Introduction
The Romantic Period is the name given to the artistic, literary, and intellectual Century to the early years of the 18th Century. The Norton Anthology of English Literature places it between the years1785–1832, but there is a lot of controversy as to the time in which it actually took place.
Generally speaking, Romanticism was a reaction to the Age of Enlightenment which came beforehand. While Enlightenment thinkers valued logic, reason, and rationality, Romantics valued emotion, passion, and individuality. The following video shows an overview of the Romantic period:
Romanticism: Historical Background
The Romantic Age was a moment of revolution. Two major revolutions occurred and had a profound effect on that time: the first one was The Independence of the USA in 1776 and the second was The French Revolution. Although the first movement took place outside Europe it had a direct impact on the British and was enough to blow up their confidence as they realized that they were not unbeatable. This perception certainly changed people’s way of thinking at the time. The second, the French Revolution, occurred in a neighbor country and was a complete overthrown of the government. Again, the British realized that changes like that could happen anywhere and anytime.
Besides those two revolutions, another revolution was taking place in the European society: the Industrial Revolution. Romanticism was a period of fundamental changes in agriculture, textile and metal manufacture, transportation, economic policies and the social structure in England. These changes originated a shift from hand labor to machines. The Industrial Revolution also brought about technological, economic, and social changes, amongst which were the use of new basic materials for manufacture, mostly iron and steel, new transportation and communication systems and the application of scientific principles to industry among others. It was a very important moment that transformed all the European society and led to radical and often abrupt social changes. It created an effect both on urban and country lives. Let’s have a look at the poem London, by William Blake, which was written during the French Revolution and in which he describes the city life.
Political Background
As already pointed out, The French Revolution was a movement that inspired the Romanticism, and poets and other artists were caught by the democratic spirit this movement brought. However, as the movement became more and more violent, the British started to react against it, and when Napoleon was finally defeated in 1814, the British leaders were determined not to let it trouble them again. For this reason, the government reacted harshly against the urban working class demonstrations, and killed several unarmed people at Saint Peter's Fields.
Another important political aspect is related to the urbanization-led movements brought up by the Industrial revolution, amongst which can be included urban poverty and class dissatisfaction. Some of the British Romantic poets showed their dissatisfaction to the changing in the human relationships and landscapes, as Nature was seen as an element in extinction.
Cultural Background
Besides placing great value on the beauty of nature and the wilderness and often stressing a feeling of nostalgia for a bygone past, the Romantic Movement also glorified the medieval period and folk culture. These concepts were expressed in literature, art, music, theater, architecture and nationalism and politics.
Art in the Age of Enlightenment was an expression of the refined tastes of the aristocracy. To these people, life was beautiful and joyful. They wanted more than anything to enjoy themselves, to give pleasure to their friends, and to collect the luxurious objects which made them feel happy, rich, and important.
Music was expressed through an increased use of folk melodies. The artist was also important, and society expected composers and performers to exercise their creative powers especially as soloists. The major composers of the era include Wolfgang von Beethoven, Frederic Chopin, Richard Wagner, Franz Liszt, Hector Berlioz, Giuseppe Verdi and Peter Tchaikovsky.
Due to the improvements brought about by the Industrial Revolution, instrument makers were able to revise key mechanisms and overall design of the different instruments and these changes allowed players to improve their technique and execute sounds that would not be performable in the past. This helped composers make music that expressed the bold freedom and emotion which was characteristic of the era. Besides that, the performances were made for everyone and not only for the elite.
Philosophical Background
During Romanticism, there was an ongoing reaction against the philosophy of the era of Enlightenment, which gave emphasis to science, empirical evidence and rational thought among others. The Romantics went against the idea that reason was one of the paths to truth and judged it inadequate to understand the great mysteries of life. They believed that these emotions could be uncovered with emotion, imagination and intuition. Besides that, they believed that Nature should be celebrated as a place for self-discovery and spiritual learning, and should be regarded as a place where the mysteries of life could be revealed to the minds of man. They emphasized a life filled with deep feeling, spirituality, and free expression, seeing these as virtues against the dehumanizing effects of industrialization. They also celebrated the value of human beings, which they believed to have infinite, godlike potential.
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