Wordsworth And Coleridge's Romanticism: An 18th Century Revolution

"Romanticism: An 18th Century Revolution"

Romanticism is the evolution of literary ideals resulting from the American and French Revolution that took Western Europe by storm from 1785 to 1832. The Romantic period during the late 18th century, was designed to forward a new understanding to the common reader, challenging the ideals of classicism and shedding a new light on Aesthetic literature that has influenced today 's literary culture. William Wordsworth and his colleague Samuel Coleridge, challenged their neoclassical predecessors and taught us to glorify our spontaneous overflow of emotion, as a source for inspiration. As a result, Romantic artists emerged to follow the steps of Wordsworth and Coleridge, leading to an expansion of literary

Wordsworth writes, "For all poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (295). Wordsworth and Coleridge felt that earlier writings were impersonal, and detached to the common audience. Wordsworth and Coleridge believed that the upper class, were unpleasant due to the aristocracy valuing self-delight and material objects. Wordsworth wrote that a poet "illustrates the manner in which our feelings and ideas are associated in a state of excitement" (296). They felt that a poet writes within the moment of true emotion and passion. "Emotion recollected in tranquillity" is the basis for all poetry because it reflects the overflow of feelings that nature, or a memory, bring about within the heart of an individual. The difference between a Romantic poet from a neoclassical poet, is that there isn 't a period of long and deep thought. The Neoclassical artists wrote from a technical standpoint in which they deeply, and mechanically, wrote from satire. Wordsworth and Coleridge both express that being able to compose within the moment of the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" reflects the genuine emotions of the poet, as well as creates an original piece of