ENGLISH ROMANTICISM

English Romanticism can be understood as a return to Renaissance (a return to the poetry of Spencer, Shakespeare, Milton). This return is anticipated by Cowper, Gray, Collins and Thomson.

CHARACTERISTICS:

·  Revival of instinctual life (reason was not so important).

·  Revival of the quest after love and beauty.

·  Importance of Revolutions (American, French, the figure of Napoleon).

·  New role of imagination.

·  The realisation of the sublime, the half way between real and supernatural world, time and space.

·  Life cycle, nature like a source of inspiration.

·  In this period myths are revalued.

·  Philosophers: J.J Rousseau is the first to use the word romantique” in one of his works (Reveries du promemuer solitaire”). Romance has French origins.

·  Schlegel uses romantisch” in a critic work meaning creativity and sentimental themes, used by the Sturm und Drang” (in English: Storm and Stress”, in which there is the exaltation of nature, uniqueness and freedom of the individual, ideal of genius.

·  German idealism (Fichte, Hegel, Schelling).