It is hard to give a specific definition to Romanticism because it was such a broad time period with many different characteristics. According to A Handbook to Literature by Hugh Holman and William Harmon it is perhaps more helpful to understand the characteristics of Romanticism rather than to know an exact definition. Find and discuss, using textual evidence, at least two characteristics of Romanticism in the following Romantic poem or one of your chosing. We thought "Ode to the West Wind" would be a good place to start the conversation, but feel free to explore other poems if this one becomes overused, especially later in the week. We have included a website that will help with finding characteristics of Romanticism.
Ode To The West Wind:
http://www.bartleby.com/101/610.html
Romanticism:
http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/eng372/intro-h4.htm
-Brooks, Alex, and Jessie
Romanticism, created to convey the emotion at it's highest while holding a useful incorporation of nature into the feeling of originality and emotion. The poem "Ode to the West Wind" by Percy Byshhe Shelley incorporates nature into the poem quite substantially, combined with the prominence of supernatural ties with nature within the context of the poem are both characteristics of romantic poetry expanding on the emotions of unknowing. To create a sense of danger or ominous feeling within the poem with the, "presence of the leaves dead," allots a morbid scenery to the poem and hinting towards death and the afterlife. However later referring to, "the dreaming earth," creates the unknown aspect to nature and the spontaneity of the future. The appearance of, "angels of rain and lighting," seeming to both comes from the heavens present an ominous view of the author regarding nature whether it be the vastness of, "the Atlantic's level powers," or the, "wanderings over heaven." Thus creating the relation to religion with the angels and the mystery with in storms and lighting. The lightening presents illuminating imagery over the sky, and enlightened view on the present and what is yet to come. Nature and a supernatural purpose can be closely related because the supernatural is extremely mysterious while nature holds equally as fascinating of a story. The combination of nature and supernatural effects incorporate the calming yet frightening affects in both categories to create an original emotional combination that most romantic writers encompass in their poetry.
ReplyDeleteRomanticism was a departure from past thought and considered a radical new literary thought process when it came about around the 18th and 19th centuries. Because it was such a broad category with so many different interpretors, Romanticism is hard to define in one definition. However, Romanticism has been defined by a few different characteristics, some of which can be found in Percy Bysshe Shelley's "Ode to the West Wind," in which the speaker calls upon the "Wild West Wind."
ReplyDeleteThe most prominent characteristic of Romanticism in this poem is undoubtedly its references to nature. From the "Loose clouds like earth's decaying leaves" to "The locks of the approaching storm," Shelley includes countless references back to nature, which was one of the main interests and concerns of the Romantic literary period. Along with the sporadic nature references throughout the poem, Shelley treats the Wind as a higher being, further representing the romanticists' infatuation with nature.
While nature is the predominant Romantic theme in the poem, Shelley also includes another theme: freedom from restraint. Near the end of the poem, the speaker says that "A heavy weight of hours has chain'd and bow'd," summarizing the idea that he is restrained by the environment, by the Earth in general, and wishes to be freed. While this seems as a direct contrast to freedom of restraint, the poem as a whole builds up to this moment as the speaker reveals his desire, to be freed from nature and the Earth.
Romanticism by the textbook definition means a movement emphasizing inspiration, subjectivity, and the primacy of the individual. However, Romanticism cannot be defined by one definition. It is such a broad idea that covers an array of concepts. In the poem “Ode To The West Wind” two ideas are definitely prevalent: liberalism in literature focused on the individual and a love of nature. “Ode To The West Wind” embraces the individual. The individual is focused here on loneliness. The ultimate loneliness is “a corpse within its grave”; after death there is nothing, no one. This theme of the dying life continues throughout with the imagery of the “decaying leaves” and the “dying year”. Loneliness focuses on the individual simply because there is no other being to focus on. Romanticism focuses on the individual because during this time period, it was foreseen that only the individual could control his/her environment. Rousseau showed this theory in his social contract and spheres of influence; these defined the roles of men and women and also portrayed their individual influence in society. The references of nature are also prevalent throughout the entire poem. Shelley opens the poem with “Ode Wild West Wind” and concludes with “If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”. The poem constantly reminds the reader of nature. This reminder enforces the ever-present theme of freedom in Romantic literature and poetry. Nature is uncontrollable showing how truly free it is. Shelley incorporates two major ideas from the Romantic Movement in her poem “Ode Wild West Wind”
ReplyDeleteRomanticism broke free from the ideas and theologies from the Age of Reason. Romanticism took completely different views on the world and on the human life. Poetry from the romantic period reflects many specific characteristics that identify it as being romantic. Two of these characteristics are the more abundant use of incorporating nature and the idea to be free from restraints, which are both found in the poem Ode to the West Wind by Percy Bysshe Shelley. This poem focuses on showing how much nature affects the poet's life and should affect all our lives. Nature is the wild west wind that "art moving everywhere" being a "destroyer and preserver" to those around it. It's clouds are "angels of rain and lighting" and "like the bright hair[s] uplifted from the head" of the Earth. The poet uses this kind of description of nature throughout the poem to emphasize and reinerate how powerful nature is and how it is like a god in itself because of how much it affects human life. Along with the idea that nature is extremely powerful and influential it is also a symbol of freedom from any sort of mortal restraints. This comes from the idea of breaking free from many of the ideas or restraints from the Age of Reason. To the poet nature has freed him. It "lift[s] me [the poet] as a wave, a leaf, a cloud" from his problems and constraints. He wishes to be just like nature that even after "a heavy weight of hours" that "has chain'd and bow'd" makes nature even more "tameless, and swift, and proud". The poet feels that he is only free when he can be "a swift cloud to fly with thee [nature]". The idea of enforcing nature like a human life and worshiping it as a way to be free of human confinments completly debunks the ideas and reasons from the previous era of thinking. These are two of the many characteristics that emcompass the world of romanticism.
