The Romantic Period and the Victorian Age in Great Britain

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The Romantic Period (1785-1830) was a very turbulent period, during which England experienced the ordeal of change from a primarily agricultural society to a modern industrial nation. French Revolution and storming of the Bastille had a great influence on English society and literature. It influenced almost every sphere of life. The Victorian Age (1830-1901) was a period of great progress and prosperity for the nation. This was a period in which industry, technology, and science were celebrated with renewed vigor. Because of the rapid extension of colonialism England became a very powerful empire and preeminent center of world power. The comparison of these two periods is not easy, but I will try to discuss and compare a couple of, in my opinion, most important aspects like: political background, daily life and work conditions, inventions, women rights, and literature of these periods. The beginning of the Romantic Period was very dramatic. The King Louis XVI and his wife were executed; revolutionary France declared war on England. The final defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815 proved to be the triumph. In England this was a period of harsh, repressive measures. Public meetings were prohibited, Habeas Corpus was suspended, and advocates of even moderate political change were charged with high treason of war. It was also a time when profound economic and social changes were creating a desperate need for corresponding changes in political arrangements and new classes (eg. Manufacturing) were beginning to demand a voice in government proportionate to their wealth. The reign of Queen Victoria was very long. England went through a great progress, but the period was not so quiet and peaceful at all. During the Crimean ... ... middle of paper ... ... living standards, they chase all what is new and undiscovered. Thanks to those people our today's world looks so great. Thank to those people we could develop so many new inventions and women at last gained rights. Bibliography: Misztal, Mariusz An Outline of British History Wydawnictwo Naukowe Akademii Pedagogicznej, Kraków 2000 McDowall, Dawid An Illustrated History of Britain Longman Group UK Ltd. 1989 O'Driscoll, James Britain Oxford University Press 1995 Rogers, Pat The Oxford Illustrated History of English Literature Oxford University Press 1987 Sanders, Andrew The Short Oxford History of English Literature Oxford University Press 1994 The Norton Anthology, English Literature vol. 2, 2nd edition, W.W. Norton and Company, New York, London 2000

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