The Age Of Enlightenment By William Wordsworth - 1465 Words

The Age of Enlightenment in Europe, which was characterized by rapid political, philosophical, and cultural reform, came to a screeching halt in the late eighteenth century. Widespread disillusionment with enlightenment ideals, specifically the rationalization of nature, led to a radical re-shift in thought. Born from this disapproval was a period known as the Romantic era. Romanticism challenged the validity of the pursuit of reason and instead emphasized individualism, transcendentalism, and the glorification of nature. Romantics also rejected any shift toward modernity, condemning the industrial revolution that was brewing across the atlantic at the time. Many famous authors and poets who emerged during this period based their works around the central theme of experiential learning and self expression. They questioned the legitimacy of rational thought as the backbone of society, and sought to make change. In the mid-nineteenth century, two poets, William Wordsworth, who emphasiz ed the importance of finding and preserving beauty in nature, and William Blake, who focused more on imagination and the human existence, rose to the forefront of the British romantic movement. Although they differed slightly in their inspirations and styles of writing, Wordsworth and Blake were both successful in conveying their romantic ideologies through their respective works. William Wordsworth, regarded by many as the pioneer of romantic poetry, focused many of his works on theShow MoreRelatedWilliam Wordsworths Expostulation And Reply1615 Words   |  7 PagesWilliam Wordsworth’s â€Å"Expostulation and Reply† and its companion poem â€Å"The Tables Turned† use a revived form of poetry to encapsulate the main philosophies of the Romantic era. This poem was published in Lyrical Ballads, with a Few Other Poems in 1798, a publication considered by some to mark the beginning of the Romantic era in literature. These two poems bring back a poetic form that became a trademark for the British Romantic poets: the ballad. This form, often associated with simplicity, wasRead MoreThe Nature of Emotions1244 Words   |  5 Pages In his 1798 book Lyrical Ballads, whom he co-authored with Samuel Coleridge, William Wordsworth described poetry as a spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings (Cooksey). Both Wordsworth and Coleridge were pioneers of the Romantic Movement which stressed the importance of expressing emotions, particularly through poetry. Nature was a key element for the Romantic movement. Romanticism encouraged exploration of feelings and many poets used nature as an inspiration for their thoughts. Another importantRead MoreRomanticism1649 Words   |  7 Pagesartistic and philosophical movement that redefined the fundamental ways in which people in Western cultures thought about themselves and about their world (â€Å"Romanticism†). Romanticism began near the end of the Enlightenment period, around 1798, in England. It arose as a response to the Enlightenment and the French Revolution (â€Å"Romanticism, Economic Liberalism and Political Liberalism†). Instead of searching for rules governing nature and human beings, the romantics searched for a direct communicationRead MoreRomanticism And The Formation Of The Romantic Era1920 Words   |  8 PagesHow does Romanticism relate to the Enlightenment? A simple question, but with a very complex answer. Essentially, the Enlightenment is the very reason for the formation of the Romantic era. In order to understand how the Enlightenment inspired Romanticism, it is important to be familiar with each era as a separate entity. Consequently, the Enlightenment, also known as the â€Å"Age of Reason,† began during the late 1600s and lasted up until the mid-late 1700s. Some of the most prominent ideals that cameRead MoreThe Renaissance And Romanticism During The 19th Century1245 Words   |  5 Pagesoccurred in Britain during the late fifteenth century to the early seventeenth century, and was a response to the Medieval Age. There was a spike in learning during the Renaissance, because of the invention of the printing press and the return of classical Greek and Roman literature. The Romantic period occurred during the late eighteenth century, as a response to the Enlightenment. The Romantics believed in the importance of the imag ination and turned away from logical thinking. The Renaissance andRead MorePoetry and Poets of the Romantic Movement1688 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Poetry in the Romantic Movement constituted an aspect of rebellion against the enlightenment principles as the poets of the time portrayed. The likes of William words worth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Williams Sister, Dorothy Wordsworth constituted some of such poets whose influence in the world of literature not only helped portray their relationship with nature and the world but also presented a form of relationship which existed between them and those close to them. As reflectedRead MoreWhat Has Man Made of Man? an Examination of Science, Technology, and Society Through the Works of W. Wordsworth1778 Words   |  8 PagesOn the tail end of the Enlightenment era which ushered in the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the world had become an ever-changing place with the beginnings of the profession that we today call engineering and numerous advances in astronomy and mathematics (Bunch and Hellemans 233). A common theme of W. Wordsworth was that these changes were both harmf ul to the human nature and alienating to the â€Å"common man.† In order to truly investigate the views of Wordsworth, one must first understandRead MoreThe Age Of Manufacturing That Preceded The Romantic Movement1387 Words   |  6 PagesThe age of manufacturing that preceded the Romantic Movement was characterized by industrialization and scientific, professional thinking. The philosophy of the era teaches that thoughts and assertions are only meaningful if they can be confirmed with evidence or valid reasoning. As a result, any assertion about entities from the abstract or conceptual alike, whether a statement about mermaids and unicorns or God and nature, is considered meaningless since they cannot be confirmed by factual reportRead MoreThe Life Of Dorothy Wordsworth And John Keats946 Words   |  4 Pagesemerge. It worked against the Age of Enlightenment and encouraged emotional, visual, and knowledge as the reservoir for influence. From this time six important authors surfaced: William Blake, William Wordsworth, Percy Shelley, Samuel Tay lor Coleridge, Byron, and John Keats. Included in this list should be Dorothy Wordsworth and Mary Wollstonecraft. The eighteenth century produce material that shattered the fundamental’s of society. On Christmas day in 1771, Dorothy Wordsworth was born. When her motherRead MoreRomanticism Essay1493 Words   |  6 Pagesisolation, and terror on the human psyche. Romanticism was seen as a revival of the essentially modern, spiritual and fantastic culture of the middle Ages. Romantics were involved in emotional directness of personal experience and individual imagination and aspiration. It was partly a revolt against aristocratic social and political norms of the Age of Enlightenment and a reaction against the scientific rationalization of nature, and was embodied most strongly in the visual arts, music, and literature. It