The Romantic Age and William Blake

Flashcards covering the Romantic Age, the American Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, and the works of William Blake.

What was the Romantic Age?

A cultural and artistic movement against Enlightenment ideals, emphasizing emotion, imagination, and individualism.

What did the Enlightenment emphasize?

Reason and judgment, focus on society, trust in authority, interest in science and technology.

What did Romanticism emphasize?

Emotions and imagination, importance of the individual, celebration of common people, and interest in the supernatural.

What are the key characteristics of English Romanticism?

Criticism of social and political conditions, focus on the individual, belief in poetic freedom, emphasis on emotion, nature, and personal experience.

How was nature viewed in Romanticism?

As a living, spiritual force and a substitute for traditional religion, helping individuals explore their inner lives.

What was the Romantic concept of imagination?

A creative force superior to reason, through which nature became a system of symbols for understanding the world.

Who were the Lake Poets?

Wordsworth and Coleridge

What work is considered the manifesto of English Romanticism?

Lyrical Ballads

How did Wordsworth connect with nature?

They saw nature as a source of joy, inspiration, knowledge, a motherly figure, and a moral guide.

How did Coleridge connect with nature?

He considered nature a universal force, representing God’s will and love.

How did Keats connect with nature?

He valued nature for its beauty, seeing it as a muse that inspired the creative mind.

Why did King George III introduce new taxes on the American colonies?

To reduce Britain’s public debt after the Seven Years’ War.

Why did colonists resent the new taxes?

They had no representation in the British Parliament and wanted taxes approved by their local assemblies.

When did the Boston Tea Party take place?

1773

What was the motto of the American rebels?

“No taxation without representation.”

When was the Declaration of Independence written?

1776

Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson

When did the American Revolutionary War end?

1783

What was the outcome of the Treaty of Versailles in 1783?

Britain recognized the United States as an independent nation.

Who became Prime Minister in Britain in 1783?

William Pitt the Younger

What was the impact of the Industrial Revolution on England?

It transformed England from a farming society into an industrial one.

What were the consequences of rapid industrial growth?

Growth of “mushroom towns”, overcrowded and polluted conditions, long working hours, low life expectancy.

What was the Regency period?

The Prince Regent governed while King George III was ill.

What occurred during the reign of George IV?

Legalization of trade unions and the creation of the Metropolitan Police.

How did William Blake want to change art?

He believed that art should have a new purpose: to protect the spirit and imagination

What was illuminated printing?

A special way to print his work, combining pictures and poetry.

What did Blake think was most important?

Imagination was more important than reason.

What are the names of William Blake's collections of poems?

Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience

Who is the narrator in Songs of Innocence?

A shepherd

Who is the narrator in Songs of Experience?

A bird

What is experience linked to?

It is linked to being an adult and shows the pain, problems, and truth that come with growing up.

What are some exmaples of complementary opposites?

Good and evil, male and female, reason and imagination, cruelty and kindness

What did Blake say about contraries?

“Without contraries, there is no progression.”

What was, for Blake, the way to understand the world?

Imagination.