The Spirit of the Romantic Period

The Spirit of the Romantic Period

The Romantic Period in English literature was an era that brought forth profound literary rebellion. Romantics were truly rebels. They were in total defiance of the morals set by the movement known as the neoclassical period. The Romantics were also idealists, who believed in change. These idealists wrote about the change they wanted, socially as well as politically. Nature, both human and natural, and childhood and social conditions were of the many themes literary artists of this time chose to focus on. Mary Wollstonecraft, William Blake, and William Wordsworth were among the literary artists who have done just this. In creating works such as, “A Vindication of the Rights of Women”, “The Garden of Love”, and “She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways”, one can see the spirit of this era is well depicted.

Mary Wollstonecraft can be noted as the women’s advocate of her day. In her “Vindication”, she proclaims that just as men, women have rights. For centuries women had very little or no rights at all. Women were treated as if they were mere objects of beauty and they were expected to yield to the every demand of man. “The conduct and manners of women, in fact, evidently prove that their minds are not in a healthy state.” In a sense, women have been brain washed. They are taught from the womb by their mothers that they are to only maintain their appearances and be sweet and submissive. They are taught to spend their time questioning for love because the only way to get ahead is through marriage. Women never reach the realization that there is more to life.

Women shouldn’t feel inferior to men because they too are mortal beings. Instead of spending time on beauty and frailty, wom...

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... when she ceased to be. No one cared that she existed. However, it made a difference to Wordsworth. Even if no one cared, he did and that made the difference.

It appears as though Wordsworth is describing the struggle of the lower class people to exist. One cannot live in loneliness and despair. Wordsworth seems to be revealing the callous attitude of society at that time.

In composing their works, it is safe to assume that the Romantics shared a common interest. That interest was change. Mary Wollstonecraft, William Blake, and William Wordsworth are among the true rebels of their time. Through literary works such as “A Vindication of the Rights of Women”, “The Garden of Love”, and “She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways”, we can see that these literary artists took no boundaries in challenging standards set by the church, government, and society in general.