Romantic Period Notes

The Romantic Period (1798-1832) came after a lot of industrial and scientific changes, focusing more on nature and feelings. Wordsworth doubted science's ability to show nature accurately: "Our meddling intellect/Misshapes the beauteous forms of things-/We murder to dissect." The French Revolution started on July 14, 1789, with the storming of the Bastille, limiting King Louis XVI's power and creating a Constitutional Monarchy. This scared many nobles in Britain.

During the revolution, the Jacobins got rid of the monarchy and started a republic. The September Massacres led to many deaths, including Louis XVI. Under Robespierre, about 17,000 people were executed during the Reign of Terror. The shocking events in France led many in Britain to turn against the revolution, and the government banned public meetings due to fear of uprising.

The Industrial Revolution caused problems like overcrowded factories, bad working conditions, and conflicts between workers and owners. The government favored factory owners. Labor unions were allowed in 1824, and in 1829, Catholics got religious freedom. The Reform Bill of 1832 gave voting rights to middle-class men, breaking the old power of the aristocracy.

Romanticism focused on ordinary people's experiences. Poets highlighted emotions, nature, and individuality, fighting against industrial oppression. The movement got its name from medieval romances, and Goethe supported democratic ideas. Key poets were Wordsworth and Coleridge, who said poetry comes from strong feelings.

Lord Byron was known for his radical lifestyle; Percy Bysshe Shelley pushed for political change; John Keats was famous for his beautiful writing but died young. Romantic prose grew from periodicals, with more personal essays from writers like Lamb and De Quincey. Notable novelists included Mary Shelley with "Frankenstein," Jane Austen with her social critiques, and Sir Walter Scott, who wrote historical novels. The Romantic Age ended with the First Reform Bill in 1832, showing big political and social changes in Britain.