Definition: Romantacism

You should be able to describe the "Romantic Era", and give a definition of "Romanticism".

To understand the English poetry of the 19th Century, you need to understand the Romantic Era. Specifically, you need to understand how the Romantic Era protested against its predecessor, Neo-Classicism.

Look at the YouTube-video below. Take special note of the list of differences between Classicism and Romanticism.

Types of Poetry: Three Forms

There are three types or forms of poetry; i.e. Lyrical Poetry, Epic Poetry and Dramatic Poetry.

Lyrical Poetry

"Lyric", derives from the word "lyre" which is a type of stringed instrument. It therefore refers to music. Lyrical Poetry used to be sung. They tend to be relatively short and often convey the feelings and thoughts of a single speaker.

William Wordsworth's poem, "Daffodils", is an example of a Lyrical Poem. In the YouTube-video below, a rapper performs an adapted version of Wordsworth's "Daffodils".



Epic / Narrative Poetry

An epic is a type of story. Epic Poetry, also known as Narrative Poetry, are basically "storrytelling poems". They tend to be long, often several hundred lines and are often divided into several sections.

Lord Alfred Tynnyson's "The Lady of Shallot" is an example of an Narrative Poem. In the YouTube-video below, Loreena McKennit performs this poem in a Celtic style.



Dramatic Poetry

Dramatic Poetry is poetry that includes drama, i.e. it is theatrical. This means that it can be performed like a play. Sometimes there are many "characters" that are in dialogue. If only one "character" is speaking, it is called a monologue.

Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven" is an example of Dramatic Poetry. In the YouTube-video, Vincent Price recites "The Raven". Note the dramatized style.

Definition: Poetry

For the exam you need to be able to give a good definition of "poetry" / "poem".

You can build your definition off of the one below from TheFreeDictionary.Com:

Poem: A verbal composition designed to convey experiences, ideas, or emotions in a vivid and imaginative way, characterized by the use of language chosen for its sound and suggestive power and by the use of literary techniques such as meter, metaphor, and rhyme.

Introduction

In this blog I will list some (not all) notes from our class on 19th Century Romantic Poetry, such as main points and definitions.

The poets we will discuss are: William Blake, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Byron, John Keats, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Lord Alfred Tennyson.

Our source book is The Norton Anthology of Poetry, 3rd Edition. Also make sure that you have a good dictionary that shows the etymology of the words (the origin of the words). You will also need a notepad for making notes in class.