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1 Introduction

According to A Dictionary of Literary Terms by J. A. Cuddon 'the word

romantic(ism) has a complex and interesting history. In the Middle Ages
'romance' denoted the new vernacular languages derived from Latin… the work
produced was then called romanz, roman, romanzo and romance. A roman or
romant come to be known as an imaginative work and a 'courtly romance'… By
the 17th c., in England and France, 'romance' had acquired the derogatory
connotations of fanciful, bizarre, exaggerated, and chimerical. In France a
distinction was made between Romanesque (also derogatory) and romantique
(which meant 'tender', 'gentle', 'sentimental', and 'sad'). It was used in the English
form in these latter senses in the 18th c.' (Cuddon, 1979, 587)
Giving an exact definition to the word romanticism is rather difficult as it
has many meanings and connotations throughout ages. However, it is quite
useful to distinguish it from romance and the meanings that the word carries in
the Middle Ages.
Romance in the Middle Ages was a literary genre dealt with 'legendary,
Supernatural, or amorous subjects and characters… later the term was applied to
knights, chivalry, and courtly love. The romance and the epic are similar forms,
but epic tends to be longer and less concerned with courtly love. (Encarta, 2008)
Yet, romanticism is 'a literary movement… which took place in Britain and
through Europe roughly between 1770 and 1848.' (Drabble, 1985) so it has little
to do with romance that was used in the Middle Ages. Moreover, romanticism
'intellectually it marked a violent reaction to the Enlightment. Politically it was
inspired by the revolutions in America and France… emotionally it expressed an
extreme assertion of the self and the value of individual experience… the
stylistic keynote of romanticism is intensity and its watchword is Imagination'
(Ibid)

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 1.2 Changes in the Romantic Period

'The romantic period was an era in which a literary revolution took place
along side social and economic revolutions. In some histories of literature the
romantic period is called the Age of Revolution.' (Carter & McRae, 1998, 217)
in this way, romantic period is marked by a great and huge economical, social,
and political changes in Europe which brought about changes in literary style
and theme in 18th century, especially in England since 'many hold to the theory
that it was in England that the romantic movement really started.' (Cuddon,
1979, 587)

This in fact has reasons as why the Romantic Movement first started in
England. Above all, one has to consider the fact that the industry revolution
'began in Britain in the 18th century' (Encarta, 2008) which transformed
agricultural economies into the industrial one. However, the first publication of
the Lyrical Ballads in 1798 by Coleridge and Wordsworth represented a
significant and historical development towards romanticism, in addition to the
'Thomson's seasons (1726-30), Young's Wight Thoughts (1742-5), Blair's The
Grave (1743)' (Cuddon, 1979, 588) and many other writers.

Thus, 'English influence travelled to the continent.' (Ibid) on the other hand,
the industrial revolution changed the whole landscape of the country and
'workers in the rural areas could no longer graze the animals on which they
partly depended for good and income. Acute poverty followed.' (Carter &
McRae, 1998, 218) That is, the social structure of the society had changed and
new classes appeared which mainly consist of those who owned the property
and land, and those who did not.

Politically, the movement influenced by the France revolution and their

philosophers especially Rousseau who is a 'major figure in the 18th century and

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his influence in the pre-romantic period was immense.' (Cuddon, 1979, 588) but
unlike France and the United States, 'political movements in Britain were
gradual.' (Carter & McRae, 1998, 218)

The industrial revolution brought about not only changes in economies but
also the whole system of life in the society; moreover, the revolution brought
new problems and it paved the way to the emergence of a new understanding
and perspective to life so far as literature is concerned. This new point of view
and recognition embody in the literature of the romantic period.

1.3 Characteristics of Romanticism

It is intriguing to know that literature in the romantic age is often contrasted
with the neo-classical or Augustan age in its qualities, values, settings, language,
ideas of nature, allusions, and history. This analogy is useful since some critics
believe that 'romanticism was not a sudden, radical transformation, but grew out
of Augustanism.' ( Ibid, 222)
In neo-classical period writers paid more attention to decorum, concision,
restraint, balance, reason, regularity, and wit as far as equality of poetry is
concerned, while in the romantic period, writers stressed on emotion,
introspection, passion, sublimity, spontaneity, irregularity, and picturesque. The
values of the neo-classical age are absolute, public and rational, while in the
romantic age the values are private, spiritual, and universal.
Neo-classical writers made use of urban life as the setting of their writings
and they looked at the rural either as pastoral (idealized) or as ignorant and
unmannerly. On the other hand, the romantics emphasized on rural and country
side, and the city is seen as the place for corruption, greed, and power.
The neo-classical writers alluded to the classical Greece especially
Augustan Rome and also bible while the romantics alluded to the mythic, the
medieval, and the gothic. Language is regarded as a dress of thought (Pope) by
the neo-classicalists and they paid attention to decorum and propriety, but

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language to the romantics has a creative power and they paid attention to the
evocative and beautiful.
Most qualities of poetry, in neo-classical period, and senses of what
constitutes moral life follow upon their understanding of nature. They carefully
and objectively expressed nature, that is, their feelings are not important, but
what is important is how other people feel it. However, 'Nature' in Romanic age,
refers firstly to the external world in its beauty and powers, and then as an
expression of the power of being which flows through and unites all things. That
is, they subjectively looked at nature and the feelings of a main character in the
work changes the way nature is seen i.e. they follow inner feelings.

'The classical writers looks outward to society, Romantic writers look

inward to their own soul and to the life of imagination; the Classical
writer concentrates on can be logically measured and rationally
understood, Romantic writers are attracted to the irrational mystical
and supernatural world; the Classical writer is attracted to a social
order in which everyone knows their place, Romantic writers
celebrate the freedom of nature and of individual human experience.
In fact, the writings of Augustan age stress the way societies improve
under careful regulation; Romantic literature is generally more
critical of society and its injustices, questioning rather than affirming,
exploring rather than defining.' (Carter & McRae, 1998, 221)

To sum up, these two ages are the opposite of each other, and
generally the features of the romantic period and their writings are sharply
contrasted with the neo-classists. However, from this analogy the
characteristics of the Romantic age are presented equally with that of neo-
classicalists, which is quite useful to understand the literature in the
Romantic period.

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