Romantic Poetry: Salient Features

Romantic Poetry: Salient Features

Q. Write the salient features of Romantic Poetry citing examples.

Answer: Romantic poetry is a literary movement that emerged in the late 18th century and flourished throughout the 19th century. It is characterized by a deep appreciation of nature, intense emotions, and a focus on individual experience and imagination. In this article we are going to read about some salient features of Romantic poetry, along with examples from remarkable poems of the period:

Emphasis on Nature: Romantic poets celebrated the beauty and power of nature, viewing it as a source of inspiration and spiritual renewal. In William Wordsworth's poem "Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey," he reflects on the restorative power of nature and its ability to connect him with his past and uplift his spirits.

Subjectivity and Individualism: Romantic poetry often focuses on the individual's subjective experiences, emotions, and imagination. Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem "Kubla Khan" is a prime example of this. It portrays the poet's dreamlike vision of an otherworldly paradise, conveying his personal emotions and fantastical imagination.

Intense Emotion: Romantic poetry is known for its heightened emotional expression. Poets sought to evoke deep feelings in the reader through their words. John Keats' poem "Ode to a Nightingale" is a beautiful example of this, where the poet expresses his longing for a transcendent experience and a desire to escape the limitations of human existence.

Imagination and the Supernatural: Romantic poets often explored the realms of the imagination and the supernatural. They embraced the mysterious and the fantastical. In Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," the supernatural elements are evident, as the mariner encounters ghostly spirits, cursed ships, and a host of supernatural occurrences.

Appreciation of the Sublime: Romantic poetry often evoked a sense of the sublime—the overwhelming, awe-inspiring power of nature or the divine. Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem "Mont Blanc" is a prime example. It describes the magnificence of the mountain and explores the poet's contemplation of the sublime.

In fact, Romantic poetry is characterized by its emphasis on nature, subjectivity, intense emotion, imagination, and the exploration of the sublime. These features can be observed in remarkable poems of the period, such as Wordsworth's "Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey," Coleridge's "Kubla Khan" and "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," Keats' "Ode to a Nightingale," and Shelley's "Mont Blanc." These poems exemplify the beauty, depth, and individualism that define Romantic poetry.

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