Page 149 - DENG402_HISTORY_OF_ENGLISH_LITERATURE

History of English Literature

Notes 18.6 Summary

The French Revolution (1789) fired him as it did a large number of young hearts through-
out Europe, with new hopes of the deliverance of humanity from the shackles of age-old
tyranny.
Keats built up his spiritual home in the romance-draped middle ages and the Greece of
yore which he considered to be a land of ideal beauty.
Byron shared very little of the true romantic melancholy. However, he was the most
cynical and misanthropic of all the major romantic poets.

18.7 Keywords

Wordsworth : Wordsworth was the least melancholy of all the romantic poets. It
was mainly due to the fact that he seldom felt himself to be in a state
of utter solitariness.
Coleridge : Coleridge went through the same vicissitudes of political feelings
as Wordsworth.

18.8 Review Questions

1. What is wordsworth ? Explain.
2. What is Coleridge and Shelley?
3. What is difference between Keats and Byron?
4. Why were most romantic poets interested in the middle ages?

Answers : Self Assessment

1. typical romantic temper 2. Wordsworth’s 3. Melancholy
4. Shelley 5. escapist

18.9 Further Readings

Books A critical history of English Literature, IV Vol, 2nd ed. Ronald, New York,
1970: Daiches, David.
History of English Literature, Cambridge University press, London, 1968: Legouis
and Cazamian.
The Concise Cambridge History of English Literature, 3rd edition CUP, New
Delhi 2005: Sampson, George.

Online links www.online-literature.com/wordsworth/
www.gradesaver.com/coleridges-poems/study-guide/short-summary/
www.victorianweb.org/previctorian/keats/lqae.html

142 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY