The Romantic Period

Romantic Poets/Poetry

• Industrial Revolution also caused land to no longer be communally owned. This resulted in MANY LANDLESS PEOPLE
• Thus, these landless people MIGRATED TO THE CITY in search of work or charity.

Romantic Poets/Poetry

• The economic cause of all this misery was called “LAISSEZ FAIRE”
• Translated means “let (people) do (as they please)”
• Meaning economic forces were out of the government’s control
• Result = rich grew richer and the poor got poorer. (children also suffered b/c they were often times forced to work)

Romantic Poets/Poetry

• As a result…
• Frustrated by England’s resistance to political and social change during this age of revolution around the globe, the ROMANTIC POETS became dedicated to bringing about change.

Romantic Poets/Poetry

• These poets believed in the force of literature.
• They turned from the formal, public verse of the 18th century Augustans to a more private, spontaneous, lyric poetry.
• These lyrics expressed the belief that IMAGINATION, rather than reason, was the best response to the forces of change.