英国文学浪漫主义时期

TheRomanticPeriod(1798-1832)IntroductionEnglishRomanticismbeginsin1798withthepublicationofWordsworthandColeridge’sTheLyricalBalladsandendsin1832withWalterScott’sdeath.WilliamBlakeandRobertBurnsalsobelongtothisliterarygenre,thoughtheylivepriortotheRomanticperiod.WhatisRomanticismRomanticismisamovementthatemergedasareactionagainstNeoclassicism新古典主义,theageprecedingtheRomanticmovement.TheNeoclassicalagewasalsocalledthe“TheageofEnlightenment”,whichemphasizedonreasonandlogic.TheRomanticperiodwantedtobreakawayfromthetraditionsandconventionsthatweredeartotheNeoclassicalageandmakewayforindividualityandexperimentation.DefinitionfromWikipediaRomanticism(ortheRomanticEraorthe'RomanticPeriod')wasanartistic,literaryandintellectualmovementthatoriginatedinthesecondhalfofthe18thcenturyinEurope,andgainedstrengthinreactiontotheIndustrialRevolution.Inpart,itwasarevolt反叛;反抗againstaristocraticsocialandpoliticalnorms标准,规范oftheAgeofEnlightenmentandareactionagainstthescientificrationalizationofnature.Itwasembodiedmoststronglyinthevisualarts,music,andliterature,buthadamajorimpactonhistoriography,educationandnaturalhistory.HistoricalBackgroundPolitically:theFrenchRevolutionDeclarationofRightsofMan(1791-2),ThomasPaineInquiryconcerningPoliticalJustice(1793),WilliamGodwinAVindicationoftheRightsofWoman(1792),MaryWollstonecraftWorkers’MovementEconomically:theIndustrialRevolutionContinuedfastchangestookplacebothinthecountryandinthecities;Manyfarmhandsdrivenoutoflandrushedintothecity;Womenandchildrenwereemployedascheaplabor;Newmachinesweresetup,renderingmanyoutofwork;Disparitywasgrowingbetweentherichandthepoor;IdeologicallyTheprincipleofRationwasgivingwaytoanindividualized,free,liberal,imaginativeattitudetowardslife;atendencytoturnorescapefromthetumultuous嘈杂的动乱的andconfusingsocietyCharacteristicsofRomanticism•LoveofNature:TheRomanticsgreatlyemphasizedontheimportanceofnature,andoneofthemaincharacteristicsofRomanticisminpoetryisthebeautyofnaturefoundinthecountrylife.Thiswasmainlybecausetheindustrialrevolutionhadtakenmanfromthepeacefulcountrylifetowardsthecitylife,transformingman'snaturalorder.NaturewasnotonlyappreciatedforitsphysicalbeautybytheRomantics,butalsoforitsabilitytohelptheurbanmanfindhistrueidentity.Emotionsvs.Rationality:UnliketheNeoclassicalagewhichfocusedonrationalityandintellect,Romanticismplacedhumanemotions,feelings,instinctandintuitionaboveeverythingelse.Whilethepoetsintheformereraadheredtotherulesandregulationswhileselectingasubjectandwritingaboutit,theRomanticwriterstrustedtheiremotionsandfeelingstocreatepoetry.ThisbeliefcanbeconfirmedfromthedefinitionofpoetrybyWilliamWordsworth,wherehesaysthatpoetryisthespontaneousoverflowofpowerfulfeelings.TheemphasisonemotionswasalsospreadtomusiccreatedintheRomanticperiod,andwasseeninthecompositionsmadebygreatmusicianslikeWeber,Beethoven,Schumann,etc.Artist,theCreator:AstheRomanticperiodemphasizedonemotions,thepositionorroleoftheartistorthepoetalsogainedsupremacy.Intheearliertimes,theartistwasseenasapersonwhoimitatedtheexternalworldthroughhisart.However,Romanticismrevertedthisbelief.Thepoetorartistwasseenasacreatorofapieceofworkwhichreflectedhisindividualityandinnermind.Itwasalsoforthefirsttimethatthepoemswritteninthefirstpersonwerebeingaccepted,asthepoeticpersonabecameonewiththevoiceofthepoet.Nationalism:TheRomanticsborrowedheavilyfromthefolkloreandthepopularart.Duringtheearlierperiods,literatureandartwereconsideredtobelongtothehighclasseducatedpeople,andthecountryfolkswerenotconsideredfittoenjoythem.Also,thelanguageusedintheseworkswerehighlypoetic,whichwastotallydifferentfromthatwhichwasspokenbypeople.However,Romanticismchangedallthis.Theirworkswereinfluencedfromtheballadsandfolklorethatwerecreatedbythemassesorthecommonpeople,ratherthanfromtheliteraryworksthatwerepopular.Apartfrompoetry,adoptingfromthefolkloreandballadsisalsooneoftheveryimportantcharacteristicsofRomanticisminmusic.AstheRomanticsbecameinterestedandfocusedondevelopingthefolklore,culture,language,customsandtraditionsoftheirowncountry,theydevelopedasenseofNationalismwhichreflectedintheirworks.Also,thelanguageusedinRomanticpoemsweresimplewhichwasusuallyusedineverydaylife.Exoticism:AlongwithNationalism,theRomanticsevendevelopedtheloveoftheexotic.Hence,inmanyoftheliteraryaswellasartisticworksofthatperiod,thefaroffandmysteriouslocationsweredepicted.ThoughthiswascompletelyoppositefromtheidealofNationalism,theyneverclashedwitheachother.Thereasonforthisisthatjustliketheexoticlocations,thepeopledidnotknowaboutthefolkloreoftheirplacesbefore,andsotheyseemedtobeasvagueasthefarawayplaces.ExoticismisalsooneofthemostprominentcharacteristicsofRomanticisminart,alongwithsentimentalityandspirituality.Supernatural:AnothercharacteristicofRomanticismisthebeliefinthesupernatural.TheRomanticswereinterestedinthesupernaturalandincludeditintheirworks.ThisfascinationforthemysteriousandtheunrealalsoleadtothedevelopmentoftheGothicromancewhichbecamepopularduringthisperiod.SupernaturalelementscanbeseeninColeridge's,'KublaKhan'andinKeat