ReplyDeleteIn the poem Ode to the West Wind, the ideas of the Romantic era are very well presented. The author has the love of nature that is very obvious through out the poem and in all other poems of the Romantic Era. The power of nature is focused on through out the poem as the author describes the rebirth of the land and nature in the spring. Another Romantic idea that is prevalent in the poem is the sympathetic interest in the past. The multiple references to the longing for Autumn in the midst of winter and the thought of "summer dreams" and his "boyhood" leave a sense of nostalgia in the poem. The interest in the past also reveals the current state of everything which is "overgrown with azure moss" makes it clear that the author wishes to go back to the times when he was a child even though his present time allows him to be an individual and float around freely like the clouds.
ReplyDeleteIn Percy Bysshe Shelley’s “Ode to the West Wind” characteristics of romanticism can be found throughout. The ode is written in praise of the west wind, but more generally all of nature’s elements. A characteristic of the romantic style is a love of nature which, obviously is present, just from the title of the ode. The speaker loves nature and wishes to be as “free” as nature is, and more specifically, as free as the wind. He feels trapped in his current societal cage and wished the wind would “lift [him] as a wave, a leaf, a cloud” away from the earth he has been entrenched in all of his life. He is discontent with his life and says he “fall[s] upon the thorns of life” and “bleed[s].” Mysticism is also a characteristic used; it is related to things like experiencing one’s true blissful nature and forming a deep connection to ultimate reality. The speaker wants nature to help him free the minds of people who are all slaves to their lives and the expectations of others. He wants the wind to “scatter…[his] words among mankind” and that “through [his] lips” the “trumpet of a prophecy” will be heard. He has come to a realization that there is more to life than work and bending to the whims of society and he wants to tell the world. The speaker wants to free himself from his current place in life and ascend up to a higher level of thinking and being. He longs for the freedom to do as he likes and to be uncontrollable, with no one telling him how to act or who to be. He wrote this ode to nature to attempt to convey his praise of its magnificence as well as his envy of its freedom and independence…
ReplyDeleteRomantic literature is difficult to pinpoint and define, however it has many distinct characteristics that are widely used to distinguish romantic era literature from other distinctive eras of literature. One of the most prevalent features of romantic writing is an emphasis on nature and its role in life. This characteristic is a huge component of Percy Bysshe Shelley's "Ode to the West Wind". In the beginning of the poem Shelley praises the winds as the " destroyer and preserver", acknowledging their power and influence over the rest of the natural world. The wind can be fearsome and terrifying, bringing with it the "angels of rain and lightning"; but can "quicken a new birth", raising lands "all overgrown with azure moss, and flowers so sweet the sense faints picturing them!". This omnipresent aspect of nature throughout the poem and in life, contributes to the romantic nature of the poem. The author also emphasizes nature through the personification of the wind as a woman. Romantic literature often focuses on the individual, so by characterizing this aspect of nature as an individual human being, Shelley emphasizes the importance of nature. Another aspect of romantic literature that is present throughout the poem, " Ode to the West Wind", is the supernatural aspect. Located all throughout the poem are supernatural references. The speaker refers to the wind as an "unseen presence", which is a reference to the supernatural world. In many respects, the speaker longs to be this unseen presence, free of all restraint and judgement. This longing to be free from restraint, is yet another characteristic of romanticism. With this freedom, he could gain the power and influence of nature, specifically the wind. All of these characteristics greatly influence the formation of this poem in the romantic style.
