Write a note about the main charactaristics of the Romantic poetry.

The age of Romanticism is considered to be the most remarkable age in the history of English literature within fifty years after the death of Dr. Johnson. English poetry was once again magnificently driven by the brilliant outbust of the imaginative genius. The rise of Romanticism needs to be seen in the context of the changes that marked the historical and philosophical aspects of the English social life. It must be noted that the period between 1776 and 1832 was one of the remarkable progress and national achivements for England. Industrial development were growing day by day. In this age of industrial progress the Romantics rise with a view to making a balance between dehumanised men and women.

Romanticism has been described and defined in defferent ways. The word Romantic has been used traditionally in oppsition to the word classicism. Classicism is considerd and connected with the social, the formal, the intellectual and the static whereas Romanticism is connected and concerned with the individual, informal, the emotional and the dynamic. The Romantics believed in the absolute freedom both in terms of formal presentation and the content. Let us descus about the important feature of Romanticism.

Mystique of the past is another important feature for the Romantics. Keats’s  “Ode on a Grecian Urn”  is a fine example of how the ancient past inspired the poets.The past provided  all the romance and charm that the Romantic imagination needed.

Imagination is the soul of romantic poetry. The Romantics believed that imagination can give shelter to a troubled mind. This very idea has been reflecled throught the romantic poetry of different poets in this age. Through imagination the inanimate cold world is transformed into something real and living.While Cpleridge seeks to transform the given world through imagination. To Wordsworth visionary world is more real  than the world of sense. For Keats imagination which leads to beauty is not a simple way but a power by which he has made imagination more powerful and acceptable than reality. Keats in a letter to Benjamin Baily says:                                                                  “I am certain of nothing but of the

                    holiness of the Hearts affection and

                    truth to the imagination…”

Comman place and ordinary are the most significant characteristics of Romantic poetry. The Romantics had intention in the ordinary forms of life. The Romantics turned the full force of their humanitarianism upon the simple life of the peasant (farmar), secluded workers and innocent children who derived the sustenance of life from the luxerious profasion of nature ready to shelter and preserve them.  Particularly Wordsworth celebrated and sang the simplicity and common place of life. Wordsworth says,                         

…the earth , And commn face of Nature spoke to me

Rememberable things our simple childhood sits upon a thorn

That health more powerful than all elements.

Subjectivity is another important feature of the Romantic poets. Subjective poetry is a kind of poetry in which the poet goes into himself and finds his inspiration from his own experiences, thoughts and feelings. Most of the Romantic poets are subject in this sense. For example, Keats’s “Ode to the Nightingale” is basically based on personal matter. His life is full of tragedy. When his brother died he wrote this poem being annoyed with the practical world. So it is a subjective poem. Other  subjictive poems are  Keats’s “Ode to Fanny” and Wordsworth’s Tintern Abbey etc.

 Love of liberty is another important feature of the Romantic poets. They  expected both poetic and national liberty. In poetic liberty the poets wanted to write free hand poems. They didn’t want to be confined within the particular framework of poetry. Means rules and regulation were not inportant feature for them.They emphasized on the subject matter.In their writings the poets also showed a type of raction and revolt.

Use of nature is a prominent feature of the Romantic poets. They have frequently used nature in their poetry. But nature has taken different shape in different poets. To Shelley nature was a poewr. To Keats nature was a beauty and Wordsworh considered nature mystically. Coleridge treated nature supernaturally.

Frence Revolution and Romantic poetry are related to each other. The historical significance of the Frence Revolution of 1789 is destruction of the old order and initiated a new philosophy of liberty. One can measure its impact from the wide spread changes that took place in the whole of Europe including Englad. In the first of the revolution the English Romantic poets  saw the freedom for the mankind .Especially Shelley’s poem are full of a revolutionary zeal.

It is to be noted  that all the poets of the Romantic age were not influenced by the Frence Revolution because,the poems of Keats, Wordsworth, Coleridge are not related with Frence Revolution. The Romantic poets created an especial type of poetry that marked the age an humanity where subject matter was high and lofty because they were not confined with particular rules and regulation in writing poetry.

Why is Chaucer called the father of English poetry?

Chaucer symbolizes, as no other writer does, the Middle Ages. He stands in much the same relation to the life of his time as Alexander Pope does to the 18^th century and Tennyson to the Victorian era. Chaucer’s place in English literature is more important than theirs. For this he is the first great English writer.

According to John Dryden, Chaucer is the father of English poetry. Dryden venerates (honours) Chaucer as highly as the Greeks venerated Homer and Romans venerated Virgil. Dryden says that Chaucer is the perpetual foundation of good sense. He is learned in all subjects and speaks properly on all subjects.

Chaucer is regarded as the first great modern. He anticipated the modern taste and the modern mind. No other English writer has his skill and his large human outlook.

The first great national poet

Chaucer was the first great national poet. He expressed the new hopes and aspiration of the people of his times. The foundation of Chaucer’s art lies in English life and character.

Chaucer’s Narrative art

Chaucer stands successfully in his power of description. His description and narrative gifts possess rare qualities. In fact, he is the first great English story teller in verse. The employment of verse is Chaucer’s notable contribution. In his stories the narration is straight forward and unhampered. He introduces humor in his narration. “The Canterbury Tales” is a collection of narrated story. As a poet Chaucer’s greatness is strongly founded. The power of telling story is supremely well. He is one of the world’s three or four story tellers.

Art of Characterization

In English literature Chaucer is the first great painter of character. Next to Shakespeare, he is the greatest master of this field. He presents his character in a masterly manner. His characters are both individuals and types. In fact, Chaucer presents the 14^th century life as clearly as Tennyson.

Humor of Chaucer

He is regarded as the first great English humorist. No English literary work before him revealed (expressed) humor in the modern sense. Chaucer’s humor is always sympathetic. His understanding sympathy made him alive.  In fact, Chaucer’s humor is natural and spontaneous. After all, he was the poet of man and he had large humanity.

Realism of Chaucer

Modern poetry is characterized by realism. The modern poet is a keen observer of his times. Chaucer was a great observer of men and he had an extra ordinary insight into human nature.

His humanistic outlook

His descriptions of his fellow men reveals his wide humanity. His wide sympathy and gentle humanity make him lovable among the English poets. He is the poet of humanity.

Dramatic elements

Actually Chaucer is a dramatist. His characters are not dolls(puppets) but men and women of flesh and blood. His characters are full of vitality. His method of narration is dramatic. His characters talk in a dramatic manner.

Messenger of English novel

Chaucer has been called the father of English poetry. He is also the grandfather of English novel. In his “The Canterbury of Tales” we have the seeds of novel. It’s the fundamental characteristics of a novel.

At last we can say that he is the earliest of great moderns. He stands alone and no one climbs equally with him for two hundred years. English language and literature became full maturity with Chaucer. So he is the father of English poetry.