful and tenacious character, that they have come to excite, and to be the symbols of, feelings which their original meaning will by no means justify; and which have made them one of the most copious sources of false taste, false philosophy, false morality, and even bad law. The most important application of the Socratic Elenchus, as exhibited and improved by Plato, consists in dissecting large abstractions of this description; fixing down. to a precise definition the meaning which as popularly used they merely shadow forth, and questioning and testing the common maxims and opinions in which they bear a part. It is to be regretted that among the instructive specimens of this kind of investigation which Plato has left, and to

  • Word count: 15520
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
Access this essay

Coleridge, Samuel Taylor (1772-1834), English poet, critic, and philosopher, who was a leader of the Romantic movement.

Coleridge, Samuel Taylor (1772-1834), English poet, critic, and philosopher, who was a leader of the Romantic movement. I II DEVELOPMENT Coleridge was born in Ottery St Mary, Devon, on October 21, 1772, the son of a vicar. From 1791 until 1794 he studied classics at Jesus College, Cambridge University, and became interested in French revolutionary politics. His heavy drinking and debauchery incurred massive debts which he attempted to clear by entering the army for a brief period. Eventually, his brother paid for him to be discharged on a plea of insanity. At university he absorbed political and theological ideas then considered radical, especially those of Unitarianism. He left Cambridge without a degree and joined his university friend, the poet Robert Southey in a plan, soon abandoned, to found a Utopian society in Pennsylvania. Based on the ideas of William Godwin, this new society was dubbed "Pantisocracy". In 1795 the two friends married sisters, Sara and Edith Fricker. Not only did Coleridge's marriage to Sara proved extremely unhappy, but he also became estranged from Southey, who departed for Portugal that same year. Coleridge remained in England to write and lecture, editing a radical Christian journal, The Watchman, from his new home in Clevedon. In 1796 he published Poems on Various Subjects, which included "The Eolian Harp" and his "Monody on the Death of

  • Word count: 8919
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
Access this essay

Compare and Contrast The Concept of Nature in the Works of Karl Marx and Ralph Waldo Emerson

Compare and Contrast The Concept of Nature in the Works of Karl Marx and Ralph Waldo Emerson Introduction Given the salience of current debates in the philosophy of social theory concerning the necessity or impossibility of grand narratives, or universalising theory, and the utility or dis-utility of the post-structural, relativist approach, I find it surprising that no one has yet stumbled upon the idea of comparing the works of Karl Marx and Ralph Waldo Emerson, the former the producer of the most influential grand-narrative in recent world political and economic history, and the later one of the more forceful exponents of experiential truth as elaborated upon by Nietzsche, and of historical relativism as practised by Foucault. A comparison of the work of these two individuals is justifiable on more grounds than their respective contributions to the development of contemporary sociological thought. Both witnessed the modern age, what appears to many "as the culminating point of human development... announc[ing] the secret of human history, hitherto concealed from the eyes of its participants," (Kumar, 81) but both witnessed it from very different perspectives. Both men were also deeply concerned to "capture" the concept of nature: Marx wrote his PhD thesis on the concept ( entitled "The Difference between Democritus' and Epicurus' Philosophy of Nature") , and one of

  • Word count: 6855
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
Access this essay

The Project Paper - The short story.

The Project Paper (A) The short story . Define short story A short story is a form more realistic than the tale and is of modern origin. The writer usually presents the main events in greater fullness. Fine writers of short stories are skilled in rendering a scene (which is a vivid or dramatic moment described in enough detail to create the illusion that the reader is practically there. The writers try to show rather than simply to tell. A short story is more than just a sequence of happenings. A finely wrought short story has the richness and conciseness of an excellent lyric poem. Spontaneous and natural as the finished story may seem, the writer has written it so artfully that there is meaning in even seemingly casual speeches and apparently trivial details. Some literary short story tell of an epiphany. Other short stories tell of a character initiated into experience or maturity. The short story is of more recent origin. According to the Dictionary Literary Terms written by Dr Rosli Talif, a short story is a brief functional NARRATIVE in PROSE that has a more formal structure than the TALE< from which it originates. Although short stories possess all the attributes of Fiction, such as PLOT, SETTING, CHARACTERIZATION, THEME, TONE, and POINT OF VIEW, what distinguishes it from the other forms of fiction i.e. NOVEL and NOVELLAA is that it is shorter in length

  • Word count: 6755
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
Access this essay

In this essay I will be exploring, discussing and analysing two cross cultural poems. The first is called woman work, its by Maya Angelou, the second poem is titled Lore and its writer is R.S Thomas.

In this essay I will be exploring, discussing and analysing two cross cultural poems. The first is called woman work, its by Maya Angelou, the second poem is titled Lore and its writer is R.S Thomas. Both Angelou and Thomas expLore and present their ideas in very different and contrasting ways. Through out the two poems it is easy to gain knowledge into the poet's backgrounds and beliefs. The two poems are connected by the obvious theme of work, which both poems are clearly passionate about. However the way in which they do work or view it is very different. Primarily culture defines a person's origin, beliefs, actions and reactions to certain situations. I will begin by looking at Maya Angelou's background. She was born in st Louis on April 4 1928 as Marguerite Johnson. She lived in a black segregated community in Arkansas with her grandmother and brother until the age of eight. Her grandmother was a hard worker. She ran a general store and the home, brought up the children and looked after her crippled son. Members of the white community however often spoke down to her grandmother. At 8 Maya moved to live with her mother in St Louis, Illinois. Her mother was also a hard worker in clubs and enjoyed the high life. At 8 Maya was raped by her mother's boyfriend She became mute until she was 13. Maya herself worked hard in her teens as a cook, waitress and brought up her son,

  • Word count: 6670
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
Access this essay

&#147;Ideology represents the imaginary relationship of individuals to their real conditions of existence&#148; (Althusser). Discuss with reference to the texts on the course.