ReplyDeleteGreat job commenting guys! Keep up the various viewpoints and amount of textual evidence! For those of you who are a bit braver, try to bring in a poem that you have read from the Romantic era and let us know how it fits in with the unit.
ReplyDeleteAlthough William Wordsworth wrote "Nuns Fret Not at Their Convent's Narrow Room" humorously, the poem is an excellent example of romanticist work. "Nuns Fret Not" is a sonnet that closely explores the human mind and emotions with allusions to nature. While it is true that many romantic poets expressed themselves by using blank verse, the sonnet remained a popular form of poetry in the era of romanticism. Wordsworth uses this sonnet to explore the human mind and emotions. Everyone, he writes, has a different perspective. While some of us would find the life of a hermit to be isolating, the hermit himself enjoys it; while we would find the maid's work tedious, she does it while being "blithe and happy." He ties this in with nature by comparing the maids and weavers to "bees that soar" and the highest point in the Furness Fells mountain range. Wordsworth even writes about himself, saying that while blank verse has provided others with a feeling of "too much liberty," he has found "brief solace" in a more structured form of poetry. In other words, some romanticists felt that the sonnet did not leave enough room for self-expression, but Wordsworth felt that the traditional format gave him some artistic direction without feeling overwhelmed. "Nuns Fret Not at Their Convent's Narrow Room" is an excellent example of romantic poetry; one in which each facet neatly fits into a trait of romanticism.
ReplyDeleteAs stated in different ways through the various blogs, the Romanticism Period was a time of freedom for poets as well as writers. This period shows the poets exploration of different topics such as nature and individualism in respect to their new found courage. Two notable poems from the Romantic Period are “Ode to the West Wind” and “The Moon”, both expounding on the impact of nature on the environment and man. In “Ode to the West Wind”, the speaker relates the winds “tameless, and swift, and proud” qualities to himself. He or she acts on “the impulse of thy strength, only less free” and in part four of seven, tells how he wishes he were “a dead leaf” or a “swift cloud” so as to be free as the wind, our great “preserver and destroyer”. The speaker feels he is trapped on earth, “a heavy of hours [that ] has chain’d and bow’d” him from reaching his ultimate dream of freedom. This powerful poem reflects the romantic era through its relations to nature and man as well as emphasis on the self. Another short and sweet poem with a similar concept is “The Moon” by Percy Shelley. This poem, as indicative of the title, describes the moon and its human characteristics. The author gives perhaps a new perspective of the moon as she describes it as “a dying lady lean and pale” “who totters forth” and has a “fading brain”. Although there is more meaning on this poem, it invokes a new feeling toward the moon and causes you to reflect as many poems of the time period.
ReplyDeleteAs discussed in the above blog posts, the Romanticism era was a time of heightened imagination, with a strong tie to nature. This era is defined not by definition, but by its representation, and how it is painted throughout each of the poems throughout its time period. In the poem "Hymn to the Night" by the romantic author Henry Wadsworth Longfellow there are many examples of the time period throughout the poem. In his poem, there is personification as he refers to the night as he “felt her presence.” Throughout the poem, he talks of the night and his responses to “the cool cisterns of the midnight air” and his responses to them. As the poem develops his appreciation for the night is felt as he refers to the darkness “as of the one [he] love[s].” This poem also displays the Romantic time era where it highlights the beauty of nature’s “fountain of perpetual peace” that exists throughout the night. This poem truly depicts the works of the Romantic era with its enhanced imagination for the beauty of nature in everyday life.
ReplyDeleteAt times Romanticism regards nature as alien, but it more often sees in nature a revelation of truth. This is found to be true in "Ode to West Wind". In the beginning of the poem it is based mainly on commonly known facts of nature, written in an expressive way. Through the "Angels of rain and lightning! there are spread", the seeds are spread, planting new plants and new beginnings. The symbol of seeds being spread transforms in the end to a universal truth of life by stating "Drive my dead thoughts over the universe/ Like wither'd leaves, to quicken a new birth/ And, by the incantation of this birth". The facts of nature in this poem turn over to a truth that our past and regrets must be shed in order to start a "new birth" and to move on to the "Spring" of life, being the fresh new beginnings, like blossoming flowers.
