What is literary Romanticism?

Romanticism is a literary period spanning from the late 18th century, through to the early 19th century (followed by the Victorian Period). It is defined by the use of the Sublime, states of Romantic Rêverie, and common dialect/colloquial language in order to explore: the power of Nature (and its relationship with Man and the mind), states of childhood/innocence and adulthood/experience, power and conflict, imagination and emotion, and freedom. The movement became more powerful in response to widespread dissatisfaction with an increasingly industrialised Britain (the Industrial Revolution spanning from 1760 to 1840) and growing feelings of loss of individuality. Examples of Romantic writers include Coleridge, Wordsworth, Keats, Byron, and Shelley. 

CW

Related English Literature GCSE answers

All answers ▸

Is Doctor Faustus an updated morality play or is it a reflection on a God who allows his subjects no chance from the start?


How should I write about writer's techniques in a way that gets me marks?


What is the difference between form and structure?


How much am I expected to write?