"Ideology represents the imaginary relationship of individuals to their real conditions of existence" (Althusser). Discuss with reference to the texts on the course. Each of the central characters in "Open Secrets" by Alice Munro and "Paradise Lost" by John Milton are driven and sustained by the relationship between the realities of their existence and their personal ideologies. The conflict between ideology and reality is an important theme in the work of Munro and Milton and both the obvious discrepancies and the more subtle references to this define many aspects of the plot and characterisation. An examination of the reactions of characters to the restrictions placed on them by the reality in which they exist, and their perception of this reality is fundamental to understanding the ideologies which they possess. Their ideologies are the crucial influence on the experiences and eventual fates of each character. Ultimately the question of whether or not these relationships and conflicts are resolved or overcome is the key to gaining a deeper insight into the texts, and simultaneously provides the reader with evidence of the authors' own beliefs and ideologies. In Paradise Lost, Milton makes use of the ideas of contrast and opposition in order to create a text which is highly significant of his own personal ideology and, at the same time, a beautiful and intricate piece of

  • Word count: 5513
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
Access this essay

Precarious Magic

?????????????? Nikki R. Quintanar Romanticism to Modernism Neil Arditi ~ Summer 2002 The Romantic Age was roughly defined by the years 1798-1832. In England, those writers generally categorized as Romantic were; William Blake, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Percy Bysshe Shelley, John Keats, and Lord Byron. The ideals embraced by Romanticism rebelled against the prevalent ideas of neo-classicism. These Romantic ideals "contained a new awareness of nature and the natural world, emphasized the need for spontaneity in thought and action, and attached considerable importance to natural genius exhibited through imagination." 1 Imagination, to The Romantics was man's capability to both perceive and create. They "embodied a more liberated and subjective expression of passion, pathos, and personal feelings in their work."2 In this liberated awareness, "there existed an occult relationship between man and nature, man and man, and man and beast, and any combination thereof. This relationship was a spirit of oneness and beauty manifest in the many yet emanating from the One."3 The Romantics sought a profound spiritual grasp of the truth. They embraced the belief that the ultimate nature of Reality resides within each and every sentient being. In this paper I will focus on the widespread use of opium in England during the Romantic Age. Opium use was

  • Word count: 5176
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
Access this essay

The problem with Under Milk Wood is that nothing happens. Is this an accurate assessment of the play?

9th October, 2003 The problem with Under Milk Wood is that nothing happens. Is this an accurate assessment of the play? The title of the play is actually reflecting the inspiration for the play which was a small Welsh village called Laugharn. The precise interpretation of the title is that of cows grazing under a wood in the village of Llareggub. There is also another link with the title to Thomas Hardy where he used 'Under Greenwood Tree' as the title- this is a good piece of alternative evidence showing Thomas's love/admiration for other writers. Under Milk Wood is a radio play that was written by a writer called Dylan Thomas. Dylan Thomas was from Wales, however he spoke no Welsh and had no obvious influences of Welsh on him- however he uses a number of Welsh phrases in the play. However, Thomas's father was an English teacher and from an early age Thomas had a love for language- this love is shown throughout the whole of the play with continual use of sophisticated writing tools, language and a detailed, descriptive style. Under Milk Wood is about a small town called Llareggub which is peaceful and simple, located somewhere in the Welsh countryside. The play is a play for voices, which means it is written for the radio and not for the stage. It begins with the reader being swept through the village at night, listening to people's dreams then

  • Word count: 5160
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
Access this essay

Explain how Blake uses imagery, form and language in these poems to express his beliefs and what their content reveals about the time in which they were written.

Songs of Innocence and Experience appears to be very simplistic on first reading. Explain how Blake uses imagery, form and language in these poems to express his beliefs and what their content reveals about the time in which they were written. William Blake uses imagery, form and language to express his beliefs on religion and how life has changed since the industrial revolution. He lived in 18th century London and was influenced by his visions he experienced in his life and was often described as a romantic poet. He lived in relative poverty for most of his life and this affected his poetry which can be seen in his companion poem pairs of Songs of Innocence and Experience. William Blake had two sets of companion poems called the Songs of Innocence and the Songs of Experience. In his Songs of Innocence poems which feature 'The Lamb', 'Holy Thursday' and 'The Chimney Sweeper' he uses imagery and language which differ to the Songs of Experience, which contain the poems 'The Tyger', 'Holy Thursday' and 'The Chimney Sweeper'. The poet also uses imagery to reinforce the effect of innocence created by the lamb, the child narrator and the tone. Pastoral and white imagery such as "Stream & o'er the mead" and "Bright" help define Blake's view on innocence. Pastoral imagery was often sued by romantics to represent the natural world and its complete purity. William Blake idealised

  • Word count: 5008
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
Access this essay