ReplyDeleteIt is clear throughout nthis poem, that the narrator longs to be free of worry and their past and to start a "new birth". In Romanticism, the aspect of freeing the author from restrains and rules is verysignificant and suggests that phase of individualism. It is clear that the author wants to be freed, and they even question, "If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind", meaning that if dark days approach in order to put away the past and restart your life into a new beginning, will those new beginning really come? The focus throughout the poem when anylized is really not on nature at all, it is the whole message that the autumn symbolizes, rebirth. This focus on the individual also ties together the overall universal message of the poem. In conclusion, "Ode to the West Wind" is an excellent example of a romantic poem.
Because I am one of the last to post I have chosen another poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley title "To a Skylark." This is the link to the poem if you would like to read it. http://www.bartleby.com/101/608.html
ReplyDeletePoets of the Romantic Era tried to express their feelings of beauty, nature and decay through poems and other means of literature. "To a Skylark" is about a skylark, a miniscule bird that is famous for its song. Percy Bysshe Shelley compares the skylark to many different beautiful things to show that the skylark is far more superior to them."To a Skylark" has a somewhat paranormal atmosphere throughout the poem and the diction used aids this eerie ambience. The first line of the poem is "Hail to thee, blithe Spirit!" and we can instantly see the supernatural characteristic of the poem. The speaker, addressing a skylark, says that it is a "blithe Spirit" rather than a bird, for its song comes from Heaven, and from its full heart pour "profuse strains of unpremeditated art." The skylark flies higher and higher, "like a cloud of fire" in the blue sky, singing as it flies. Shelley manipulates imagery well to show the actions of the skylark. The seventh stanza also shows particularly how spontaneous and free the skylark is of all cares, "like a Poet hidden In the light of thought, singing hymns unbidden." Shelley is likening the spontaneous flow of the skylark to his own creative flow that is to a certain extent spontaneous and is probably the closest he himself will get to the freeness of the skylark. This is one more characteristic of the Romantic Era, rebelling against the of society and literary restraints of the previous era. Percy Shelley is in awe of the skylark and it is obvious at the beginning of the poem. The speaker says that no one knows what the skylark is, for it is unique: even "rainbow clouds" do not rain as brightly as the shower of melody that pours from the skylark. However, as we read on it is clear that the poet would like to experience the feelings of the skylark. He feels that the song is the way the skylark express his joy. Shelley wonders whether the secret to the skylark's joyous song is its "ignorance of pain." He goes on to say that pain "never came near." Shelley then says that the skylark is happy because it "ne'er knew love's sad satiety." Because the skylark has never had a love lost, unlike many men, which makes the skylark a unique symbol of natural purity.
As many poems of the Romantic Era indicate, writers could be more creative in their writings, allowing for better expression of emotion and focus on the individual or nature. William Blake was an English Romantic writer who lived from 1757-1857. During those 100 years of his life many things changed, both historically and culturally, but many of his writings, inlcuding "Cradle Song", emphasize more of a universal message, using diction and imagery.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator seems to be soothing a young babe to sleep with what seems to be a gentle tune. A baby usually represents innosence and purity, but it can also be used to symbolize the good of the world. Goodness, "Dreaming in the joys of night; Sleep, sleep; in thy sleep
Little sorrows", corruption, evil, and hatred, "sit and weep". Blake seems to be proving that even the sweet nature of a baby will one day be affected by the evil of the world. He repeatedly uses the word wiles, which are "cunning" ill thoughts that "creep" into an innocent mind. Blake also points that every person has their "secret joys and secret smiles", whether lustful or ambitious. William Blake's Romantic writing style makes evident the characteristics of expression of emotion through his poem "Cradle Song".
http://www.poetry-archive.com/b/cradle_song.html
@Jessica- Nice of incorperating religion and nature as part of Romanticism. Your quotes supported your points well.
ReplyDelete@Dan- Great use of quotes to show the natural aspect of Romanticism.
@Ray- Interesting point about loneliness. This points out another layer to the poem.
@Lindsay- Fabulous job mentioning the previous time (Age of Reason).
@Hayley- Your interpretation of the author's longing was very perceptive.
@Virginia- The fact that you incorporated mysticism into your point was awesome!
@Margaret- I'm glad that you incorporated the use of individual focus.
@Emily/Erin- Way to be brave and be the first ones to delve away from the given poem! Both of your poems embodied Romanticism well, and Erin nice way of tying in the class assignment.
@Ciara- I loved the "fountain of perpetual peace."
@Sarah- good job mentioning rebirth
@Christiana- superb attention to detail about the time period that your poet lived in.