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Romantic Poetry— Blake and Coleridge

Romantic Poetry— Blake and Coleridge. World Literature 2 Fall 2005 Dr. Whipple. What do we mean by “Romantic?”. Not mushy Not (always) about love ABOUT nature ABOUT experience ABOUT deep feelings (about things) AGAINST modernism, mass technology, soullessness

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Romantic Poetry— Blake and Coleridge

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  1. Romantic Poetry—Blake and Coleridge World Literature 2 Fall 2005 Dr. Whipple

  2. What do we mean by “Romantic?” • Not mushy • Not (always) about love • ABOUT nature • ABOUT experience • ABOUT deep feelings (about things) • AGAINST modernism, mass technology, soullessness • AGAINST rationalistic takeover • NONCONFORMIST—in poetry, social and sexual relations, in spirituality, in politics (When we mention poetry to people, this is often the kind of poetry they think of…)

  3. Romanticism & the Enlightenment • Revolt against aristocratic social and political institutions—not unlike Enlightenment • Fulfillment of promise of Enlightenment • Romantic musical movement (Beethoven, for example) • Throwing off Classical models, more direct, simple, style derived from folk speech • Utopian social thought—French Revolution • But…

  4. Romanticism in Art • Temeraire (Turner) • Salisbury Cathedral (Constable)

  5. Nationalism • Folk speech—plebeian poets • National languages • Celebration of folklore, cultural identity • Geography as determiner of national identity • J. G. Fichte: “Those who speak the same language are joined to each other by a multitude of invisible bonds by nature herself…” • National movements in Greece, Belgium, Italy, Americas (N and S), Germany between 1776-1870

  6. Nature • Reaction, in part, to and against the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution (Blake’s “…dark satanic mills”) • Nobility of nature (idea of noble savage) • Industrial revolution represented progress to some, bad things to others • The world is changing • Concept of idyll

  7. Freedom (a la the Romantic poets) • Freedom of spirit • Freedom of conscience • Freedom of action • Freedom from conventional artistic aesthetic • Freedom from social restraints • The suffering of the Artist for the Art • apotheosis • Poetic experience as ultimate culmination • Imagination as ultimate authority

  8. Major poets, major poems • Samuel Taylor Coleridge (“Kubla Kahn”, “Rime of the Ancient Mariner”) • William Blake (“The Tyger”, “Jerusalem”)

  9. William Blake (1757-1827) • The first “multimedia” poet; revered for his poetry and his art • Wrote, illustrated, engraved, and printed his own books—total control over the experience of reading his work • Elements (ha!) of mysticism in his art and poetry; claims to have had visions from childhood. • Elemental themes—redemption, renewal, the new Jerusalem, God, God in nature • Imagination over the materialism and rationalism of the 18th century

  10. Blake and the mind… • This is your brain…

  11. This is your brain after you’ve read BLAKE!

  12. Blake Links • Blake’s “Jerusalem” in a modern context (BBC) • William Blake Archive • “Jerusalem” RealAudio file (and other quintessentially English tunes…) • “Garden of Love” mp3 file • Picture of the Tyger (Blake) • Website of “Tyger studies”

  13. Coleridge (1772-1838) • Yes, he did drugs. Specifically, opium. • DeQuincey, Confessions of an English Opium Eater. • Kubla Khan—allegedly written in a drug trance, broken when a friend interrupted him—poem is unfinished • Rime of the Ancient Mariner

  14. Coleridge Links • Rime of the Ancient Mariner (read aloud) • Kubla Kahn (read aloud)

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