Imagination in Jane Eyre

Imagination is a concept that is used in almost all forms of literature. It is held especially in high regard by the writers of the Romantic era. The writers from this era, such as Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Keats, have greatly influenced those in successive periods, such as the Victorian period. This can be seen, for instance, in the novel Jane Eyre; even though it was written and heavily based in the ideals of the Victorian writers, it still holds influences from the Romantics, especially the power of imagination.

William Wordsworth’s view on imagination can easily be seen in the two poems Expostulation & Reply and The Tables Turned. In these two short poems Wordsworth gives respect to the sciences; he does not look down on them. However, he does argue that ignoring nature, and by extension, imagination, would be to ignore part of what it means to be human. Another poem, I wandered lonely as a cloud, shows Wordsworth’s appreciation for imagination, as he reflects on the joy of being able to look inward and see the beauty of nature as he sees it, not as science does.

Samuel Coleridg...