The Romantic Period1798-1832

The Monarchy

• George III• First monarch from House of Hanover born in Britain• Reigned for 50 years – lost American colonies, suffered from

dementia, but remained popular

• The Regent George IV• George III was declared insane in 1811 and his son ruled in his

place• Arrogant and thoughtless

• William IV• George IV’s more liberal brother began his rule in 1830• 1832 Reform Bill – extended right to vote to middle class• Began to weaken the monarchy’s grip on politics

Around the Country

• Rising population• Fewer deaths from infectious diseases

• People marrying young and producing large families

• Urban growth produced dreadful living conditions• “Hell is a city much like London” – Shelley

• Rich grew richer, poor grew poorer• Middle class values and customs, especially focus on

money-making, came to dominate society

Around the Country

• The Peterloo Massacre• 1819 – workers protested unfair working conditions and were

charged by cavalry• 600 people were injured, 11 were killed

• Police introduced in 1829

• Omnibuses – horse drawn carriages provided public transportation in 1829

• Smallpox vaccination

• Coal is used to produce fuel gas

Literary Trends: Romanticism

• “The French Revolution and Napoleon made a clean sweep; after them it was no longer possible to think, act, or write as if the old forms still had life.”

• Emotion over reason

• Individual over society

• Imagination over logic

• Natural over artificial

• Inspired by nature, folk art, and the past

Romantic Poetry

• First Generation – Wordsworth and Coleridge• Emphasis on emotion, dealt with situations from

common life infused with the poet’s imagination

• Second Generation – Byron, Shelley, and Keats• Even stronger rebellion against British conservatism

• Byronic hero

Romantic Prose

• Many essays and novels

• Dry period for drama

• Shelley (gothic novel), Austen, Sir Walter Scott

Romantic Prose