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