English — Literature: Romantic Poetry — William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge — 2nd Year Secondary

The Romantic period in English literature (1798-1837) marked a shift from reason to emotion, from society to nature, from classical rules to individual freedom. Wordsworth and Coleridge are the pioneers of this movement.

I. Historical Context

The Romantic movement emerged as a reaction against the Industrial Revolution and the Enlightenment. It emphasized emotion, imagination, and the beauty of nature. The French Revolution (1789) also influenced Romantic ideals of liberty and equality.

II. William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

Wordsworth is known for his love of nature and his belief that poetry should use simple, everyday language. He co-authored “Lyrical Ballads” (1798) with Coleridge, which marked the beginning of English Romanticism.

Key works:
– “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” (or “Daffodils”)
– “Tintern Abbey”
– “The Prelude” (autobiographical poem)

Famous lines: “I wandered lonely as a cloud / That floats on high o’er vales and hills”

Characteristics: Nature as a spiritual force, simple language, focus on childhood and memory, the ordinary made extraordinary.

III. Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)

Coleridge brought the supernatural and the exotic to Romantic poetry. His poems are characterized by rich imagery and musical language.

Key works:
– “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”
– “Kubla Khan”
– “Christabel”

Famous lines: “Water, water, every where, / Nor any drop to drink”

Characteristics: Supernatural themes, vivid imagination, medieval and exotic settings, symbolic language.

IV. Comparison

Aspect	Wordsworth	Coleridge
Theme	Nature, common life	Supernatural, exotic
Language	Simple, everyday	Rich, musical
Focus	External nature	Inner experience

V. Exercises

1. Analyze the first stanza of “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” and identify the poetic devices used.
2. Explain the moral lesson in “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”.
3. Compare the treatment of nature in Wordsworth’s poetry with that of a modern poet.

For more literature lessons, see Shakespeare’s Tragedies and George Orwell.

English — Literature: Romantic Poetry — William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge — 2nd Year Secondary